Top Things to do in Arizona
What to do and see in Arizona, United States: The Best Things to do Adventurous
The state of Arizona is one that features a fantastic diversity of landscapes and areas of geological interest. North Arizona is famous for the Grand Canyon, a colorful chasm with steep rocky walls more than a mile deep and stretching some 277 miles alongside the Colorado River. Other notable destinations in North Arizona include Flagstaff set alongside the San Francisco Peaks which has the largest ponderosa pine forest, Museum of Northern Arizona, and is close to a number of national parks and monuments. On the south side of Arizona lies the city of Phoenix, the largest in Arizona. Notable day trips in Phoenix include the Heard Museum which is one of America's largest collections of Native American art, Phoenix Museum of History, as well as the Desert Botanical garden which has a great collection of desert plants.
Restaurants in Arizona
1. Rock Art Canyon Ranch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 142 reviews
Offers tours of some of the best preserved petroglyphs in the country.
Reviewed By noworries2000 - Federal Way, United States
OMG! I have travelled all over the world and this is one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Brantley Baird is a piece of living history of the West. He and his family have a 5000 acre working ranch outside of Winslow and they will happily share the history of how their family helped settle the area and show you many amazing artifacts they've kept in their family from the 1800s and early 1900s. After sharing that amazing history they will take you out and show you some of the archaeological dig sites, and let you roam the area on your own and explore the canyons with the pottery, tools, and petroglyphs from the natives who inhabited the area 9000 years ago. I spent an entire day in the canyons exploring the artifacts the natives left behind and I likely missed half of them. Call ahead and make a reservation - they keep the groups small so they can personalize the tours. Take along comfortable hiking shoes, plenty of water, a good camera, good binoculars, and a cooler of munchies. There is an excellent picnic spot above the canyon that is a great rest stop before/after you climb into the canyon. The steps are steep - not good for people who are even partially immobile. I took hundreds of pictures down in the canyon and even swam in the pools of water to cool off. Please respect the area and resist the urge to pick up pottery shards or stone tools that you will surely see walking around. The place is a national heritage site and Brantley and his family have done a great job preserving and protecting it. When you make reservations, be sure to have them text you the simple driving instructions and map that will easily guide you to the ranch (about 40 minutes outside of Winslow). Don't rely on your GPS to find the place - you will likely not find it. (Online maps and directions from search engines such as Google or Bing are wrong.) Plan to spend the day, or even ask about staying overnight. The roads driving around the ranch itself are a bit rough, so make sure your car has good tires and clearance. There is so much to explore, you won't see it all in just a few hours. Above all, these are some of the nicest people you will ever meet! Enjoy!
2. South Kaibab Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,687 reviews
One of the two superhighways into the Canyon, the other being the Bright Angel Trail, this path runs along a ridge offering stunning views. During the summer, visitors are advised to bring at least two quarts of water along because it can get very hot and the trail offers no shade.
Reviewed By Traveling007Texan
My son and I hiked down the South Kaibab Trail and spent the evening at Phantom Ranch before hiking up the Bright Angel Trail the next morning. Hiking the the S. Kaibab was relatively easy as it is downhill the entire way. THERE IS NO WATER so you must carry enough with you. We took 3 liters each and that was plenty. We made it in 4.5 hours taking our time at a steady pace without breaks. It is a beautiful trail with breathtaking views around every turn. I would recommend hiking down the South Kaibab and back up the Bright Angel, as it has water along the middle and upper trail. It's very hot in July but downhill all the way!
3. Grand Canyon North Rim
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,349 reviews
Word of mouth has that the more remote, harder to get to and therefore less crowded North Rim offers a more authentic Canyon experience and better views. However, there is no bus service on this rim and it is closed during the winter.
Reviewed By 751morganb - San Francisco, United States
A lot of people told us about the beauty of the North Rim. After a visit, we understood why. Words like spectacular and marvelous would not describe it good enough. At the same time, a lot of people told us this is worth a trip because of its remote location. We loved it, not because it was less crowded than the South Rim, but because of its beauty. When that is said, if you will not get the chance to go here, but will get the chance to visit the South or West Rim, we would say: GO! All places are amazing. If you visit the North Rim, make sure also to drive over to Cape Royal and stop on the way on the Walhalla overlook, Roosevelt Point overlook, Vista Encantada and Point Imperial. We also recommend to do the hikes Cape Royal Trail as well as Bright Angel Point.
4. Bright Angel Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,318 reviews
One of the two superhighways of the Grand Canyon, this well maintained and popular trail offers breathtaking vistas, some shaded areas.
