Arizona contains more National Park Service units per square mile than any other state in the contiguous United States. Three national parks, 18 national monuments, and multiple national recreation areas are scattered across a landscape that ranges from the scorching floor of the Sonoran Desert to the cool ponderosa pine forests of the Colorado Plateau. Together they protect fossil beds 225 million years old, cliff dwellings occupied by the Ancestral Puebloans, canyon systems of incomprehensible scale, and saguaro cactus forests found nowhere else on earth.
The America the Beautiful Annual Pass ($80 per year) grants free admission to all National Park Service fee areas and pays for itself after just two or three visits. It covers the driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle, making it an excellent value for families and road trippers.
National Parks
Grand Canyon National Park
There is no natural feature in Arizona more famous and none more likely to reduce a first-time visitor to speechlessness. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and more than a mile deep, cut by the Colorado River over the past 5 to 6 million years through rock layers that represent nearly two billion years of Earth's history. The South Rim, open year-round, is accessible via Highway 64 and receives the vast majority of visitors. The North Rim, 1,000 feet higher in elevation, is open mid-May through mid-October and offers a quieter experience with equally spectacular views.
Top Attractions
- Mather Point and Yavapai Point: The most accessible South Rim viewpoints, accessible on foot from the visitor center
- Desert View Watchtower: A 1932 structure by Mary Colter at the canyon's eastern end with sweeping views toward the Painted Desert
- Bright Angel Trail: The most popular descent into the canyon; day hikers can safely go to the 1.5-mile resthouse and back
- Rim Trail: A paved and partially accessible 13-mile path connecting major viewpoints along the South Rim
- Ranger Programs: Free daily talks, walks, and evening programs at the Visitor Center and Mather Amphitheater
Tips for Avoiding Crowds
The Grand Canyon is the most visited park in Arizona, with lines at the south entrance gate reaching 45 minutes on peak weekends. Book lodging on the rim 6 to 13 months in advance. Use the free Village Route shuttle system to bypass parking entirely. The Hermit Road viewpoints (accessible by shuttle only from March through November) are significantly quieter than the main Mather Point area.
Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park protects the dense saguaro cactus forests surrounding Tucson in two separate districts. The Rincon Mountain District (east) is larger and wilder, with 128 miles of trails ascending from desert floor to pine forest at 8,666-foot Mica Mountain. The Tucson Mountain District (west) is smaller and more visited, with the famous Bajada Loop Drive, petroglyphs at Signal Hill, and proximity to the excellent Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Together the two districts protect the finest example of Sonoran Desert anywhere.
Top Attractions
- Cactus Forest Loop Drive (East): An 8-mile paved scenic drive through dense saguaro habitat, best at sunrise and sunset
- Signal Hill Petroglyphs (West): A short trail leads to a hillside covered in Hohokam carvings dating to 450-1450 CE
- Douglas Spring Trail (East): A 6-mile round trip trail passing numerous saguaro giants to a seasonal spring
- Valley View Overlook (West): A 0.8-mile trail to a viewpoint overlooking saguaro-covered bajada terrain
- Saguaro bloom viewing: April through June, saguaro cacti produce white waxy flowers that open at night (the park's namesake bloom)
Tips for Avoiding Crowds
The Tucson Mountain District is significantly more crowded than the Rincon Mountain District. Visit the west unit on weekday mornings or head to the east unit for a quieter experience. The park is particularly rewarding during wildflower season (late February to March after a wet winter) when brittlebush, poppies, and penstemon fill the bajada with color.
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest protects a landscape frozen 225 million years in the past. During the Late Triassic period, this region was a tropical rainforest crisscrossed by rivers, and the massive trees that fell here were slowly replaced by silica-rich quartz over millions of years, preserving their cellular structure in stone. The resulting petrified logs are astonishing up close: cross-sections reveal distinct tree rings, bark texture, and mineral colors ranging from white to purple to deep red. The park also encompasses a significant portion of the Painted Desert, a badlands landscape of multi-colored sedimentary rock.
