From Saguaro National Park all the way up to Monument Valley, there are endless natural wonders in Arizona to explore. The following are seven bucket-list-worthy destinations in the Grand Canyon State that you won’t find anywhere else (and need to visit as soon as possible). You’ll leave with a whole new appreciation for this incredible place we call home.
- The Grand Canyon
Dean Fikar / Moment via Getty Images What better way to kick off a list of Arizona’s most astounding natural wonders than with the Grand Canyon itself? There isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said about this otherworldly place - and frankly, words don’t do it justice. There’s a reason why nearly five million people from all over the world visit each year! Learn more on the National Park Service website. Grand Canyon, Arizona 86052, USA
- Petrified Forest National Park (Holbrook)
Charles Davies / 500px Prime via Getty Images Another national park, Petrified Forest is located on the northern edge of the iconic Painted Desert. Its colorful badlands are a treat to drive or hike through, and the 200-million-year-old petrified logs and other ancient fossils will leave you in awe. Learn more on the National Park Service website. Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028, USA
- Monument Valley (Kayenta)
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino / Moment via Getty Images Although we share Monument Valley with Utah, it’s still an Arizona treasure worthy of a spot on anyone’s bucket list. One of the most photographed places on earth, this sacred Navajo Nation park is best known for its breathtaking sandstone rock formations (called buttes) that tower up to 1,000 feet high. Either drive through on your own or take a guided tour that leads down into the valley. Learn more on the Navajo Nation Parks website. Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ 84536, USA
- Havasu Falls (Supai)
Gilles Baechler / 500px Prime via Getty Images Located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation (the word Havasupai means “people of the blue-green waters,” by the way) Havasu Falls is among the most coveted tourist destinations in Arizona. It’s also one of the hardest to access, with permits often selling out a year or more in advance. If you do happen to score a permit - and are up for the grueling, 10-mile hike to the falls - seeing the jaw-dropping cascade for yourself is a life-altering experience. Learn more on the National Park Service website. Havasu Falls, Arizona 86435, USA
- Saguaro National Park (Tucson)
Mark Newman / The Image Bank via Getty Images Straddling the city of Tucson, Saguaro National Park is home to over two million Saguaro cacti - more than anywhere else in the American Southwest. The Sonoran Desert is the only place on Earth where this type of cactus grows in the wild, and it’s right here in our backyard - how incredible is that? Learn more on the National Park Service website. Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA
- Antelope Canyon, (Page)
Matteo Colombo / DigitalVision via Getty Images Despite not being nearly as large as the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon is world-famous for a different reason. A slot canyon formed by erosion, this natural wonder lets in beams of light that shine from the ceiling all the way down to the canyon floor. It’s a photographer’s paradise! Please note: a tour guide is required to visit Antelope Canyon. Learn more on the official Antelope Canyon website. Antelope Canyon, Arizona 86040, USA
- Horseshoe Bend (Page)
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino / Moment via Getty Images Sometimes referred to as the “east rim of the Grand Canyon,” Horseshoe Bend is a bend in the Colorado River shaped like - you guessed it - a horseshoe. The hike to see this Glen Canyon gem is only 0.75-mile each way, and if you happen to visit at sunset, the views are even more spectacular than normal. Learn more on the National Park Service website. Horseshoe Bend, Arizona 86040, USA
How many of these iconic natural wonders in Arizona have you visited? Would you add any others to the list? Tell us in the comments! Don’t forget to check out our previous article for another place in Arizona that looks like something from another planet.
Dean Fikar / Moment via Getty Images
What better way to kick off a list of Arizona’s most astounding natural wonders than with the Grand Canyon itself? There isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said about this otherworldly place - and frankly, words don’t do it justice. There’s a reason why nearly five million people from all over the world visit each year! Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Grand Canyon, Arizona 86052, USA
Charles Davies / 500px Prime via Getty Images
Another national park, Petrified Forest is located on the northern edge of the iconic Painted Desert. Its colorful badlands are a treat to drive or hike through, and the 200-million-year-old petrified logs and other ancient fossils will leave you in awe. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028, USA
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino / Moment via Getty Images
Although we share Monument Valley with Utah, it’s still an Arizona treasure worthy of a spot on anyone’s bucket list. One of the most photographed places on earth, this sacred Navajo Nation park is best known for its breathtaking sandstone rock formations (called buttes) that tower up to 1,000 feet high. Either drive through on your own or take a guided tour that leads down into the valley. Learn more on the Navajo Nation Parks website.
Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ 84536, USA
Gilles Baechler / 500px Prime via Getty Images
Located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation (the word Havasupai means “people of the blue-green waters,” by the way) Havasu Falls is among the most coveted tourist destinations in Arizona. It’s also one of the hardest to access, with permits often selling out a year or more in advance. If you do happen to score a permit - and are up for the grueling, 10-mile hike to the falls - seeing the jaw-dropping cascade for yourself is a life-altering experience. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Havasu Falls, Arizona 86435, USA
Mark Newman / The Image Bank via Getty Images
Straddling the city of Tucson, Saguaro National Park is home to over two million Saguaro cacti - more than anywhere else in the American Southwest. The Sonoran Desert is the only place on Earth where this type of cactus grows in the wild, and it’s right here in our backyard - how incredible is that? Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA
Matteo Colombo / DigitalVision via Getty Images
Despite not being nearly as large as the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon is world-famous for a different reason. A slot canyon formed by erosion, this natural wonder lets in beams of light that shine from the ceiling all the way down to the canyon floor. It’s a photographer’s paradise! Please note: a tour guide is required to visit Antelope Canyon. Learn more on the official Antelope Canyon website.
Antelope Canyon, Arizona 86040, USA
Sometimes referred to as the “east rim of the Grand Canyon,” Horseshoe Bend is a bend in the Colorado River shaped like - you guessed it - a horseshoe. The hike to see this Glen Canyon gem is only 0.75-mile each way, and if you happen to visit at sunset, the views are even more spectacular than normal. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Horseshoe Bend, Arizona 86040, USA
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