Arizona attractions

Driving through Bearizona Wildlife Park means spotting a stunning number of North American animals from the comfort of your car. Watch as a black bear lumbers through the ponderosa pine forest or an Alaskan tundra wolf sneaks between the trees, and snap pictures of bighorn sheep, bison, and bobcats along the way. The park also has a walk-through area highlighting creatures from jaguars to javelinas, plus scheduled animal encounters.

An Italian-style mansion set in the Arizona desert, the Wrigley Mansion was the vacation home of wealthy chewing-gum entrepreneur William Wrigley, Jr. and his wife Ada in the 1930s. Now a historic landmark and a fine restaurant, the mansion is a popular destination for special occasions, historical tours, and wine tastings.

A short jaunt from Sedona, the Broken Arrow Trail is a 3.5-mile (5.6-kilometer) trail that's rated an easy hike. It offers great views of the area's red rock scenery and draws in hikers and mountain bikers, while nearby and adjacent roads are used for 4WD tours.

Yavapai Point, perched near the entrance of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, offers unobstructed views of the canyon’s sweeping panoramas. The viewpoint overlooks Plateau Point, Bright Angel Canyon, and provides a rare view of the Colorado River far below. You can take in the scenery from the rocky point or the glass observation area inside the Yavapai Geology Museum.

Chase Field is the retractable‑roof, natural grass ballpark in downtown Phoenix where the Arizona Diamondbacks play. It features modern amenities, such as a large HD scoreboard, the D‑backs Pool in right field, and protection from the desert heat or sudden storms—making it comfortable and memorable year‑round. When baseball isn’t in season, the venue hosts live music performances and other sporting events.

With a vast and varied collection that ranges from Monet to modern fashion, the Phoenix Art Museum is the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Here, you can examine more than 20,000 pieces of contemporary and photographic art, plus traditional American, Asian, European, and Latin American works. The Western American collection lets you learn about the region.

Mother Road Brewing Company is named after John Steinbeck's nickname for Route 66 in "Grapes of Wrath," and is located right off the historic road in downtown Flagstaff. Since opening in 2011, the brewery has become Arizona's third-largest independent craft brewer and a go-to local hang in northern Arizona's high-country, adventure-obsessed university town.

There’s nothing fiendish about Devil’s Bridge, a sandstone arch framing heavenly views of Coconino National Forest. Hike the Devil’s Bridge Trail, a 1.8-mile (3-kilometer) out-and-back trail through the red sand wilderness near Sedona, to catch sight of the namesake bridge, the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area.

Sprawling across more than 80 acres (32 hectares, this massive wildlife park outside Phoenix is more than just a zoo. It’s home to Arizona's largest collection of exotic animals, from the African savanna to the Pacific reefs and everywhere in between. Conservation talks, feedings, and amusement rides make for a full day of family fun.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is one of Arizona’s most visited red rock formations, thanks to its scenic views of towering sandstone cliffs and deep canyons. This geological gem spans 280,000 acres (113,312 hectares), which includes Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. The monument is also home to California condors, so pack your binoculars to try and spot these endangered birds.

Located in downtown Phoenix, the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix offers a tranquil setting with hand-picked rock, stone footbridges, and lanterns, along with more than 85 varieties of plants, plus a traditional tea house. It has a miegakure or hide-and-reveal design prevalent in Japanese stroll gardens. Visitors are led to uncover hidden sights and sounds of the landscape while strolling.

The only park lodging below the rim of the Grand Canyon, Phantom Ranch is a remote and rustic place to stay. Getting here is part of the charm: the ranch is only accessible by hiking, riding a mule, or floating down the Colorado River. Thanks to its unique location, the ranch is a highly desired lodging option at the Grand Canyon, so be sure to book well in advance.

With a railroad history dating back to 1882, Historic Downtown Flagstaff features a lot of beautiful historic buildings to see and a modern vibe with upcoming restaurants and hip shopping hubs. Loved by locals, Northern Arizona University students, and first-time visitors, its proximity next to Mt. Elden also offers fantastic views.

On the northern edge of Scottsdale, Pinnacle Peak Park offers a quick escape from city life. Its 150 acres (60 hectares) are most beloved for the Pinnacle Peak Trail, which leads trekkers through the Sonoran Desert to a scenic overlook at roughly 3,000 feet (915 meters). The park also offers climbing routes, picnic tables, and interpretive tours.

Named after the American Indians who used this trail to migrate through the Superstition Mountains, this 120-mile (193-kilometer) circle route in Arizona links Apache Junction at the edge of the Greater Phoenix area with Theodore Roosevelt Lake and beyond. The trail winds steeply through 40 miles (64 kilometers) of rugged desert mountains, past deep reservoir lakes like Canyon and Apache.

