347 Best Sights in Arizona, USA

This small visitor center is named for the Verkamp family, who operated a curios shop on the South Rim for more than a hundred years. The building serves as an official visitor center, ranger station (get your Junior Ranger badges here), bookstore, and museum, with compelling exhibits on the Verkamps and other pioneers in this region.

Here you can get information about activities and tours and buy a national park pass, which enables you to skip past some of the crowds and access the park by special entry lanes. Nevertheless, the biggest draw is the six-story IMAX screen that features the short movie Grand Canyon: Rivers of Time. You can learn about the geologic and natural history of the canyon, soar above stunning rock formations, and ride the rapids through the rocky gorge. The film is shown every hour on the half hour; the adjoining gift store is huge and well stocked.

The park's main orientation center provides pamphlets and resources to help plan your visit. It also holds engaging interpretive exhibits on the park. Rangers are on hand to answer questions and aid in planning canyon excursions. A daily schedule of ranger-led hikes and evening lectures is available, and a 20-minute film about the history, geology, and wildlife of the canyon plays every 30 minutes in the theater. The bicycle rental office, a small café, and a huge gift store are also in this complex. It's a five-minute walk from here to Mather Point, or a short ride on the shuttle bus, which can take you into Grand Canyon Village. The visitor center is also accessible from the village via a leisurely 2-mile walk on the Greenway Trail, a paved pathway that meanders through the forest.

Grand Canyon West, run by the Hualapai tribe, offers a basic admission ticket, which includes a Hualapai visitation permit and hop-on, hop-off shuttle transportation to three sites. The shuttle will take you to Eagle Point, where you can tour authentic dwellings at the Indian Village and view educational displays on the culture of five different Native American tribes (Havasupai, Plains, Hopi, Hualapai, and Navajo). Intertribal dance performances entertain visitors at the nearby amphitheater. The shuttle also goes to Hualapai Point, site of zip-lining, horseback rides, and the only lodging on the West Rim, and Guano Point, where the "High Point Hike" offers panoramic views of the Colorado River. At all three areas, local Hualapai guides add a Native American perspective.

For extra fees, you can add meals (there are cafés at each of the three stops), overnight lodging at Hualapai Point, a helicopter trip into the canyon, zip-lining, a rafting trip on the Colorado, a horseback ride along the canyon rim, or a walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Sprawling at the base of Spirit Mountain, this historic 106,000-acre working cattle ranch about a 75-minute drive from Kingman takes guests on an adventure to the Old West. Corriente cattle still roam the hills and their cowboy caretakers guide horseback tours and horse-drawn wagon rides through the rugged countryside. Tap Duncan (a member of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang) lived here, and Andy Devine supposedly spent some time working here. The ranch now offers rustic cabins, home-cooked meals, horseback riding, wagon rides, and a helicopter tour of Grand Canyon West. Located just 10 miles southwest of Grand Canyon West, the ranch is a popular stopping-off point for day-trippers seeking spectacular canyon views in this remote region. Several activities packages are available, with or without meal plans.

Accessible from the parking area at Grandview Point, the trailhead is at 7,400 feet. The path heads steeply down into the canyon for 3 miles to the junction and campsite at East Horseshoe Mesa Trail. Classified as a wilderness trail, the route is aggressive and not as heavily traveled as some of the more well-known trails, such as Bright Angel and Hermit. There is no water available along the trail, which follows a steep descent to 4,900 feet at Horseshoe Mesa, where Hopi Indians once collected mineral paints. Hike 0.7 mile farther to Page Spring, a reliable water source year-round. Parts of this trail are icy in winter, and traction crampons are mandatory. Difficult.

Named for the nitrogen-rich bat droppings (guano) that were mined from a cave across the canyon, Guano Point boasts the most spectacular landscapes at the West Rim. You'll have to make a short hike from the shuttle drop-off to get to the no-longer-functioning aerial tramway at the point, but once there, you'll be rewarded with nearly 360-degree views of the canyon and the river below. Guano Point Cafe serves BBQ and curried vegetables.

At this store, both a shop and museum dedicated to Mother Road memorabilia, you can pose for pictures with vintage cars, kitschy signs, ancient gas pumps, and highway memorabilia while sipping a bottle of sarsaparilla.

Retired firefighters lead tours through nearly 100 restored fire engines and tell harrowing tales of the "world's most dangerous profession." The museum has the world's largest collection of firefighting equipment, and children can climb on a 1916 engine, operate alarm systems, and learn fire safety from the pros. Helmets, badges, and other firefighting-related articles from as far back as 1725 are on display.

