Arizona’s natural beauty is on display at national monuments in every region of the state. Add this collection of cherished natural areas, historic sites and trails, recreation areas and memorials to your Arizona itinerary.
Grand Canyon & Northern Wonders
Anchored by the Grand Canyon and cherished sites across Navajo Nation, the upper reaches of Arizona boast more than half of the state’s national monuments. Start the history tour at Wupatki National Monument, an enormous Ancestral Puebloan site on the Colorado Plateau. See an astonishing collection of cliff dwellings at Walnut Canyon National Monument just outside of Flagstaff and other ties to the past at remote sites such as Navajo National Monument and Pipe Springs National Monument.
Other National Monuments protect many of Arizona’s natural wonders. At Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, hike through ancient lava flows. At Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, multicolored slot canyons set the stage for astonishing hikes. Join a tour with a Navajo guide to see Canyon de Chelly National Monument, where ancient ruins are tucked into towering sandstone cliffs. At Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, explore rugged canyon landscapes completely off the grid.
Lake Havasu & Western Arizona
At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, some 750 miles of coastline attract boaters, anglers and campers to a sprawling canyon lake above the Hoover Dam. Lake Mead is a great launching point to explore historic and natural sites along the tri-state Old Spanish National Historic Trail. To the northeast, Glen Canyon & Lake Powell National Recreation Areas take water recreation to new heights.
Sedona & Verde Valley
On road trips in Central Arizona, pull over at these tributes to Arizona’s historic and natural wonders. At Agua Fria National Monument, hike to remnants of pueblo villages and discover ancient petroglyph sites. At Tuzigoot National Monument and Montezuma Castle National Monument, marvel at remnants of pueblo villages and cliff dwellings formerly inhabited by indigenous communities.
White Mountains & Eastern Arizona
Perched above Roosevelt Lake along the Salt River, Tonto National Monument preserves two cliff dwellings that visitors can hike to and walk through. Year-round, the lower cliff dwelling is accessible by hiking up a short, paved trail. During the cooler months, join ranger-guided hikes to the upper cliff dwelling that overlooks this transition zone that reaches from the arid desert valley to a high-elevation pine forest.
Greater Phoenix & Scottsdale
Head just a few miles south of the state’s population center to tour one of Arizona’s most impressive ruins. At Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, tour the remnants of a former pueblo community, see agriculture techniques born on this stretch of the Gila River and marvel at the engineering techniques that have kept the adobe “big house” standing for centuries.
Tucson & Southern Arizona
The southern section of Arizona is packed with scenic sites worth preserving. At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, see these pillars spread out across the Sonoran Desert, one of the world’s greenest deserts. At Chiricahua National Monument, hike through craggy canyons with impossibly balanced rock formations. At Tumacácori National Historical Park, Fort Bowie National Historical Site and Coronado National Memorial, the human backstory shines as much as the magnificent landscapes.
Many historic sites in Southern Arizona are connected by two National Historical Trails. Along the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail and the Butterfield Overland Trail, hike through the same landscapes that Spanish explorers and early pioneers encountered centuries ago.
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.
