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With an abundance of National Parks, monuments and state parks, Arizona is an outdoor enthusiast's playground. Arizona has three national parks, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro National Parks. Below we have detailed these 3 National Parks to help you plan your next trip including top tips and insider's information.
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Known for being one of the natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is definitely on most peoples' bucket list - and with good reason! At 277 miles long and 6,000 feet deep (at its deepest point), it is indeed grand! The South Rim is easily accessible and is the most popular place to explore the Grand Canyon.
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When to Go
Summer is undoubtedly the busiest time of year, making peak season at Grand Canyon between June-August. If you're visiting during this time, be sure to plan ahead. For cooler weather, lighter crowds and better lodging availability, plan your trip during the shoulder seasons between March-May, and September-November. If you have the time, a less crowded summer alternative than the South Rim is the seasonal (May-October) North Rim which is a five-hour drive north of the South Rim. Here it is quieter, more remote and fewer visitor services. Due to its higher elevation, the North Rim is also cooler in temperature and experiences heavy snowfall in winter, resulting in a shorter season.
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Top Activities
Sunrise or Sunset - that is the question! No visit to the Grand Canyon is complete without experiencing at least one. Check here for times, moon phases, and suggestions.
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You don't need to go all the way to the bottom to hike the Canyon. There are many options for day hikes depending on how far you want to go. Top tip - keep in mind that it takes twice as long to come back up as it does to go down! If you are looking for a less strenuous option, we recommend hiking along the rim trail. Be sure to check these hiking tips before you go.
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Guided tours are a great way to learn about the Canyon. From jeep tours, bike tours to mule rides to backpacking, there are tour suppliers who offer multiple ways to enjoy the canyon. You should research and book well in advance of your trip. White water rafting - another bucket list adventure for some - takes planning and time. Typically, white water rafting tours are at least three days in length and depart from Lee's Ferry, a two-hour drive north of the South Rim.
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Where to Stay
The most popular way to sleep in Grand Canyon to truly experience the elements is camping. There are several campgrounds in the park and two of the three National Park Service campgrounds accept reservations: Mather Campground on the South Rim and North Rim Campground. Desert View Campground on the South Rim (open seasonally between mid-April and mid-October) is first-come, first-served, and Trailer Village is a concessioner-run RV park with full hook-ups. If your idea of roughing it is glamping, there are two options a mere 20 minutes from the Canyon: Clear Sky Resorts and Under Canvas.
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If camping isn't quite your style, there are numerous hotels, both inside and outside the park.
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Time Permitting
The town of Williams, known as the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon", is where you can hop aboard the Grand Canyon Railway for a two-hour ride straight into the national park. Williams can serve as a jumping-off point for all sorts of other excursions, like the drive-thru wildlife park Bearizona and Historic Route 66, which runs through the town.
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Located in eastern Arizona, the Petrified Forest National Park is one of the largest concentrations of petrified wood in the world with petrified trees dating back 211 to 218 million years. Add to that dramatic, colorful geological formations and ancient art and you'll quickly see why Petrified Forest National Park is a must-visit national park.
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Northern Arizona's Painted Desert is a vast badlands that extends some 150 miles from the eastern end of the Grand Canyon into Petrified Forest National Park. The colorful hills, flat-topped mesas and sculptured buttes of the Painted Desert are primarily made up of river-related deposits dating back some 200 million years. The portion within the northern section of Petrified Forest National Park is the easiest to access. Get your bearings through the interpretive exhibits at the Painted Desert Visitor Center.
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When to Go
Summer is busy season and often experiences monsoons, which can offer amazing rainstorms and skies to match. Spring wildflowers (dependent on winter rains) and cooler fall temperatures make these seasons a great time to visit.
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Top Activities
There are two entrances - a north and south depending on which way you are traveling to the park (from Interstate 40 or Highway 180). You can drive all the way through the 28-mile drive on the Main Park Road and stop along the way. Plenty of pullouts and interpretive signage offer reasons to stop, learn, and view.
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Get up close to petrified logs by wandering along trails in the park's southern section. The Crystal Forest, Giant Logs and Long Logs trails loop past petrified wood deposits, huge logs and even an ancient log jam. Interested more in ancient fauna than flora? The Rainbow Forest Museum has paleontological displays of prehistoric animal skeletons.
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The Tawa and Painted Desert Rim trails get you into the grassland ecosystem and offer wide-open views of colorful geology. Keep your eyes peeled for coyotes, jackrabbits, pronghorn, mule deer, hawks and other locals. Hiking the sunny trails in spring and late summer? Seasonal rains make wildflowers blossom.
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With the park's emphasis on nature, it might surprise some that architectural treasures also abound. On the south side, the remains of a 100-room compound occupied more than 600 years ago by the Ancestral Puebloan people can be seen at Puerco Pueblo, along with nearby petroglyphs. It's one of numerous archaeological sites in the park.