Remote even for Eastern Arizona standards, Hannagan Meadow is located along the picturesque Coronado Trail. Stop and have a bite to eat at the lodge, fill up your gas tank (bring cash), or linger a bit and rest your head for the night. The lush, isolated, and mesmerizing spot at 9,500 feet is home to elk, deer, and range cattle, as well as blue grouse, wild turkeys, and the occasional eagle. Adjacent to the meadow is the Blue Range Primitive Area, which provides access to miles of untouched wilderness and some stunning rugged terrain. It's a designated recovery area for the endangered Mexican gray wolf. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and his party may have come through the meadow on their famed expedition in 1540 to find the Seven Cities of Cibola.

Self-guided trails wind through lush cottonwood-willow forests, mesquite trees, and around a 4-acre, spring-fed pond and marsh habitat. Waterfowl, herons, and Arizona's rarest raptors shelter here.

South of the middle part of the Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim and away from the crowds, Havasu Canyon is the home of the Havasupai, a tribe that has lived in this isolated area for centuries. You'll discover why they are known as the "people of the blue-green waters" when you see the canyon's waterfalls—Fifty Foot Falls, Little Navajo Falls, Havasu Falls, Beaver Falls, and Mooney Falls. Accumulated travertine formations in some of the most popular pools were washed out in massive flooding decades ago and again in 2008 and 2010, but it's still a magical place.

The village of Supai, which currently has about 200 tribal residents, is accessed by the 8-mile-long Hualapai Trail, which drops 2,000 feet from the canyon rim to the tiny town.

To reach Havasu's waterfalls, you must hike downstream from the village of Supai. Pack adequate food and supplies. There is a café and a trading post in the village, but prices for food and sundries are more than double what they would be outside the reservation. The tribe does not allow alcohol, drugs, pets, drones, or weapons. Reservations are necessary for camping or staying at Havasupai Lodge.

In a parklike setting from 5th to 7th streets between Monroe and Adams streets, this city-owned block contains the only remaining houses from the original Phoenix townsite. On the south side of the square, along Adams Street, stand several houses built between 1899 and 1901. The Bouvier Teeter House has a Victorian-style tea room, and the Thomas House and Baird Machine Shop are now Pizzeria Bianco, one of the area's most popular eateries.

The Santa Fe Company built Hermit Road, formerly known as West Rim Drive, in 1912 as a scenic tour route. Nine overlooks dot this 7-mile stretch, each worth a visit. The road is filled with hairpin turns, so make sure you adhere to posted speed limits. A 1½-mile Greenway trail offers easy access to cyclists looking to enjoy the original 1912 Hermit Rim Road. From March through November, Hermit Road is closed to private auto traffic because of congestion; during this period, a free shuttle bus carries visitors to all the overlooks. Riding the bus round-trip without getting off at any of the viewpoints takes 80 minutes; the return trip stops only at Hermits Rest, Pima, Mohave, and Powell Points.

Beginning on the South Rim just west of Hermits Rest (and 7 miles west of Grand Canyon Village), this steep, unmaintained, 9.7-mile (one-way) trail drops more than 5,000 feet to Hermit Creek, which usually flows year-round. It's a strenuous hike back up and is recommended for experienced long-distance hikers only; plan for six to nine hours. There's an abundance of lush growth and wildlife, including desert bighorn sheep, along this trail. The trail descends from the trailhead at 6,640 feet to the Colorado River at 2,300 feet. Day hikers should not go past Santa Maria Spring at 5,000 feet (a 5-mile round-trip).

For much of the year, no water is available along the way; ask a park ranger about the availability of water at Santa Maria Spring and Hermit Creek before you set out. All water from these sources should be treated before drinking. The route leads down to the Colorado River and has inspiring views of Hermit Gorge and the Redwall and Supai formations. Six miles from the trailhead are the ruins of Hermit Camp, which the Santa Fe Railroad ran as a tourist camp from 1911 until 1930. Difficult.

This westernmost viewpoint and Hermit Trail, which descends from it, were named for "hermit" Louis Boucher, a 19th-century French-Canadian prospector who had a number of mining claims and a roughly built home down in the canyon. The trail served as the original mule ride down to Hermit Camp beginning in 1914. Views from here include Hermit Rapids and the towering cliffs of the Supai and Redwall formations. You can buy curios and snacks in the stone building at Hermits Rest.

