The 9 Best National Parks And Monuments in Arizona You Must Visit On Your Vacation

Hey Readers!!

There are a lot of beautiful parks in Arizona, and they are all different in their own ways. There are all kinds of things in national parks and monuments, from weirdly shaped rock pinnacles and historical sites to beautiful canyons and rare desert ecosystems.

There are national parks and monuments all over the state, from the very north to the border with Mexico. Many of them are close to big cities, so it’s easy to see more than one in a day.

If you’re planning a trip to Arizona and want to learn more about the state’s natural and historical treasures, here are some scenic places you should visit at the best national parks and monuments in Arizona. Get ready to explore the Grand Canyon, and much more.

Here’s an overview and some highlights of why you shouldn’t miss these 9 best national parks and monuments in Arizona.

Check out these best places to visit in Arizona, best lakes in Arizona, and best resorts in Arizona, if you must plan your vacation to this exciting city.

Keep reading for more on the 9 best national parks and monuments in Arizona. If you enjoy our blogs, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Best National Parks And Monuments in Arizona

Arizona has a reputation for being all desert, sand, and cactus. However, the Grand Canyon state is home to some of North America’s most beautiful landscapes, such as canyons, craters, ancient ruins, and legends.

Use our list of the best national parks and monuments in Arizona to plan your next trip. To guide your adventure through the wondrous State, here are the best national parks and monuments in Arizona, and what makes each one worth a visit.

1. Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park is the most well-known and one of the best national parks in Arizona or even the whole United States. Here, the Colorado River cuts more than a mile deep into the earth, showing off an amazing collection of colorful rocks and strange rock formations.

So it’s not surprising that over six million people visit the Grand Canyon every year, mostly along the south rim. People come to Mather Point Lookout to walk out to the edge, the historic Geology Museum to learn about rocks, and the unique and unusual Desert View Watchtower to climb. Those who have the energy and stamina do the Bright Angel trail down to the river and set up camp for the night.

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2. Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park is one of the best national parks in Arizona that you don’t want to miss. This national park is made up of two parts, one to the east of Tucson and one to the west. It is a great place to learn about the plants and animals of the desert. Get your cacti and ancient rock carvings fix at Saguaro National Park, which is in the same area where John Wayne made his famous Westerns.

The Rincon Mountain District is on the east side of Tucson, and the Tucson Mountain District is on the west side of the city. The eastern district is bigger and has 128 miles of hiking trails. The western district is newer and only has 43 miles of hiking trails. Both have lots of giant saguaro cacti to take pictures of, as long as you stay on the marked paths. People often go to Signal Hill on the west side to look at petroglyphs.

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3. Petrified Forest National Park

As you speed along Interstate 40, you may have seen signs for Petrified Forest National Park and thought it looked like an interesting place to visit, but you haven’t had a chance to stop. Well, the next time you’re in the high desert near Holbrook, stop in and get prepared to be amazed.

Petrified Forest National Park has tall, strange rock formations and fossilized logs that are more than 200 million years old. These things amaze people who visit the park. You can easily drive through the park and stop at marked viewpoints, but you’ll get a better feel for some of the most important sights, like the Painted Desert and the remains of a pueblo that was built hundreds of years ago, by walking along short trails.

At Devil’s Playground, you can have a remote, off-the-beaten-path adventure. If you have a permit, you can get a closer look at the hoodoos, which are made of clay soil that has worn away over time.

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4. Canyon de Chelly National Monument

As you drive north of Interstate 40 through the empty land toward Canyon de Chelly, you may wonder why you are out here in the middle of nowhere. But keep going, because your hard work will be more than worth it once you get there and start driving up South Rim Drive.

Canyon de Chelly is an interesting place to visit because of its natural beauty and the ancient cliff dwellings high up on the walls. The canyon was formed by Chinle Creek and its tributaries. Archaeologists think that people have lived there for more than 4,000 years.

A drive along South Rim Drive, with stops at White House Overlook, Spider Rock Overlook, and Junction Overlook, is one of the best things to do here. If you want to take a tour of the canyon floor, you will need to book a 4WD tour with a Chinle company.

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5. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

One of the most interesting national monuments is in the very southern part of Arizona, near the border with Mexico. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is one of the best places to see the unspoiled Sonoran Desert. It is 516 square miles big. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is full of cacti, plants, animals, and classic western scenery.

There are also a lot of places to camp. It’s off the beaten path and near the border with Mexico, but if you love the outdoors, it’s well worth the trip. As part of the “Hike for Health” challenge at the monument, you can walk along the trails and pick up a souvenir coin.

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6. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

There is a wonderful world of volcanoes, lava tubes, and cinder cones not far from Flagstaff. The area, which is called Sunset Crater National Monument, shows how over 600 volcanoes used to be in the area around it, which is called the San Francisco Volcanic Field. Nearly 1,000 years ago, a volcano erupted violently northeast of Flagstaff, spewing ash and lava over an area of 900 square miles.

At Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, you can walk the mile-long Lava Flow Trail at the base of the volcano, which is named for its bright yellow and red cinder cone, to see the interesting geological features that the eruption left behind. Don’t forget to bring your dog for your hike; pets are more than welcome on the paved portion of the trail.

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7. Montezuma Castle National Monument

The Montezuma Castle National Monument is close to the small city of Camp Verde and not too far from the popular tourist destination of Sedona. Here, you can see the well-kept ruins of an old town that is more than 900 years old.

The cliff dwellings are in a good spot because they are tucked under a big rock overhang. This allowed the people who lived there to avoid floods, keep an eye out for visitors, and get away from the harsh desert weather.

Montezuma Well is a beautiful sinkhole that is also part of Montezuma Castle National Monument and is taken care of by the NPS. It gets more than 1.5 million gallons of water a day, has stayed at 70 degrees for years, has a beautiful blue-green color, and is home to animals like a water scorpion that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

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8. Tuzigoot National Monument

If Montezuma Castle is interesting to you, drive about 20 miles to the northwest to see Tuzigoot National Monument. At this interactive experience, you can walk around and touch the 110-room pueblo, which you couldn’t do at Montezuma.

Also interesting is a museum where you can see ceramics, textiles, and tools that were found in this Sinagua village. Plus, the fee to get into one park also gets you into the other. Tuzigoot national monument is one of the best monuments in Arizona.

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9. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is an hour’s drive south of Phoenix. It is where a 650-year-old house built by the Ancestral Sonoran Desert People is kept safe. Experts think that the building may have been a meeting place or a way station.

There are now great horned owls, bats, and other animals living there. You don’t have to pay to see this national monument.

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