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Arizona Travel Guides

Welcome to Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. This is where you will find all of our Arizona Travel Guides!

The State of Arizona is located in the southwestern quadrant of the United States, bordered by California, Utah, New Mexico as well as the country of Mexico.

Arizona was officially admitted to the Union on February 14th, 1912 as the 48th state and it’s currently the 6th largest state in the USA.

Capital City: Phoenix

Population: About 7.2 million

Time Zone:  Mountain Standard Time (MST) for the majority of the state, but the Navajo Nation uses Daylight Saving Time (DST)

Woman standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona
Kristen looking into the Grand Canyon from South Kaibab Trail

Arizona Travel Highlights

The Grand Canyon State is a year-round destination. It offers stunning terrain, vibrant cities, historic towns and the largest percentage of land designated to Indigenous people with a total of 22 tribes.

National Parks In Arizona:

  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • Saguaro National Park
  • Petrified Forest National Park

Want more National Park content? Visit our US National Park Guides.

Where Are Those Morgans Best things to do in Arizona

Popular Places To Travel In Arizona:

  • Montezuma Castle National Monument
  • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
  • Coconino National Forest
  • Horseshoe Bend
  • Monument Valley
  • Hoover Dam
  • Sedona
  • Tuscon
  • Phoenix

Keep in mind this small list just scratches the surface, but you can read about more things to do in Arizona here.

Man standing on the edge of Grand Canyon South Rim in Arizona
Mark at Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park is located in northern Arizona between Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Over millions of years, the Grand Canyon has been carved out by the Colorado River.

At the Utah-Arizona border, the northeast end of the Grand Canyon begins at Lake Powell, near the city of Page. While the western end of the Grand Canyon terminates into Lake Mead at the Arizona-Nevada border.

Having been to the Grand Canyon multiple times now in different seasons, we highly recommend you visit at least one in your lifetime. The first time you lay eyes on the Grand Canyon will be a wow moment you’ll never forget.

people standing at an overlook in Grand Canyon National Park
Visitors walking along a viewpoint at Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon South Rim Travel Guides

Need help organizing your visit to Grand Canyon South Rim?

Our popular 30+ page Grand Canyon South Rim Guidebook can help you with planning every aspect of your trip.

The path of Bright Angel trail leading down to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon in Arizona
The Bright Angel Hiking Trail at Grand Canyon South Rim

Grand Canyon Hiking Trails

There is no shortage of stunning hiking trails at the Grand Canyon South Rim. The best part about hiking in this national park is that many of the trails are out and back so you only have to hike as far as you feel comfortable.

The two most popular hiking trails at Grand Canyon South Rim are Bright Angel and South Kaibab.

Woman walking through the snow in Grand Canyon National Park
Kristen walking in the snow at Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon Travel Planning

A visit to the Grand canyon is often paired with a road trip to other popular travel destinations in Arizona and the surrounding states. Below are additional planning guides to help with your trip:

Man and woman hiking the wave in Arizona
Mark and Kristen inside the Wave in Arizona

Hiking The Wave

Hiking the Wave in Arizona is easily one of our most memorable experiences to date. But unfortunately you can’t just turn up and hike the Wave. You will need a permit and rangers are usually on the trail checking permits.

Until March 2022, there was a very elusive lottery permit process which used to take place at a gymnasium in Kanab, Utah. This was how we won a permit to hike the wave at the end of 2021.

We were one of the last groups to score a permit through this in-person process. We stood with many other groups patiently waiting to see if our name was drawn. It was incredibly nerve racking and you could cut the tension with a knife.

However, the wave permit process is now held online and we have written a very detailed guide to help you understand the process. Read about the wave permit process here.

Then read our very popular post about hiking the Wave in Arizona. We will cover everything from the updated permit process, to packing, preparation and photography along with a full walk through of the hike.

Along with the maps provided by the BLM, we used Gaia GPS when hiking the Wave. You can use our special link to receive 20% off a Gaia GPS subscription.

Or want a different app? Be sure to check out the best apps for hiking to help you conquer those bucket list trails in Arizona.

Man standing on Devils Bridge in Sedona Arizona
Mark on Devil’s Bridge in Sedona

Sedona, Arizona Travel Guides

Sedona is another extremely popular travel destination in Arizona. There is something for everyone here including hiking trails, off roading adventures, spiritual mediation and the Verde Valley Wine Trail.

