There are several ways to plan your stay at the Grand Canyon - camping or lodging in the park itself offers the most authentic, immersive experience, but staying nearby also has its perks.
For locals and out-of-town visitors alike, Flagstaff is a hiking wonderland. A high altitude region dominated by pine, aspen, and mixed conifer forests, it's a beloved summertime stomping grounds among Arizona's adventurers. Desert dwellers escape the heat for the cool of Flagstaff's hiking trails, while the locals know the summer weather is the #1 reason to live in Flag.
Arizona's creeks, rivers and lakes offer thousands of miles of beautiful waterfront exploration and a nearly endless amount of camping opportunities. We've put together a list of some of the best places to camp in Arizona near water, from winding desert rivers to pristine, high-elevation lakes that manage to fly under-the-radar.
Following his escape from Florence State Prison in May 1992, convicted bank-robber turned fugitive Danny Ray Horning went on the run for seven weeks, resulting in the largest manhunt in Arizona history. Known as “Rambo” to his pursuers because of his skill at avoiding capture in the wilderness, Horning achieved folk hero status among the general public — viewed as something of a blue-collar Robin Hood. Unknown to the masses at the time, Horning had a dark and disturbing history back home in California’s Central Valley. As a suspect in a 1990 dismemberment murder case and convicted child molester, Horning was not your average fugitive. A tale of cold-blooded murder, wilderness survival, and much, much more: this is the true story of Danny Ray Horning.
Of all of Grand Canyon’s waters, Mooney Falls is perhaps the most impressive. At a place where Havasu Creek cascades straight off a 196-foot cliff, Mooney is a perennially-flowing free-falling behemoth. At this convergence of earth, water, and gravity — grace meets power and danger meets beauty.
Driving westbound on highway 74 near Morristown, Arizona, the ominous hump of Vulture Peak dominates the horizon ahead. Glancing out the driver and passenger windows, many of the neighboring ranges are taller and ore massive, yet there’s something unique about how Vulture’s dome stands out from the surrounding desert. I relived this experience many times over the course of a few years and the mountain climber in me desired to set foot on Vulture’s summit.
Arizona has more than 100,000 miles of river, creek, and stream. Many of those are seasonal and intermittent, and countless others have been permanently changed or lost by manmade diversions and dams. What remains offers plenty of watercourses to explore, and when we’re lucky, waterfalls.
We’ve hiked through a variety of Arizona canyon country over the last few years. Some of it crowded, like our mob-infested mid-October foray through Havasu Canyon. Some of it desolate, like the rugged solitude of the Eastern Superstitions. But our recent trip through Aravaipa Canyon was in a league all its own. Of all the descriptors we uttered while navigating the canyon, I think my buddy Dustin came up with the best one: “Underrated.”
The Pioneer Living History Museum has an excellent collection of old buildings and period-accurate memorabilia, but for all its charm, it still feels like the town left behind. And that’s exactly the village’s appeal. If you want a polished, movie-set version of the west, go to Rawhide. If you want the slow, weary pace of life in a frontier town never fully realized, the Museum has your number, and in that sense it offers a more realistic western experience than many tourist attractions in the metro area.
All the most important facts about Sunset Crater and it's surrounding National Monument gathered in one place!
Here’s a look at the short-list of Grand Canyon’s most special, but relatively unknown backcountry gems. Unless you are a Canyon-obsessed hiking beast or a sun-baked river runner, chances are you have never heard of any of these amazing places. Of course, reaching these destinations can be a dangerous proposition, and potentially deadly if pursued without care.
On a clear and sunny November day, my wife and I loaded up our little Toyota Prius for a weekend trip to Oak Creek Canyon. With a reservation to stay the night in a cabin at the Forest Houses Resort, I was itching to grab a hike in Sedona along the way. As is often the case, my wife’s intuition was much more accurate than mine. Here’s a rough approximation of our exchange as we drove out of town: WIFE: “It’s Saturday, don’t you think the trails will be really busy in Sedona today?” ME: “It’s November. Tourist season is dying off. It’ll be fine!” I should have known better. God, should I have known better.