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On the north side, the Painted Desert Inn dates to the 1920s and has been updated over the years. The noted lead architect, Mary Colter, of the Fred Harvey Company tapped noted Hopi artist Fred Kabotie to paint the inn's murals. Today, the National Historic Landmark offers Petrified Forest history exhibits and, in summer, an ice cream counter.
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Where to Stay / Time Permitting
Located 45 minutes from the park is the town of Winslow, made famous by the Eagles song "Standin' on the Corner". Winslow has always been an important stop on Route 66, first popular with railroad travelers, and now with motorists and motorcyclists. Here you will find La Posada Hotel, which was designed by Fred Harvey Company architect Mary Colter for the Santa Fe Railroad. Stepping into this historic hacienda-style hotel, with its red-tiled roof, public gardens, and graceful arches, is like stepping back in time. The restored rooms have included celebrity guests such as Amelia Earhart, Clark Gable, Will Rogers, and Jane Russel. The on-site restaurant, the Turquoise Room, is considered one of the finest restaurants in this region.
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Insider Tip
While exploring outdoors, it is tempting to take a small piece of petrified wood, but remember removal of petrified wood or other natural and cultural artifacts found in the park is prohibited by law. Gift shops inside and outside the park sell petrified wood collected from private land outside the park boundaries.
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Saguaro National Park protects and preserves a giant saguaro cactus forest that stretches across the Sonoran Desert in Tucson. Unique to the Sonoran Desert, the park's giant saguaros sometimes reach as high as 50 feet and can live longer than 200 years. This has led them to be described as the kings of the Sonoran Desert. In addition to a broad expanse of desert, Saguaro National Park features mountainous regions - some reaching more than 8,000 feet above sea level - where pine and coniferous forests form a canvas of greenery. These varied landscapes provide ideal habitats for a wide range of flora and fauna, including wildlife such as javelina, coyote, quail, and desert tortoise in the lower elevations as well as black bear, deer, and the Mexican spotted owl in the upper elevations.
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The park has two sections: an eastern section (Rincon District) which is more remote, larger and mountainous and the western portion (Tucson Mountain District) which is lower in elevation and boasts a denser saguaro forest. The east has more hiking trails and is the only region where backpacking is allowed. The west is a better choice if you have limited time.
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When to Go
November through to March is the busy winter season thanks to the mild temperatures in the 10s to 21s (centigrade). Summers run hot in the Sonoran Desert and afternoons are best avoided when the temperature can reach between 35 and 45 degrees centigrade.
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Top Activities
Start your day at the visitor center in either of the Saguaro National Park districts. Here, you can take in museum exhibits, informational slideshows, and cactus gardens. The visitor centers are also the starting point for numerous hiking trails and scenic drives. Guided walks led by visitor center staff are also available giving you the best close-up experience with some of the most notable areas of the park.
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Where to Stay
Tucson enjoys a wide variety of hotels, motels, upscale resorts, and charming bed and breakfasts. Whether you choose to stay in the picturesque foothills or in the center of town, you'll love exploring the city during your stay. Alternatively if you are considering camping, stay in the backcountry of the Rincon Mountain District. A permit is required and you can acquire this at the visitor center.
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Insider Tip
The official Arizona state flower is the Saguaro cactus bloom, which occurs in late spring/early summer. The bloom, which lasts for less than 24 hours, opens at night and remains open through the next day. After being pollinated, they mature into a red fruit.
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Time Permitting
The close-by Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is an easy add-on to this trip and well worth it. The museum is a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden and natural history museum all rolled into one. It features two miles of walking paths traversing 21 acres of desert landscape.
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Appreciate AZ:
The Arizona Office of Tourism and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics have forged a partnership to promote sustainable tourism practices across Arizona's spectacular landscapes and unique destinations. In addition to following local rules and regulations, it's important to understand the principles of Leave No Trace, which are guidelines that help protect beautiful, wild spaces. These include such things as plan and prepare, stick to trails, trash your trash, leave what you find, be careful with fire, respect wildlife, and share the outdoors. Appreciate AZ is Arizona's program for responsible tourism. It ensures they are doing our part to educate visitors and residents on how to recreate responsibly and to keep the state beautiful for future generations.
Please note: For visitor guidance due
to COVID-19 such as mask-wearing, a list of
tourism-related reopening's or closures, and a link to
public health guidelines, click here: https://www.visitarizona.com/covid-19/.
Some attractions are open year-round, and some are
open seasonally or move to seasonal hours. To ensure
the places you want to see are open on your travel
dates, please check their website for hours of
operation.
Additional information can be found on the website: https://visitarizona.com/
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