Must-see attractions in Arizona

  • Heritage Square

    Phoenix

    This cluster of late-Victorian and early-20th-century homes stands in stark contrast to the soaring modernity of downtown Phoenix. With the buildings now…

  • Mine Museum

    Arizona

    Two halves of a 4-ton flywheel mark the entry to this small but informative museum that highlights Jerome's hardscrabble past. Displays include a…

  • Bright Angel Point

    Grand Canyon National Park

    An easily accessible overlook that gives unfettered views down into Bright Angel Canyon: a maze of mesas, buttes, spires and side canyons. The South Rim…

  • Point Imperial

    Grand Canyon National Park

    The highest viewpoint in Grand Canyon National Park (8819ft) takes in the entirety of Marble Canyon as it cuts northeastward into the Painted Desert…

  • V-Bar-V Heritage Site

    Arizona

    More than 1000 petrolgyphs have been identified at this well-protected Forest Service site. Many appear unique to the Southern Sinaguan who lived here…

  • Powell Point

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    This rocky peninsula cuts out over the canyon, offering some of the South Rim's most dramatic vistas. Similar to Hopi Point 0.3 miles to the west but not…

  • Cedar Ridge

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Located 1.5 miles along the challenging South Kaibab Trail, with a descent of 1040ft, this large and flat red-dirt overlook offers some of the best views…

  • Colorado River State Historic Park

    Arizona

    Decades before the town jail was built, Yuma became a crucial junction in the military supply lines through the West. Its role in getting gear and…

  • Navajo Point

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    At 7461ft, Navajo Point is the Grand Canyon South Rim's highest overlook. From here you can view a wide swath of the Colorado River, the stone Desert View…

  • Arboretum

    Flagstaff

    This 200-acre arboretum is a lovely spot to take a break and rejuvenate your spirits. Two short trails hug a meadow and wind beneath ponderosa pines,…

  • Tusayan Museum & Ruin

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Just west of Desert View and 22 miles east of Grand Canyon Village, these small ruins and museum examine the culture and lives of the Ancestral Puebloan…

  • Havasu National Wildlife Refuge

    Arizona

    The Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is a major habitat for migratory birds and waterbirds. Look for herons, ducks, geese, blackbirds and other winged…

  • Pioneer Museum

    Flagstaff

    Built in 1908 with volcanic remains from the nearby Mt Elden eruptions, this stone house served as the Coconino County Hospital for the needy and was…

  • Plateau Point

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    A spectacular overlook with incredible river views, Plateau Point is accessible via a 1.5-mile spur trail off the South Rim's inner-canyon Bright Angel…

  • Mather Point

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Mather Point is the busiest and most popular overlook at the Grand Canyon, due in large part to its close proximity to the visitor center complex and main…

  • Honanki Heritage Site

    Sedona

    Honanki is an impressive vestige of a Sinaguan pueblo, similar to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot. This site was originally active between AD 1000 and 1400…

  • London Bridge

    Arizona

    When developer Robert McCulloch needed a gimmick to drum up attention for the planned community of Lake Havasu City, London Bridge came up for sale…

  • Phippen Museum

    Arizona

    The Phippen, located 7 miles north of Prescott en route to Jerome, is named after cowboy artist George Phippen. The museum hosts changing exhibits of…

  • Saguaro National Park (East)

    Saguaro National Park

    Also known as the Rincon Mountain District, the eastern section of the glorious Saguaro National Park has a visitor center 15 miles east of downtown…

  • Glen Canyon Dam

    Grand Canyon Region

    At 710ft tall, Glen Canyon Dam is the nation’s highest concrete arch dam (the Hoover Dam, 16ft taller, is a different kind of structure). Forty-five…

  • Phoenix Zoo

    Phoenix

    Home to more than 1400 animals, including local natives such as the bald eagle and bighorn sheep, Phoenix Zoo houses species rare and common in several…

  • Lost Dutchman State Park

    Greater Phoenix

    Located 40 miles east of Phoenix, leading into the snaggle-toothed Superstition Mountains, this 320-acre state park is popular with day-trippers and…

  • Monument Creek Vista

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Excellent view of the confluence of Monument Creek and the Colorado River, known as Granite Rapid. From here westward, the bicycle- and wheelchair…

  • Vulture City & Mine

    Arizona

    Town founder Henry Wickenburg discovered gold nuggets here in 1863. The mine spat out gold until 1942, then petered out along with surrounding Vulture…

  • Mohave Museum of History & Arts

    Arizona

    Founded in 1961, the Mohave Museum is a warren of rooms filled with extraordinarily eclectic stuff. All sorts of regional topics are dealt with, from…

  • Rim Country Museum

    Arizona

    This lakeside museum is the only real sight in Payson, with exhibits that illustrate the native, pioneer and resource-extraction history of the region…

  • Pause-Rest-Worship Church

    Arizona

    Around 14 miles north of Yuma, a tiny white-and-blue chapel sits on a patch of farmland on the west side of Hwy 95. A local farmer built the original in…

  • Clemenceau Heritage Museum

    Arizona

    Housed in a refurbished state school dating to 1924 (Cottonwood's heyday) this worthwhile volunteer-run museum reanimates everyday life in the Verde…

  • Buckskin Mountain State Park

    Arizona

    Tucked along a mountain-flanked bend in the Colorado River about 11 miles north of Parker, this park has a great, family-friendly infrastructure with a…

  • Superstition Mountain Museum

    Greater Phoenix

    Exhibits at this worthwhile local museum examine the geology and native cultures of the Superstition Mountain area, plus the legend of the Lost Dutchman's…

  • Lookout Studio

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Like Mary Colter's other canyon buildings, Lookout Studio was modeled after stone dwellings of the Southwest Pueblo American Indians. Made of rough-cut…

  • London Bridge Beach

    Arizona

    This sandy strip against Bridgewater Channel has eucalyptus and palm trees, a sandy beach, playgrounds, ramadas and a fenced dog park with faux fire…

  • Maricopa Point

    Grand Canyon National Park South Rim

    Maricopa, a 1.2-mile uphill walk from Grand Canyon Village along the Rim Trail, makes a lovely sunrise spot. Just east of here are the remains of the once…

  • Route 66 Museum

    Arizona

    On the 2nd floor of the 1907 Powerhouse, which also holds the visitor center, this small but engaging museum has an informative historical overview of…

  • Children's Museum of Phoenix

    Phoenix

    Designed to encourage active involvement rather than passive contemplation (text-heavy signs are ditched in favor of interactive exhibits and invitations…

  • Dead Horse Ranch State Park

    Arizona

    The Verde River runs past this 423-acre park, which offers picnicking, fishing, 20-plus miles of multi-use trails (for bikes, horses and hikers) and a…

  • Jerome State Historic Park

    Arizona

    This state park preserves the 1916 mansion of eccentric mining mogul Jimmy 'Rawhide' Douglas, who developed the Little Daisy Mine. An interesting variety…

  • John Wesley Powell Museum

    Grand Canyon Region

    In 1869 one-armed John Wesley Powell led the first Colorado River expedition through the Grand Canyon. This small museum displays memorabilia of early…

  • Chase Field

    Phoenix

    The home field of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field is a technological and environmental wonder, with a retractable roof to keep…