Storied Route 66 runs right through the heart of downtown Flagstaff. The late Victorian, Tudor Revival, and early Art Deco architecture in this district recalls the town's heyday as a logging and railroad center. The Santa Fe Depot now houses the visitor center. The 1927 Hotel Monte Vista, built after a community drive raised $200,000 in 60 days, is one of the Art Deco highlights of the district; today it houses a restaurant, live music venue, and a combination coffeehouse and cocktail bar. Across the street, the 1888 Babbitt Brothers Building was constructed as a building-supply store and then turned into a department store by David Babbitt, the mastermind of the Babbitt empire. (The Babbitts are one of Flagstaff's wealthiest founding families.) The Weatherford Hotel, built in 1900, hosted many celebrities; Western author Zane Grey wrote The Call of the Canyon here. Most of the area's first businesses were saloons catering to railroad construction workers, which was the case with the 1888 Vail Building. Nowadays, downtown is a bustling dining and retail district, with restaurants, bakeries, and alluring shops. Across the railroad tracks, the revitalized Southside is home to popular eateries and craft breweries.

Homolovi is a Hopi word meaning "place of the little hills." The pueblo sites here are thought to have been occupied between AD 1200 and 1425 and include 40 ceremonial kivas and two pueblos containing more than 1,000 rooms each. The Hopi believe their immediate ancestors inhabited this place, and they consider the site sacred. Many rooms have been excavated and recovered for protection. The Homolovi Visitor Center has a small museum with Hopi pottery and Ancestral Pueblo artifacts; it also hosts workshops on native art, ethnobotany, and traditional foods. Campsites with water and hookups are nearby.

Here you can stop for the night, learn about the people and their communities, and eat authentic Hopi cuisine. The small but informative museum provides insights about tribal culture. A gift shop sells works by local Hopi artisans at reasonable prices, and a modest picnic area on the west side of the building is a pleasant spot for lunch with a view of the San Francisco Peaks.

Formerly Hualapai Ranch, this shuttle stop now celebrates the culture of the Hualapai people. Artisans demonstrate their skills Sunday through Tuesday at Walapai Trading Post, and the Hualapai Bird Singers share their songs on the weekends. Gwe Ma'jo, the restaurant here, serves traditional dishes like pinion stew and fry bread. Hualapai Point is also where you'll find zip lines and the Cabins at Grand Canyon West.

If you like vintage signs, clocks, and neon art, check out this quirky and cleverly designed museum, a labor of love (and ingenuity) by Tucson sign artist Jude Cook and his wife Monica. The collection, impressive in its breadth, includes rescued, restored signs from mid-century businesses, as well as vintage wall thermometers, soda and beer signs, and items that you would never guess used neon, like old medicinal remedies for sore throats and balding hair. Demonstrations of glass bending and neon sign-making are given on most days.

A guided, volunteer-led tour is a good way to visit this wildlife refuge and birder's paradise. The peak seasons for bird-watching are spring and fall, when you can expect to see everything from pelicans and cormorants to Canada geese, snowy egrets, and some rarer species. Mid-October through May is the most pleasant time to visit, as it's cooler and the ever-present mosquitoes are least active.

Kids especially enjoy the 1¼-mile Painted Desert Trail, which winds through the different levels of the Sonoran Desert. From an observation tower at the visitor center, you can see the river as well as the fields where migrating birds like to feed. You can sign up for guided walks from November through March.

The National Park Service sponsors all sorts of orientation activities, such as daily guided hikes and talks, which change with the seasons. The focus may be on any aspect of the canyon—from geology and flora and fauna to history and early inhabitants. Schedules are available online.

Prisoners were chained to this now 200-year-old mesquite tree on the northeast corner of Wickenburg Way and Tegner Street. The desert heat sometimes finished them off before their sentences were served.

More of an overlook than a forest, this spot has a large concentration of petrified trees in jasper or red.

More of an overlook than a forest, this spot has a large concentration of petrified trees in jasper or red.

Predominantly red wines with bold, dry flavors are produced by Javelina Leap Vineyard. Taste a few here and you'll be welcomed by the owners as if you were family.

Of the three mining museums in town, the most inclusive is part of Jerome State Historic Park. At the edge of town, signs on AZ 89A will direct you to the turnoff for the park, reached by a short, precipitous road. The museum occupies the 1916 mansion of Jerome's mining king, Dr. James "Rawhide Jimmy" Douglas Jr., who purchased Little Daisy Mine in 1912. You can tour the mansion and see tools and heavy equipment used to grind ore; some minerals are on display, but accounts of the town's wilder elements—such as the House of Joy brothel—are not so prominently featured. Just outside the mansion/park gates is Audrey Head Frame Park, where you can peer 1,900 feet down into the Daisy Mineshaft.

Children 12 and younger can learn more about the park's extensive human, animal, and geologic history as they train to become a Junior Ranger.