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Pictures and links provide with courtesy from the Arizona Department of Tourism www.arizonaguide.com
FUN FOR THE KIDS -- Click Here
The Arizona Journey
For some, it's the thrill of an unparalleled outdoor adventure amid some of the most awe-inspiring scenery on the planet. For others, it's an exotic sun-drenched getaway to an indulgent, world-class resort destination. Still others travel to the Grand Canyon State to examine and experience its rich history and multifaceted cultural offerings. Many make their pilgrimage here to tee up on the lush, green fairways of one of the state's more than 300 golf courses.
Regardless what inspires visitors to explore Arizona, their journey is guaranteed to be one that will lift their spirits, warm their souls and provide memories for years to come.
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The Grand Canyon is a place of magnificent beauty, a place unlike anywhere else in the world. It is a magnet that draws visitors from all over the world to the North or South Rims of the Grand Canyon to take in the view.
Visitors can enjoy this greatest of national parks in a variety of ways: by foot, air, river, mule, and train. Hikes and mule rides range from flat to rigorous multi-day trips. To see the Grand Canyon full spectrum, opt for helicopter and airplane tours or go deep into the heart of the Grand Canyon on a river rafting tour.
With seven hotels, tent and RV camping, restaurants, a general store, laundry and shower amenities, an ATM, and a garage for auto repair, there is a Grand Canyon experience for everyone! |
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Arizona enjoys a wide variety of national parks and is a land steeped in legend and lore, especially rich in national monuments that preserve antiquity while encouraging continual fascination with the State's storied past. In the northeastern region, the sheer red cliffs and in canyon wall caves of Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de SHAY) National Monument are ruins of Indian villages built between AD 350 and 1300. Shallow caves overlooking the Tonto Basin in southeastern Arizona shelter masonry ruins nearly 700 years old, home to the prehistoric Salado people. Tuzigoot National Monuments' rock-walled rooms, built by an agricultural Sinagua, are situated in the low hills of Mingus Mountain. And down by Tucson, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, where three unique desert habitats converge within 500 square miles, celebrates the life and landscape of the Sonoran Desert.
See Arizona National Parks & Monuments Guide...
See Arizona National Forest Service Guide...
See Arizona Bureau of Land Management Guide...
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National Parks (NP), Monuments (NM) and National Historic Sites (NHS) |
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National Forest (NF) Service |
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Bureau of Land Management |
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Northern Arizona |
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USDA Forest Service |
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Montezuma Castle, near Camp Verde, AZ
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Arizona has twenty-seven State Parks that provide visitors and residents access to a wide variety of activities. Some preserve prehistoric and historic resources, some provide recreational options and some offer a glimpse into our natural world. All state parks charge admission fees, some per vehicle and some per person, with children admitted free or at reduced rates. All but Kartchner Caverns State Park charge $7 or less.
See Arizona State Parks Guide...
Learn more about Kartchner Caverns State Park |
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BRING YOUR BINOCULARS
Wildlife abounds in Arizona, the natural result of diverse landscape and climate. From desert to mountain, grassy meadow to rocky dell, flora and fauna thrive in the six "Life Zones"-- unique groupings of plants and wildlife based on elevation. For every 1,000 feet gain in elevation the temperature drops three degrees Fahrenheit and the precipitation increases. Arizona's six life zones span a low point of 70 feet near Yuma to a high of 12,670 feet in the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff.
From the world-famous Deer Farm near Williams, where visitors can walk among, touch and feed the furry inhabitants, to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, home to Gila monsters, hummingbirds and the tall, slender boojum tree, wildlife is abundantly on display. Bighorn sheep can be found in the desert, while Rocky Mountain bighorns can be found in portions of eastern Arizona. Wildlife like elk, deer, turkey and javalina are plentiful in central and northern portions of the state. Wildlife like bobcats and black bears stake out upland deserts and high country forests. One of the highest concentrations of black bears in the nation, in fact, exists in the Mazatal Wilderness area southwest of Strawberry. Mountain lions tend to congregate near cavernous areas under 10,000 feet.
You¹ll find countless opportunities to explore the Arizona wildlife; plants and animals on public lands using designated hiking trails. Arizona outdoors, in fact, is perfect for nature and wildlife study, photography, camping, hiking, horseback riding, off-highway-vehicle travel, rock-hounding and mountain biking. Come discover the wildlife in wonderful Arizona.
Learn more about Kartchner Caverns State Park |
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Arizona Game and Fish Department |
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Bureau of Land Management |
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Arizona State Parks |
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National Park Service |
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Maricopa County Parks and Recreations Department |
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Arizona Watchable Wildlife Tourism Association |
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Tucson & Southern Arizona |
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Hiking, Biking, Caving and Photography Day Trips |
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Outdoor Recreation, Plants & Animals |
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Geography |
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MTCVB members in Nature and Ecology |
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Arizona is a crossroad of culture and heritage where many different traditions have met and combined into a unique culture that defines Arizona.
History comes alive at every turn, where the spirit of Geronimo, Wyatt Earp and Padre Kino lives on. Explore the locations steeped in heritage and dedicated to our Old West, Mexican and Native American culture. You'll find yourself intrigued, as well, by a remarkable array of fine-art venues, including historic theatres, colorful galleries, and renowned museums.
