Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument At the base of sheer red cliffs and in canyon wall caves are ruins of Indian villages built between AD 350 and 1300. Canyon de Chelly National Monument offers visitors the chance to learn about Southwestern Indian history from the earliest basketmakers to the Navajo Indians who live and farm here. Located in Arizona.
Arizona - Casa Grande Ruins National Monument For over a thousand years, prehistoric farmers inhabited much of the present-day state of Arizona. When the first Europeans arrived, all that remained of this ancient culture were the ruins of villages, irrigation canals and various artifacts. Among these ruins is the Casa Grande, or "Big House," one of the largest and most mysterious prehistoric structures ever built in North America. Located in Coolidge, Arizona.
Arizona - Chiricahua National Monument Twenty seven million years ago a volcanic eruption of immense proportions shook the land around Chiricahua National Monument. One thousand times greater than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the Turkey Creek Caldera eruption eventually laid down two thousand feet of highly silicious ash and pumice. This mixture fused into a rock called rhyolitic tuff and eventually eroded into the spires and unusual rock formations of today. The monument is a mecca for hikers and birders. Located in Willcox, Arizona.
Arizona - Coronado National Memorial Commemorating the first major exploration of the American Southwest by Europeans, Coronado National Memorial lies on the United States-Mexico border within sight of the San Pedro River Valley, through which the Coronado Expedition first entered the present U.S. in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola. It is a cultural area situated in a natural setting comprised of 4,750 acres of oak woodlands. Located at Hereford, Arizona.
Arizona - Fort Bowie National Historic Site The remains of Fort Bowie today are carefully preserved, the adobe walls of various post buildings and the ruins of a Butterfield Stage Station. It stands as a lasting monument to the bravery and endurance of U.S. soldiers in paving the way for westward settlement and the taming of the western frontier. Located in Bowie, Arizona.
Arizona - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) offers unparalleled opportunities for water-based and backcountry recreation. The recreation area stretches hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a panorama of human history. Headquarters located at Page, Arizona.
Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park Located entirely in northern Arizona, the park encompasses 277 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. One of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world, Grand Canyon is unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers to visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site.
Arizona - Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site As the oldest continuously operating trading post on the Navajo Reservation, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site offers the visitor a chance to experience a piece of history. The trading post was purchased by John Lorenzo Hubbell in 1878, and the Hubbell family operated the post until it was sold to the National Park Service in 1967. The trading post is still active, and operated by a non-profit organization that maintains the trading traditions the Hubbell family established. Located in Ganado, Arizona.
Arizona - Lake Mead National Recreation Area Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) offers a wealth of things to do and places to go year-round. With 1.5 million acres, it is twice the size of Rhode Island. Its huge lakes cater to boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, and fishermen while its desert rewards hikers, wildlife photographers, and roadside sightseers. Three of America's four desert ecosystems--the Mojave, the Great Basin, and the Sonoran Deserts--meet in Lake Mead NRA. Located at western Arizona.
Arizona - Montezuma Castle National Monument Nestled into a limestone recess high above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley stands one of the best preserved cliff ruins in North America. The five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling served as a "high-rise apartment building" for prehistoric Sinagua Indians over 600 years ago. Early settlers to the area assumed that the imposing structure was associated with the Aztec emperor Montezuma, but the castle was abandoned almost a century before Montezuma was born. Located in Camp Verde, Arizona.
Arizona - Wahweap Marina Wahweap Marina, located near Page, Arizona, is the largest marina site on Lake Powell. It offers a wide variety of visitor services and opportunities for recreation. The city of Page also offers numerous visitor services and is the site of Glen Canyon Dam.
Arizona State Parks The official site for information on Arizona's state parks, including park descriptions, information on camping, boating, hiking, and historic sites.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park This state park is located next to the community of Cottonwood, Arizona in the scenic Verde Valley, and is alive with animal and human activity. Perhaps best known as a 'nest' for birdwatching, the park is also favored for picnicking, camping, canoeing, horseback riding, and stream and pond fishing. Walking trails meander along the shady banks of the Verde River.
Homolovi Ruins State Park This site is Arizona's first archaeological state park. Located along the Little Colorado River, Homolovi, a Hopi word meaning 'place of the little hills,' consists of four major pueblo sites thought to have been occupied between A.D. 1200 and 1425 by ancestors of today's Hopi Indians. There are over 340 sites within the park, but this includes campsites, lithic scatters, agricultural features, pit houses and other sites.