Reviewed By 60Kelly - Sydney, Australia
We started the walk down at 5am knowing we'd be returning in the heat of the day. After 2.5hours we reached Indian Gardens, a luscious oasis on the canyon floor. We replenished our water bottles, ate snack and at 9am started off to the rest house about 4 miles back up the trail. The sun rose high in the sky,l shade became less and our pace slowed on the very steep climb up. we found any shade we could to take refuge and rehydrate although this slowed our return.. At the 3 mile rest house we found a little shade, slight breeze, and fresh water for our bottles, had another snack and wet our bandanas and hats and set off for the next resthouse 1.5 miles further up the trail. We found ourselves, along with many others, stopping every few hundred feet under any amount of shade. We drank more water and pushed on to the final resthouse 1.5miles from the rim to drink more water and cool down. By the time we reached the rim 10 hours after starting out we could barely put one foot after the other. So to anyone wanting to go down to the canyon floor I'd say do it, start as early in the day as possible if you go in summer, prepare well, take notice of all the warning signs about the hike, take plenty of water and snacks then enjoy the vistas on the way down, the welcoming Indian Gardens at the bottom and appreciate the friendships you will make on the way back up as you encourage each other to get back to the rim safely. It is definitely worth every step.
5. Grand Canyon South Rim
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 23,049 reviews
The most developed area of Grand Canyon National Park, the South Rim offers amenities such as bus service, hotels and water stations, but is also more crowded than the North Rim. Scenic highlights include Pipe Creek Vista and Yavapai Point.
Reviewed By E9542BPjeffh - Toronto, Canada
Just came back from 3 days at the Grand Canyon. We did 3 wonderful tours, including the Sunset tour along the south rim to see the spectacular sunset on the canyon, the desert view tour to explore the native history, and the all day 4 by 4 inner rim tour from Williams down into the canyon to the Colorado river. What an experience....rugged beauty, hiking and wildlife....not to be missed in your lifetime!
6. Cathedral Rock
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5,917 reviews
Towering red rock formation, part of the Cathedral Rock Trail.
Reviewed By Cristine4412 - Pittsburgh, United States
It's a relatively easy hike to the base of Cathedral Rock, and from there you can choose the more challenging hike up the rock, or take the flat Templeton trail around the base.
7. Mooney Falls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 181 reviews
This waterfall in the Grand Canyon towers higher than the Niagara Falls.
Reviewed By Awebby84 - Rochester, United States
Well after the super awesome scary climb down the wet slippery rock face...WE got ENGAGED at the bottom!!! So it will always be a super memorable spot for me. But the water is amazing, there is a kool swimming hole off to the right you can jump into. Little chilly in May, but who cares!!!!
8. Superstition Mountains
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 196 reviews
Located near the east rim of the Valley of the Sun and popular for the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine.
Reviewed By tmj1998
Started out our long weekend in Mesa area by spending a day in the Superstition Mountains. Started out our day with a paddle on Saguaro Lake, took a break in the middle of the day for lunch and then set out for a "scenic drive" to Tortilla Flats and the Apache Trail (Route 88) in Tonto National Forest. The road is climbs the elevation and there is opportunity to stop off and take a photo, maybe a hike or a brief stroll. For a girl from the lakes and prairies of MN, the road has some hairpin turns on the edge steep canyon drop offs. But the road became unpaved and seemed to be single lane a few miles past Tortilla Flats (and was closed just prior to Willow Canyon). The scenery is beautiful and breath taking. Enjoy a pit stop at Tortilla flats for some refreshments and people watching.
9. Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 503 reviews
Tours by appointment only. Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center is a non-profit rescue and rehabilitation facility specializing in wild mammals. Over 70% of the animals that come into our center are returned to the wild. For those that cannot be released, we offer a home for life in our sanctuary. We conduct guided tours of our sanctuary by appointment only. Reservations are required and can be made on our website under the Visit Us tab.
Reviewed By nf0x - Denver, United States
Fun and educational experience for all ages. Passionate and well informed volunteers lead you through this animal sanctuary for Arizona rescued animals. Up close opportunity to see and learn about a variety of animals. See Mexican Gray Wolves that the center plays a role in their repopulation in the southwest US. Tours are outdoors and in the shade.
10. Broken Arrow Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,400 reviews
Reviewed By geridicola - Chicago, United States
We took the Broken Arrow trail to the High on the Hog, Hog Heaven to Hog Wash back to Broken Arrow it was about a four mile Hike that was absolutely amazing. bring water and a snack so you can stop and soak it all in.