To learn more about Arizona’s culture and heritage experiences, visit Arizona Heritage Traveler. |
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No place in the United States played such a significant role in shaping the image of the Old West quite like Arizona. The spirit of the legendary Old West is kept alive throughout the state in communities, guest ranches and historical parks that pay homage to famous lawmen and notorious gunslingers. A glimpse of the "cowboy life" can be gleaned from a visit to almost any part of the state. The late 1800s have been preserved for folks eager to experience the West -- when the West was harsh.
Few places epitomize the Old West like Tombstone. Known as "The Town Too Tough To Die," Tombstone brings to mind scenes of gun battles on the streets, sour-faced outlaws, and high-rolling gamblers. A climate of wanton abandon where the "law of the gun" was only one respected.
A hero emerged from the gun smoke. Wyatt Earp, a lawman from Dodge City, Kansas restored order to the region. No figure was more famous or dangerous. Earp, his brothers and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral forever will be part of Tombstone mythology.
Small towns throughout Southern Arizona like Brewery Gulch, Sierra Vista, Bisbee, Benson and others offer their own unique story to tell about the way the West was. Museums, historical sites and tours await hearts longing for the wild times of the Old West. |
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For more than a thousand years, Native American farmers inhabited much of the present-day state of Arizona. Ruins of villages and ancient structures in the northern, southern and central regions of the state attest to the ingenuity of original settlers. The five-story Montezuma Castle, a 20-room cliff dwelling located in the Verde Valley, served as a "high-rise apartment building" for Sinagua Indians 600 years ago. Case Grande also known as "Big House" is one of the largest and most mysterious prehistoric buildings ever constructed. Both sites are among the best preserved Native American structures in North America.
Contemporary Native American tribes, 21 belonging to Arizona, have continued many of the traditions of their ancestors. Artisans of the Hopi tribe still handcraft the popular kachina dolls, which are used in tribal rituals and festivals during different times of the year. Exploring Native American Arizona can reveal many more cultural aspects of tribes both old and new to the state.
Click here to learn more about etiquette on reservations.
Click Here for a list of tribes in Arizona.
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Spanish and Mexican culture has become as much a part of Arizona and the Sonoran Desert as the Saguaro cactus. Missions and presidios established by Franciscan monks in the early 1700s, mark the beginning of the long-time infusion of language, food, music and tradition imparted by Latin people. Mexico remains the most significant cultural partner. Today, Arizona abounds with authentic Mexican art, architecture, entertainment and eateries.
Exploring the heritage of Mexican people opens opportunities to learn about and understand customs, and create experiences both in Arizona and across the border. Travel to the state of Sonora, Mexico allows discovery of nearby beaches, diverse landscapes and unique people. |
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The Chicana/Chicano Experience in Arizona |
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League of United Latin American Citizens |
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Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce |
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Arizona Heritage Traveler |
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Climate
From the desert floor to the highest pinecovered mountain peak, Arizona’s renowned sunshine ensures that nearly every day is a perfect one for sightseeing, playing a round of golf, skiing a slope, or simply relaxing by a sparkling swimming pool.
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Pictures and links provide with courtesy from the Arizona Department of Tourism www.arizonaguide.com
Arizona Highway - TV
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Arizona Family Adventures
Think of Arizona as America's natural "amusement park," where family fun and adventure await in every corner of the state. Add an engaging selection of Old West towns, dude ranches, mines, man-made lakes, railroads and other diversions, and the result is a family vacation like no other.
Children of all ages can stand in four states at one time at Four Corners Monument on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. Other fascinating sights in the area include the often-filmed Monument Valley, with its uniquely shaped buttes, and Canyon de Chelly National Monument, where red canyon walls are home to ruins of Indian villages that families can explore on horseback or by jeep tours. Just west of Monument Valley is Lake Powell, with its nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline, and Glen Canyon Dam, offering tours into its concrete depths.
One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is a mile-deep gorge that stretches for 277 miles across Northern Arizona. Excellent trails are available for hiking. A fun way to venture to the canyon is via the Grand Canyon Railway, a vintage steam train that travels from Williams to the South Rim and back each day.
Flagstaff's Lowell Observatory, where the planet Pluto was discovered, offers tours and evening stargazing through telescopes. The Arizona Snowbowl draws skiers and snowboarders in the winter and offers scenic chairlift rides in summer.
East of Flagstaff, explore the site in which astronauts once trained. Meteor Crater, at 550 feet deep, is where a giant meteor slammed into Earth 50,000 years ago. Still farther east is Arizona's "Triassic Park," Petrified Forest National Park. Displays at the park document the dinosaurs that once roamed the area.
A half-hour south of Flagstaff, ride the natural water slide at Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon. Hiking areas are abundant in the lush canyon as well. Near Sedona at Clarkdale, the Verde Canyon Railroad takes passengers on a four-hour, 38-mile round trip through the Verde River Canyon, where bald eagles and other birds of prey have been sighted.
