The Grand Canyon State has many other attractions to offer besides the Grand Canyon itself. The main attractions include the metropolis of Phoenix, Route 66, the desert, the pine forests, the red stones of Sedona, well-known sites such as the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Vermillion Cliffs, the Meteor Crater, the Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley.
Phoenix – pulsating metropolis in the southwest of the USA
Nature, animals and plants, many sports and leisure activities, but also a lot of culture with Spanish and Indian influence, that is what the southern capital of the US state has to offer its visitors. For example, the ” Phoenix Museum of Art “On North Central Avenue or the” Arizona Museum of National History “On 5th Street. Many exhibits from prehistoric times can also be seen here.
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Without a doubt, this is considered a top attraction in Phoenix Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), where you can immerse yourself in the world of music and musical instruments. The museum is one of the 15 best museums in the United States. The Marcos de Niza Trail near the big city is worthwhile for hikers. Maricopa is also not far away and offers a very unique flair and sights such as the Ak-Chin Hi-Dak Eco-Museum or the Dwarf Car Museum.
But there are also museums in other places in Grand Canyon State that are worth seeing. Among them, for example Arizona Sonora Desert Museum that combines the world of zoo, aquarium, natural history museum, botanical garden and art in a special way. The museum with various live animals is located in Tucson and is worth a visit for young and old.
National parks and natural landmarks in Arizona
Up, up and away! Arizona is a nature lover’s paradise and there are countless ways to spend wonderful days outdoors. Of course, the national parks and natural monuments of the state invite you to visit.
These include, for example, the following sights:
- Grand Canyon National Park: The famous Grand Canyon is undoubtedly one of the greatest natural wonders on earth and was rightly added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. The 1.6 kilometer deep and 446 kilometer long gorge and sight with the Colorado River in northern Arizona can ultimately be described with just one word: breathtaking!
- Canyon de Chelly National Monument: These canyons have been inhabited by humans for almost 5,000 years. Much longer than any other part of the Colorado Plateau. Today at this place called Tsegi, their houses and pictures still tell stories from those days. The National Monument is administered together with the Navajo tribe who live there, raise cattle and farm the land in the canyons.
- Petrified Forest National Park: Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeast Arizona and is best known for its fossilized wood. This wood also earned him the nickname Petrified Forest. You can hike in the hinterland, visit the Red Basin or Martha’s Butte or learn more about the unique forest in exhibitions.
- Saguaro National Park: Tucson has the largest cacti in the country. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west and the majestic saguaro cacti are only found in a small part of the United States. They are protected by this national park, which is located east and west of Tucson. Admire the giant cacti and be sure to watch a sunset in the desert there.
- Glen Canyon National Recreation: Find Lake Powell Reservoir, Page On The Reservoir Town, and More! The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers countless opportunities for an active vacation on and in the water and in the hinterland. It’s a vast recreational area that stretches from Lee’s Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs in southern Utah. Great landscapes, geological wonders and a decent piece of human history.
- Agua Fria National Monument: The 71,000-acre Agua Fria National Monument is about 40 miles north of Phoenix and includes two mesas and the Agua Fria Canyon. The landscape with its plateau is beautiful and one of the most important systems of prehistoric sites in the American Southwest. It is also a fantastic place to see animals such as coyotes, lynx, antelopes, eagles and other animals.
- Monument Valley: Monument Valley is one of the most majestic and most photographed places on earth. The sandstone masterpieces that soar into the desert sky here in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, framed by picturesque clouds, create a landscape that is simply magnificent. The John Ford Point is very beautiful, a lookout point named after the director, whose name is inextricably linked with the famous western actor John Wayne.
- Cococino National Forest: The Cococino National Forest is one of the most diverse national forests in the country, with landscapes ranging from the famous Sedona Red Rocks and majestic Cathedral Rock to the Ponderosa pine forests and from the southwestern desert to alpine tundra. An excellent place to hike mountains and gorges or fish in small lakes.
- Antelope Canyon: Antelope Canyon is the most-visited slot canyon in the southwestern United States and is located near Page, Arizona. A visit to this natural wonder is definitely worthwhile for young and old, and if it’s just about taking unforgettable holiday photos.
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: Look and listen carefully! Life pulsates in the Sonoran Desert, an international biosphere reserve and national monument. And if you listen carefully, you can hear the thousand-year history of the unique desert landscape. Take a scenic tour of the reserve, hike the wilderness, or spend one or more nights camping. It is worth it..
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument: The volcanic crater is an impressive example of the destruction and rebirth of a landscape. When the volcano erupted in 1085, it changed not only the landscape, but also the people who lived there. Today it is an impressive example of how nature and man can influence one another.
- Vermilion Cliffs National Monument: The Vermillion Cliffs are a geological treasure that includes the Paria Plateau, Vermillion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. The visit to the remote landscape is rewarded with a picturesque view of towering cliffs and deep gorges. And with a bit of luck you can spot the California condor there too. The absolute highlight is definitely “The Wave”.
- Barringer Crater: Barringer Crater is minutes from Interstate 40 and Route 66 in northern Arizona near Winslow. It is the best preserved meteorite impact site in the world. Today the crater is a popular destination for the whole family. The attraction has an extensive visitor center with a 4D experience room and other attractions.
Worthwhile activities in Arizona
Arizona is a paradise for those who enjoy active vacations. Whether touring the national parks on foot, on horseback or by jeep or winter sports in Flagstaff, there is a lot possible in the Grand Canyon State. If you want, you can also drive on Route 66 by car or motorcycle or admire the Grand Canyon and the unique landscape of Arizona from dizzying heights by helicopter.
A trip on the Apache Trail, which offers an incomparable western experience, is unforgettable. The trail follows an ancient Indian path through the canyons of the Salt River and was once laid out as a supply route for the construction of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. Today the Apache Trail leads in the footsteps of the Indians through an extremely scenic area, past several state parks and former ghost towns such as Goldfield Ghost Town. There is also a rattlesnake zoo here that you can visit.
In addition, Arizona is an excellent starting point to explore the wild west of the USA. A road trip through California, Arizona, and Nevada is an experience you won’t forget in life. For such a round trip through Nevada, Arizona and California you can start from Los Angeles, for example. You should plan at least three weeks for the route from Los Angeles.
Do you love water and are you looking for a source of relaxation? Then why not pay a visit to the state’s beautiful lakes? In addition to Lake Powell, which is well known to most, the lakes Lake Havasu, Lake Mohave, Sanguaro Lake, Watson Lake and Granite Basin Lake are worth seeing.
And anyone who is enthusiastic about airplanes should definitely visit the one in Tucson Pima Air and Space Museum visit. Here in the Pima Air and Space Museum, visitors can expect countless planes and other aircraft from all eras and types of use.