Top Attractions
- Crystal Forest: A 0.75-mile loop trail through the densest concentration of petrified logs in the park
- Painted Desert Inn: A 1924 National Historic Landmark with original Harvey House decor and sweeping Painted Desert views
- Blue Mesa: A 1-mile loop through blue-gray bentonite badlands striped with purple and red hues
- Newspaper Rock: A viewpoint overlooking a large sandstone slab covered in Pueblo petroglyphs
- Puerco Pueblo: Remains of a 100-room Ancestral Puebloan village occupied around 1300 CE
National Monuments
Arizona's 18 national monuments represent some of the most important archaeological, geological, and ecological sites in the American Southwest. Below are the most significant.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Located in the Navajo Nation near Chinle, Canyon de Chelly protects two spectacular canyons with Ancestral Puebloan ruins including the White House Ruins and the dramatic Spider Rock spire (800 feet tall). Unique among national monuments, Canyon de Chelly is co-managed by the Navajo Nation and the NPS, and Navajo families still live and farm within the canyon. All hikes into the canyon except the White House Ruins Trail require a licensed Navajo guide. Entrance: Free. Best time: April-October.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
One of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, Montezuma Castle is a 20-room structure built into a limestone cliff 70 feet above the Verde Valley floor by the Sinagua people around 1150 CE. The name is a misnomer; the structure predates Montezuma by 600 years. A short paved trail (0.33 miles) provides excellent views of the dwelling. The adjacent Montezuma Well, a natural limestone sink fed by 1.5 million gallons of underground spring water daily, is 11 miles north and equally impressive. Entrance: $10 per person. Best time: October-May.
Chiricahua National Monument
Hidden in the far southeast corner of Arizona near the New Mexico border, Chiricahua is one of the state's most undervisited and spectacular landscapes. Millions of years of volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created a forest of towering rock columns, balanced rocks, and stone spires that locals call the "Land of Standing-Up Rocks." The 8-mile Heart of Rocks loop trail winds through the densest concentration of formations. The monument sits within one of the richest bird migration corridors in North America. Entrance: $15 per vehicle. Best time: March-May, September-November.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
On Arizona's remote southern border with Mexico, Organ Pipe protects one of the last true wildernesses in the Sonoran Desert. The organ pipe cactus, which grows its multiple arms from a common base rather than a central trunk, reaches the northernmost extent of its range here. The 21-mile Ajo Mountain Drive is a spectacular scenic loop through the heart of the monument. Night skies here earn International Dark Sky certification. Entrance: $25 per vehicle. Best time: November-April.
Tonto National Monument
Located above Roosevelt Lake east of Phoenix, Tonto protects two Salado Culture cliff dwellings occupied in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Lower Ruin is accessible on a self-guided 1-mile round trip trail. The Upper Ruin, a 40-room structure in remarkable condition, requires a ranger-led tour booked in advance. Entrance: $10 per person. Best time: October-May.
Tuzigoot National Monument
A 110-room Sinagua pueblo atop a limestone and sandstone ridge overlooking the Verde Valley, Tuzigoot was occupied from approximately 1000 to 1400 CE. The visitor center houses one of the finest collections of Sinagua pottery and artifacts in Arizona. The adjacent Tavasci Marsh provides excellent bird watching. Entrance: $10 per person. Best time: October-May.
Wupatki National Monument
A cluster of ancient Ancestral Puebloan pueblos on the Colorado Plateau northeast of Flagstaff, Wupatki features the largest pueblo in the region: a 100-room structure built using locally quarried red sandstone. The monument also contains a remarkable geological curiosity: a natural blowhole that either blows or draws air with enough force to be felt from several feet away depending on atmospheric pressure. Entrance: Combined with Sunset Crater Volcano NM; $25 per vehicle. Best time: April-October.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
A 400-foot-deep limestone canyon east of Flagstaff that shelters more than 80 Sinagua cliff dwelling rooms tucked under natural limestone overhangs. The Island Trail descends 185 feet and 0.9 miles into the canyon, passing 25 distinct room clusters. The canyon microclimate supports a surprising diversity of plant communities from desert to forest within a short elevation change. Entrance: $15 per vehicle. Best time: May-October.
Planning Your Visit
The America the Beautiful Pass
At $80 per year, the America the Beautiful Annual Pass covers all NPS entrance fees for a personal vehicle. It pays for itself after just two or three visits to fee-charging parks and is available online at nps.gov or at any park entrance. Senior passes ($80 lifetime) are available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents 62 and older. Access passes are free for people with permanent disabilities.
Making Timed Entry Reservations
The Grand Canyon and several other Arizona parks have experimented with timed entry reservation systems, particularly on peak summer weekends. Check recreation.gov for current reservation requirements before visiting any major Arizona national park. Requirements change seasonally and can be added or removed on short notice during high-visitation periods.
Leave No Trace
Removing rocks, fossils, plants, or cultural artifacts from any NPS unit is a federal offense carrying fines up to $325. This is enforced particularly vigorously at Petrified Forest, where rangers have historically set up bag-checking stations at the exit. Stay on designated trails in all units to protect fragile cryptobiotic soil crusts and archaeological sites. Pack out all trash and never feed wildlife.