Montezuma Well Montezuma Well is a limestone sink formed long ago by the collapse of an immense underground cavern. Over one and a half million gallons of water a day flow continuously, providing a lush, verdant oasis in the midst of surrounding desert grassland. The waters of the well contain several forms of plant and animal life not found in any other waters of the world. Located near Camp Verde, Arizona.
Navajo National Monument Navajo National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service, located on the Navajo Indian Reservation, in the northeastern corner of Arizona. The monument contains some of the best Anasazi ruins on the Colorado Plateau, Betatakin and Keet Seel, both of which are seasonally open to the public. Inscription House has been closed since 1968 due to its fragility.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Here, in this desert wilderness of plants and animals and dramatic mountains and plains scenery, you can drive a lonely road, hike a backcountry trail, camp beneath a clear desert sky, or just soak in the warmth and beauty of the Southwest. The Monument exhibits an extraordinary collection of plants of the Sonoran Desert, including the organ pipe cactus, a large cactus rarely found in the United States. Located in Ajo, Arizona.
Petrified Forest National Park Petrified Forest is a surprising land of scenic wonders and fascinating science. The park is located in northeast Arizona and features one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood. Also included in the park's 93,533 acres are the multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, archeological sites and displays of 225 million year old fossils.
Pipe Spring National Monument Pipe Spring National Monument is an oasis in the desert. With four springs in the immediate area and what used to be rich grasslands, this area has long been inhabited. Ancestral Puebloans and Paiute Indians were the first people drawn here by the water. Today, visitors can tour the remains of this Mormon cattle ranch established in the late nineteenth century. A fully furnished historic fort, Winsor Castle, allows visitors to step back in time and relive Mormon pioneer life. Located on the Arizona strip.
Saguaro National Park Giant saguaro cacti, unique to the Sonoran Desert, sometimes reach a height of 50 feet in this cactus forest, which covers the valley floor, rising into the Rincon and West Tucson mountains. Since 1933 this extraordinary giant cactus has been protected within Saguaro National Park. Preserved along with it are many other members of the Sonoran Desert community--other cacti, desert trees and shrubs, and animals. In lushness and variety of life the Sonoran Desert far surpasses all other North American deserts. Located at Tuscon, Arizona.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Today the volcano's rim of red cinders and the lava flows near the cone seem to have cooled and hardened to a jagged surface only yesterday. Squeeze-ups and hornitos are just two of the fascinating volcanic features you'll encounter while exploring the park. To protect this fragile resource, Sunset Crater Volcano is closed to climbing and hiking. However, other cinder cones in the area may be climbed. Located north of Flafstaff, Arizona.
Tonto National Monument Well-preserved cliff dwellings were occupied by the Salado culture during the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries. The people farmed in the Salt River Valley and supplemented their diet by hunting and gathering native wildlife and plants. The Salado were fine craftsmen, producing some of the most exquisite polychrome pottery and intricately woven textiles to be found in the Southwest. Located near Roosevelt, Arizona.
Tonto National Monument - Roosevelt Lake and Dam Roosevelt Lake spans 17,000 surface acres, with 89 miles of shoreline; this is the biggest lake in Central Arizona. The lake and dam provide electrical power and water for irrigation and recreation. Located in Central Arizona.
Tumacacori National Historic Park The general area was the site of numerous Jesuit missions later administered by the Franciscans. Tumacacori was originally founded by Father Eusebio Francisco Kino in the late 1600's. The Mission's central structure is the Franciscan-built church, dating back to the early 1800's. The visitor center is an historic building completed in 1937. Located in Tumacacori, Arizona.
Tuzigoot National Monument Tuzigoot is an ancient village or pueblo built by a culture known as the Sinagua. The pueblo consisted of 110 rooms including second and third story structures. The first buildings were built around A.D. 1000. Located at Clarkdale, Arizona.
Walnut Canyon National Monument Here, past meets present...Pueblos and cliff dwellings so well preserved it's hard to believe their builders moved on 700 years ago...Amid lava and cinder one can imagine a landscape still hot to the touch. Welcome to the Flagstaff Area National Monuments! Located south of Flagstaff, Arizona.
Wupatki National Monument Less than 800 years ago, a large agricultural community spread across this volcanic plateau. The warm, arid climate and sparse vegetation today make the successes of these pueblo farmers remarkable. Here you'll see stunning artistry in masonry pueblos that emerge from bedrock to stand several stories high. Located near Flagstaff, Arizona.