Best Of Sedona

After spending a full 8 days in Sedona hiking, off-roading, sipping wine, exploring the Verde Valley and hunting caves, we have created very detailed Arizona travel guides to help you make the most of your time.

Woman hiking Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte hiking trail in Sedona Arizona
Kristen taking in the views along a Sedona hiking trail

Sedona Hiking Trail Guides

One of the most popular activities in Sedona, Arizona is hiking. Our advice is to begin your hike very early in the day because trails can be crowded and it can be extremely difficult to park.

  • Best hiking trails in Sedona – Featuring 20 top rated easy, moderate and hard hikes around Sedona based entirely on our own personal experiences.
  • How to hike to Devil’s Bridge – A guide to hiking one of Sedona’s most popular trails with tips to avoid the crowds.
  • Guide to Cathedral Rock Trail – Another one of Sedona’s popular trails which means you need to be organized and even have backup plans for accessing the trail during busier periods.
  • Hiking Airport Mesa – The popular Sedona view trail at sunset featuring both hiking and photography.
  • West Fork Trail in Sedona – A complete guide to hiking the West Fork Trail including how to get to the trailhead and what pass you will need for your hike.
  • Pyramid and Scorpion Loop Trail – An hidden gem if you are looking to escape Sedona’s busy trails.

Love hiking? Don’t miss our popular guide featuring the best hiking trails in the US.

A jeep driving down the slide on the popular Broken Arrow Trail
Mark driving down the slide on Broken Arrow Trail

Jeep Trails In Sedona

There are numerous off roading trails in Sedona just waiting to be explored. Start by reading our best jeep trails guide first and then continue on to the individual trails.

Boynton Canyon cave with a woman standing in a yellow raincoat
Kristen standing in Boynton Canyon Cave

Explore Caves In Sedona

One of our favorite things to do in Sedona is find the hidden caves. While these caves are scattered all around Sedona, we have made several helpful guides to help you find each one.

  • Hidden caves in Sedona – A complete guide to finding all seven hidden and mysterious caves in Sedona.
  • Subway Cave – The most popular cave in Sedona which you have most likely seen on Instagram. We show you exactly how to find it when you hike Boynton Canyon trail.
  • Roberts Roost and Hideout Cave – Hideout Cave is a secret cave accessed by hiking Robbers Roost Trail in the far northwest of Sedona.
  • Keyhole Cave – This is the biggest hidden cave in Sedona and we show you exactly how to get there.
  • Soldier Pass Cave – How to hike Soldier Pass trail featuring the Devil’s Kitchen, Seven Sacred Pools and hidden Soldier Pass Cave.
  • Birthing Cave – An easy hike yet a stunning view with a hidden cave.
The many layers of Montezuma Castle with grass in foreground
Montezuma Castle National Monument

Sedona Attractions

If you haven’t had enough of Sedona, there is still so much to explore. Browse through our popular guides below to see what your Sedona itinerary is missing.

  • Best tours in Sedona – Red Rock Country is a playground for adults with wine tours, ATV excursions, train rides and stunning helicopter tours.
  • Sedona Wineries You Should Not Miss – The 25 best wineries along the popular Verde Valley Wine Trail near Sedona, Arizona.
  • Best vortexes in Sedona – Everything you need to know about the mysterious vortexes in Sedona and how to find them.
  • Montezuma Castle National Monument – This monument features some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings found in the American Southwest.
  • Tuzigoot National Monument – A fascinating ancient multi-room pueblo found within the Verde Valley region.
  • Verde Canyon Railroad – A complete guide to the gorgeous train ride through the Verde Canyon featuring our personal experience.
  • Palatki Heritage Site – This is a collection of cliff dwellings and rock art located in Coconino National Forest featuring both pictographs and petroglyphs.
  • Honanki Heritage Site – A large collection of well preserved cliff dwellings featuring rock art discovered within an isolated canyon near Sedona, Arizona.
The famous horseshoe bend in Page Arizona
Horseshoe Bend at Sunset

Horseshoe Bend In Page, Arizona

There is an extraordinarily striking 270 degree U-shaped meander in the mighty Colorado River and it is known as Horseshoe Bend. This famous bend is located close to the northern Arizona border and makes for a great road trip stop.

We have visited Horseshoe Bend twice on two different occasions, once at sunset and once at sunrise. In our popular guide, we will compare experiences and tell you the best time to visit Horseshoe Bend in Arizona.

Want more hiking content? Head over to our Hiking Guides to find bucket list trails from around the world.

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