Northwest of Payson is a cool respite at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, the world's longest travertine bridge, 400 feet long and 180 feet high. The Mogollon Rim, east of Payson, rises 2,000 feet and is a pine-studded paradise with lakes, forests, campgrounds and abundant hiking trails. It is the gateway to the White Mountains, where more lakes and trails abound, as well as Sunrise Park Resort, a ski area operated by the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
Greater Phoenix offers tremendous adventures for the whole family. In Scottsdale, Rawhide is a re-created 1880s Old West town, with gunfights and stagecoach rides. The Phoenix Zoo is noted for its exotic habitats, preservation efforts and special events. A host of unusual museums also dots the area, including the hands-on Arizona Science Center, the Hall of Flame Fire Museum and the Arizona Museum of Youth, to name a few.
The Phoenix area is also a haven for watersports, with four major lakes within an easy drive-Pleasant, Bartlett, Saguaro and Canyon-and the two-mile Tempe Town Lake, where motorized and non-motorized watercraft cruise the formerly dry riverbed between Tempe and Phoenix. Free-standing water parks, as well as those located in resorts, send visitors coursing down steep, twisting water slides or floating along "lazy rivers."
Southern Arizona boasts some impressive habitats for native animals and plants at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Just minutes away is Old Tucson Studios, serving up daily stunts along its Western-themed streets. A visit to a "dude" ranch brings out the inner cowboy in guests of all ages. On the northern edge of Tucson, the Santa Catalina Mountains provide an immense outdoor recreation area with a ski area and summertime chairlift rides, while Sabino Canyon is an excellent riparian area for hiking, picnicking and exploring.
Other family adventures can be found within a 90-minute drive southeast of Tucson in Cochise County. Kartchner Caverns State Park is a living cave that preserves spectacular stalactites, stalagmites and other cave formations. Tombstone is the Wild West's real deal, where visitors can tour the site of the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Less than a half-hour from Tombstone is Bisbee, where an underground mine tour takes explorers into the depths of an actual copper mine.
Along Arizona's West Coast, the Yuma Sand Dunes offer a playground for dune buggies and off-road vehicles. Water-bound adventures proliferate along the Colorado River, with inner tubing, boating, jet skiing and other activities found from Yuma all the way north to Lake Mead. A stop at the London Bridge and English Village in Lake Havasu City is almost like being in the United Kingdom-just drier and warmer! Campgrounds are found throughout the West Coast, and a side trip to Oatman will acquaint travelers with some of this Arizona town's most populous residents: wild burros.
Whether visitors have a couple of days or a couple of weeks, Arizona is a virtual playground of activities and adventures for families to enjoy. |
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Arizona's golf courses are as diverse and spectacular as its landscape. Across the state there are more than 300 courses, ranging from desert target style to links courses and alpine fairways. With that many courses, you can always find one with good tee times and within your budget, but planning ahead is always recommended.
See Arizona Golf Guide...
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Arizona Golf Association
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Junior Golf Association of Arizona |
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Arizona's Women's Golf Association |
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Southern Arizona Golf |
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During the months of February and March, Arizona serves as the Cactus League spring training home for a number of major league baseball teams thirsting to take advantage of the state's warm weather and multi-million-dollar training complexes located in and around Phoenix and Tucson. In preparation for the major league season, teams play more than 100 Cactus League games throughout the state during spring training.
The California Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers utilize Arizona as their spring training homes, attracting fans from throughout the nation for Cactus League games.
Many hotels and resorts in Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Maryvale, Surprise and Peoria offer attractive Cactus League spring training packages for baseball fans looking for a preview of the upcoming season. |
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Simply put, Arizona is a spectator sports fan's mecca. The home of the 2001 World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks, the state also hosts the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals, the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes, and the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns. Phoenix also has franchises in the Women's National Basketball Association and the Arena Football League.
College enthusiasts also have the Arizona State University Sun Devils and the University of Arizona Wildcats, members of the highly competitive Pacific 10 Conference, and the annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Football Classic – matching two of the country's outstanding college football teams each January at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
The 2001 World Champions bring their aggressive bats and fierce pitching to bear on teams from around the majors in Bank One Ballpark in downtown Phoenix. |
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Phoenix Suns
The rafters of America West Arena shake when Phoenix fans cheer for their team. Will this season mark their return to the NBA finals? |
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Arizona Cardinals
The nation's oldest continuously run NFL franchise is thrilling fans as they battle for the top of their new division, the NFC West. |
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Phoenix Coyotes
"The Great One", owner Wayne Gretzky, has valley residents feeling hockey fever as the new season gets underway. |
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Phoenix Mercury
WNBA fans will have plenty to look forward to as the Mercury enter a new season with a new coach and plenty of attitude. |
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Arizona Rattlers
Fresh from their appearance in the Arena Bowl, Arena football's season finale, the Rattlers are ready to show why they should be there again in 2003. |
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Arizona Sting
The Arizona Sting is a professional indoor lacrosse franchise playing in the National Lacrosse League. As a member of the NLL's West Division, their rival teams hail from Colorado, San Jose, and Calgary. | |
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| Pictures and links provide with courtesy from the Arizona Department of Tourism www.arizonaguide.com
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