Arizona’s three national parks include one of the nation’s most popular outdoor destinations, plus two additional desert icons synonymous with the Southwest. Start at the park that gave the Grand Canyon State its nickname, then head out to see arms-up cactuses and multicolored landscapes that guarantee astonishing photo ops and memories that will stick.
Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona claims one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Carved by water and wind over millions of years, Grand Canyon National Park is a mile deep and roughly 18 miles wide by 280 miles long. Daytrip and hotel visitors head to the easily accessible South Rim, where hiking trails are just steps from the village on the rim. Commit to a longer drive to reach the less developed North Rim, open in the warmer months. Or head to Grand Canyon West, where the Hualapai tribal community operates scenic helicopter and rafting tours and invites visitors to step onto The Ledge for a dizzying perspective.
Saguaro National Park
Arizona’s iconic cactus, the mighty saguaro, thrives in the Sonoran Desert. Visitors come from around the world to encounter these waving giants found only in parts of Arizona, California and Mexico. Surrounding the Tucson metro area, Saguaro National Park invites visitors to get up close to these impressive desert icons. Late spring into early summer, photo ops are enhanced by the saguaros’ massive white blooms that turn into cactus fruit, a source of nutrition for the woodpeckers, cactus wrens and other desert dwellers that build nests inside the trunks. Nearly 200 miles of trails wind through the park, attracting a steady flow of hikers and cyclists who appreciate these symbols of the desert Southwest.
Petrified Forest National Park
Massive fields of tree trunks have fossilized into huge chunks of shimmering quartz scattered across Arizona’s high-desert plateaus. The bewildering colors at Petrified Forest National Park are matched only by the red sandstone buttes of nearby Monument Valley and the Painted Desert’s whimsical badlands swirled with hues of pink and orange. All road trips on Interstate 40 in Northern Arizona should include a detour into these Navajo Nation wonderlands. Rock shops in nearby Holbrook and along Arizona’s historic stretch of Route 66 sell souvenirs found only in this special region of Arizona.
Arizona Office of Tourism
These articles are brought to you by the staff of the Arizona Office of Tourism, and occasionally local tourism organizations around the state.
