5 National & State Parks In Arizona You Have To Visit

From ancient canyons to sky-high mountains, Arizona's national and state parks are responsible for preserving some of North America's most extraordinary scenery. While much of this natural beauty is connected to the Colorado Plateau, which dominates northern Arizona, to the south, the Sonoran Desert spreads across valleys punctuated by mountain ranges that rise dramatically from the desert floor.

Between these extremes lies a transition zone where ecosystems collide, creating biological diversity found nowhere else on the planet. This unique geography makes Arizona a paradise for hikers, photographers, and sightseeing travelers, with these five parks in particular demonstrating Arizona's remarkable diversity.

Saguaro National Park

Split into two districts around the city of Tucson, Saguaro National Park protects the largest concentration of saguaro cacti in the United States (an estimated two million of these giants are spread across the park’s 91,000 acres). The Rincon Mountain District in the east rises to 8,666 feet at Mica Mountain, transitioning through five distinct life zones from desert scrub to pine forest. The Tucson Mountain District to the west has lower elevations but thicker saguaro forests, particularly along the Bajada Loop Drive, where cacti density is greatest.

And they’re certainly an impressive species of cacti. Saguaros can live up to 200 years, growing their first arm around age 75 when they reach about 15 feet in height. The park's oldest specimens, however, stand 45 feet tall and can weigh up to eight tons when fully hydrated. Plan your visit for the May-June blooming season and you’ll witness these incredible plants with up to 200 white flowers that open at night and close by afternoon, pollinated by lesser long-nosed bats that migrate from Mexico. The red fruits that follow, harvested by the Tohono O'odham Nation for centuries, contain up to 2,000 seeds each and provide nutrition for local wildlife.

Signal Hill Petroglyphs in the park's western district features over 200 ancient rock carvings created by the Hohokam people between 550 and 1450, including fascinating spirals that may represent astronomical observations. It’s also worth popping into the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Though just outside the park, its native animals and plants provide a superb introduction to the Sonoran Desert. October-April are perfect months for those who enjoy hiking, while May-June are optimal for spectacular cactus blooms.

Grand Canyon National Park

If you’ve not visited the Grand Canyon yet, you might want to put it at the top of your travel bucket list. This spectacular 277-mile chasm, carved by the Colorado River, exposes rock layers dating back as far as 1.8 billion years, with the Vishnu Schist at its bottom representing some of Earth's oldest exposed rock. Up to 18 miles wide in places, it plunges more than a mile deep, creating a landscape so vast that unique weather systems form within its walls.

Most visitors gravitate to the South Rim, which is open year-round to tourist activity. It’s close to major cities like Las Vegas and incredibly scenic, with numerous lookout points. The North Rim is also spectacular, but more of a challenge to access. Its higher elevation means it’s closed from mid-October through mid-May due to snow.

Hiking here ranges from the 13-mile paved Rim Trail along the South Rim to overlooks such as Hermits Rest and Hopi Point, to the challenging Bright Angel Trail, which descends 4,380 feet all the way down to the Colorado River. Here you’ll find the only accommodations below the rim: Phantom Ranch. However, reservations need to be made as far away as 13 months in advance of your arrival, and are handled through a lottery system. That said, if you can nab a stay here, it’ll have been worth the wait. March-May and September-November are optimal times to visit the South Rim. If you do plan on tackling the North Rim, your window of opportunity is from May to September.

Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park is a must-visit attraction that preserves the world's largest concentration of petrified wood. Here, you’ll see ancient logs dating to the Late Triassic Period, some 225 million years ago. At the time, Arizona sat near the equator in the supercontinent Pangaea, leading to the preservation of prehistoric ecosystems with fossilized trees, plants, and animal species.

The Painted Desert is also worth exploring. Covering around 7,500 square miles of badlands colored by layers of sedimentary rock, it’s here you’ll find the incredible Blue Mesa. One of the park's most photographed areas, these blue-gray hills are capped with eroded sandstone pedestals that support massive petrified logs. The best way to see this amazing natural wonder is via the mile-long Blue Mesa Trail, which takes you past ancient logs over six feet in diameter. For the most comfortable temperatures, visit from September-November or March-May.

Antelope Canyon

Located on Navajo land east of Page, Antelope Canyon consists of two separate slot canyons carved by thousands of years of wind and flash flooding through the Navajo Sandstone. Upper Antelope Canyon (Tsé bighánílíní, or "the place where water runs through rocks") is simply breathtaking. Extending 660 feet at ground level with walls rising 120 feet, it’s here that the canyon's famous light beams occur between March and October as the sun reaches angles that allow direct light to penetrate to the canyon floor. These beams last only minutes and illuminate the sandstone walls, displaying the famous flowing patterns formed when ancient sand dunes hardened into rock.

Lower Antelope Canyon (Hazdistazí, "spiral rock arches") is also worthy of a visit. Extending a quarter-mile underground, it’s worth noting that there are five sets of stairs and narrow passages to navigate that are in places only 24 inches wide. Rattlesnake Canyon, a less-visited alternative 15 minutes from Lower Antelope, offers similar formations without the crowds. It does, however, require a more strenuous hike and includes ladder climbs. Access to all canyons is only possible via guided tours through authorized Navajo companies. April to August are best for capturing the canyons’ amazing light beams; however, try to avoid July, as monsoon storms are possible.

Slide Rock State Park

Situated just seven miles north of Sedona, Slide Rock State Park preserves one of Arizona’s more unusual wonders: a natural waterslide. Carved through Oak Creek Canyon’s red sandstone, this 80-foot slide has been worn smooth by centuries of flowing water and the countless visitors who have enjoyed it. Dropping riders through a series of chutes into a six-foot deep pool, the water temperature is pleasant and varies between 50-70°F year-round, fed by springs originating on the Mogollon Rim.

Other park highlights include the old Apple Packing Shed, left behind by the farmers who once tended the apple orchards here using water channeled from Oak Creek. Six apple varieties still grow in the preserved orchard, with September’s harvest season allowing the chance to pick your own for a fee. May-September are perfect months for swimming, while October is ideal for leaf peepers thanks to the park’s stunning fall colors.

The Final Word

There’s no better way to experience Arizona’s unique geological and ecological extremes than by paying a visit to the region’s best national and state parks. Whether it’s the stunning grandeur of the Grand Canyon or the incredible lighting and colors of Antelope Canyon’s unique rock formations, each of these five parks offers the kind of authentic Arizona experiences you simply won’t find elsewhere in America.