Top Places to See in Arizona

A great list of things to do when you visit Arizona, with entries for Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, and many areas in-between!


1. See the Grand Canyon

2. Hike in Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona

3. Eat pizza at the famous Pizzeria Bianco

4. Learn about Indians at the Heard Museum

5. Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff

6. Saguaro National Park near Tucson

7. See birds, animals, and plants of the southwest at Boyce Thompson Arboretum

8. Take a 4-5 hr drive from Phoenix on the Apache Trail

9. Arizona Science Center

10. Visit The Phoenix Zoo

11. Check out the great art at the Phoenix Art Museum

12. Be a cowboy and experience the wild west at the Rawhide Wild West Town (in Chandler near Phoenix)

13. Learn about desert plants at the Desert Botanical Garden

14. Hike Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley

15. Visit Tombstone & Bisbee where all the wild west tales really happened and life is a little bit slower

16. Lake Powell (the second largest man made lake in America)

17. Go sailing on Lake Pleasant (closer to Phoenix)

18. Lake Havasu (see London Bridge up close)

19. See the San Xavier del Bac Mission near Tucson (a mission founded in 1692)

20. Montezuma Castle (a day trip from the valley)

21. Havasu Falls (at the bottom of the Grand Canyon but worth the hike) or other waterfalls

22. Pretend you are John Ford filiming in Monument Valley (near four corners)

23. Petrified Forest National Park

24. Picacho Peak (on the way to Tucson you will pass it on the freeway)

25. Hike in the Chiricahua Mountains (The 10,000 foot mountains are in the southeastern corner of Arizona)

26. Kartchner Caverns State Park is 2 1/2 miles of amazing underground caves (near Benson, AZ)

27. Ski Arizona Snowbowl or Sunrise Ski Park

28. Visit Jerome (old copper town)

29. Taste espresso at great coffee shops

30. Eat some great food around Phoenix

31. Cool down at Slide Rock in Sedona (2 hrs north of Phoenix)

32. Hike Squaw Peak (aka Piestewa Peak) in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve

33. Ski at Snowbowl (in Flagstaff) or at Sunrise Park Resort (about 4 hrs from Phoenix)

34. See one of the best preserved meteorite craters on earth (35 miles east of Flagstaff)

35. Go on a balloon ride

36. Skydive over Arizona

37. Tour Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Scottsdale, Taliesin West

38. Take a hike in Arizona! There are tons of resources online for hikers

39. Go to the Grand Canyon Skywalk (if you dare!)

40. Visit one of hundreds of Arizona Heritage Sites

41. Visit Scottsdale. The "Best Run City In The World."

42. See amazing artwork and get shop till you drop in Old Town Scottsdale

43. Eat ice cream at The Sugar Bowl, Scottsdale's oldest ice cream shops (since 1958!)

44. Check out the world's first global Musical Instrument Museum

45. Visit Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

46. Explore the past at Walnut Canyon National Monument

47. Take a relaxing trip to Greer Arizona

48. See animals from all over the world at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park

49. Take in the beautiful and amazing colors and shapes of Antelope Canyon

50. See the beauty of Canyon de Chelly

51. Do some climbing, hiking, or bouldering on Mt Lemon in Tucson

51. Stop off at the experimental town of Arcosanti

52. The Arizona Sea Life Aquarium has 26,000 square feet of indoor aquarium

53. The Children's Museum of Phoenix is one of the best in the country

54. Take a Jeep tour!

55. Go horseback riding near Saguaro Lake (October though April)

56. Step back into the wild west at Old Tucson Studios

57. Tour Payson Rim Country

58. Taste some great ice cream in Scottsdale

59. Visit Sea Life Aquarium in Tempe

60. Bullhead City has lots to see

61. Have lunch at the Wrigly Mansion (reservation required)

62. Visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson

63. The Pima Air and Space Museum is one of southern Arizona's great gems... see old airplanes (Tucson)!

64. Old Tucson Studios

65. The Antelope Canyon is one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my life - a reader

66. River Raft the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon

67. Indian Ruins at Walnut Canyon near Flagstaff

68. Joshua Tree Forest

 

As you can see from the list, Arizona is a mecca for outdoor activities. Despite being known for warm temperatures, Arizona visitors can find fun things to do during all four seasons. However, it's the 300 days of sunshine that often turns temporary visitors into full-time residents. Those interested in moving to Arizona can find houses facing the desert scenery or Phoenix apartments in an up-and-coming metro area.

 

A few photos from Arizona

 

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Another Great List from Chris Tingom and Tornado Design.