Sweeping panoramic views of the Grand Canyon stretch in all directions from Guano Point, set near a historic guano mine in Grand Canyon West. Take in the vistas of the canyon and Colorado River, hike the scenic trail skirting the canyon rim, and spot the remains of the aerial tramway system that once transported miners across the canyon. Afterwards, relax at the Guano Point Cafe and pick up local crafts as souvenirs from the site’s gift shop.

Bright Angel Trail is the most popular trail in Grand Canyon National Park and the gateway into the canyon for adventurers on foot or muleback. The route hugs the towering canyon wall from the rim to the Colorado River, and is known for sweeping views of the inner canyon and distant rock formations along the switchback route.

Visit Tucson’s Old Town Artisans to shop for Southwest handcrafts, like Indigenous American and Mexican pottery, jewelry, and textiles. This collection of shops and galleries from local artisans occupies a historic complex of authentic adobe buildings from the 1850s, which were built on the former site of El Presidio San Agustín del Tucson, a fort used to defend against Apache attacks.

Pueblo Grande Museum, an archaeological park on the ruins of a 1,500-year-old Native American village in the heart of Phoenix, reveals the story of the Hohokam people. The adobe city and its intricate irrigation system was mysteriously abandoned, leaving only hints about the life and culture of this early community.

People of all faiths are welcome to Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park, a spiritual oasis and prayer retreat in the northern reaches of West Sedona. Run by a Buddhist spiritual organization, the park and stupa comprise both a beautiful outdoor space for prayer, meditation, and reflection, and an abundance of walking trails in a serene natural setting.

A deep and dramatic gorge in the Painted Desert that’s been cut by the Little Colorado River, one of the largest tributaries of the Colorado River, this natural landmark offers dramatic scenery reminiscent of its much larger neighbor, the Grand Canyon, without the crowds. Several overlooks allow for easy viewing.

Designed by architect Mary Colter to resemble a traditional Hopi pueblo, Hopi House has been selling authentic Native American arts and crafts for over a century. Perched on the rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon Village, the architecture reflects that of a typical Hopi dwelling, with masonry walls in red sandstone; multi-level terraced roofs; corner fireplaces and wall niches; mud-plaster walls; and ceilings made of mud-coated saplings, grasses, and twigs resting on peeled log beams.

These twin bridges—one built in 1929 and one in 1993—are one of only seven crossings spanning the Colorado River for 750 miles (1207 kilometers). Their graceful yet massive steel arches stretch across Marble Canyon, taking vehicular traffic on the modern bridge and pedestrian traffic on the historic bridge. Marvel at canyon views from above while crossing on foot or by car, plus stop to learn more about the history and construction of the bridges at the nearby Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center.

For Grand Canyon visitors who want to see this world wonder on a vertiginous scale, the South Kaibab Trail delivers. One of two trails that start from the rim and head down, the descent ends at Phantom Ranch, some 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) into the canyon—a 2,350-foot (715-meter) drop. And then there’s the climb back up.

Offering dazzling views of the Grand Canyon, scenic Hermit Road has nine designated overlooks along its 7-mile (11-kilometer) stretch. This road skirts the South Rim and is one of the most panoramic routes in Grand Canyon National Park. Though it’s closed to cars for most of the year, visitors can soak in the vistas on foot, by bike, or with a bus tour.

Hopi Point is one of the most popular viewpoints along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon—and for good reason. The highest point on Hermit Road, it also extends further north into the canyon, and offers the most expansive views, from east to west, of any viewpoint along the South Rim, along with a glimpse of the Colorado River far below.

Fifteen minutes from downtown Flagstaff, Buffalo Park is one of the city’s favorite green spaces. The highlight of the park is a flat, 2.2-mile (3.5-kilometer) loop trail on a grassy mesa peppered with ponderosa pines and overlooking the magnificent San Francisco Peaks. On warm days especially, runners, bikers, picnickers, and all manner of locals and visitors flock to this scenic meadow at the foot of Mt. Elden.

Perched right on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the Kolb Studio was built by the Kolb brothers in 1906. Since then, the 5-story building has served as a photo studio and home, and more recently, as an art gallery, bookstore, and information center. The site hosts frequent exhibitions and offers panoramic canyon views.

You’ve seen these dusty streets before—Old Tucson has been the backdrop for some 300+ movies and TV shows. Part movie studio, part theme park, this 1860s Tucson lookalike fully recreates the Wild West—think gritty saloons and gunslinging stunts, along with historian-led talks on icons like the American cowboy. Tours, shows, rides, and special events bring the crowds into this storied world of the past.

Near the east entrance of the Grand Canyon, Lipan Point offers some of the most expansive canyon views, and the longest Colorado River views, on the South Rim. Ideal for sunrise, sunset, and stargazing, it also offers great views of the unique tilted rock strata of the Grand Canyon Supergroup.