What's Your Favorite Arizona Destination?
Could you choose just one?
If so, share it with the world! I tried, but found it impossible to choose just one favorite Arizona destination. Naturally, every attraction has its own reason for making the list, so it's really like trying to compare apples to oranges.
I Decided to Create a Top 10 List Instead.
And, of course, I'll give you the reasons each Arizona destination was chosen. Even then, I had to settle on leaving the list in no particular order. Yes, I know, it's a cop-out, but maybe being drawn to varied adventures and activities explains why I'm so attracted to this style of travel to begin with.
Check out these photos from our 4 recent trips to Arizona destinations and see for yourself why narrowing down the top 10 list posed a challenge for me.
1. Horseshoe Bend
In the northern part of the state, this very photogenic Arizona destination is located just off highway 89 a few miles south of Page. It's a short easy half-mile walk from the parking lot to the view, yet it gets relatively few visitors, probably because the location is not very well marked from the highway or on some maps. The fact that it's easy to access and yet not overrun with people is one of the things that make it a favorite.
We had seen pictures of this splendid area of colored eroded rocks that's
called The Wave, but we had also been told that this northern Arizona
destination is very difficult to get to.
Although access to this fragile area is limited to 20 people
per day, 10 of the permits are issued to "walk-ins" and the permit cost is only
$7.00 per person. The area covered by the hiking permit is called Coyote Buttes and the
formation known as "The Wave" is only one small part of the area. It's a 6-mile
round-trip moderate hike but there's so much more to see than just this
magical formation known as The Wave, so plan to spend the entire day exploring.
Ten permits per day are available and chosen by a lottery conducted four months in advance on recreation.gov. So, yes, a reserved permit is difficult to obtain. The other 10
permits are issued only in person, a day in advance, at the nearby
district BLM office in Kanab, Utah.
You'll need to be at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab, Utah beteween 8:30 and 9:00 am to apply for a next-day permit. The lottery draw is at 9:00 am.
At worst you may have to show up again the next morning. It's worth it! From mid-March to Mid November, the lottery for walk-in permits happens seven days a week. From mid-November through mid-March, it's only done Monday to Friday (and not on federal holidays). During those months, the permits for Saturday-Monday are all drawn on Friday. Avoid the most popular months (March to May and September to November) for your best odds of success. Since permits are issued per group of hikers, your chances are also better if your group is small. In fact, the best odds are for a single hiker.
We've been there twice, both times in April. In 2004 (when the area was not yet as famous) there were only 7 others
applying for a permit that day, so we had no problem at all. In 2008 we went
back two days in a row and weren't so lucky. As of 2019, we heard there are often 95 people applying for the ten spots so, unless we're there off-season, we may never get there again. But if you're really determined, there's good news, too: each consecutive day
that you show up, you're given an additional "ball" in the lottery tumbler, so
your odds do increase daily. The other good news is that there's lots to see
and do in the area, and free camping nearby, so coming back a few times
for the draw is doable.
Although Coyote Buttes Management Area is part of the Paria Canyon/Vermillion
Cliffs Wilderness Area in Arizona, you need to access it via Utah from a narrow
dirt road off Hwy 89 called House Rock Road. There's no marked trail but
easy-to-follow directions are provided with your permit.
As much as we're frugal and, in a way, resent having to pay for hiking, these
controls guarantee that we can enjoy the beauty of this hike in relative
solitude and quiet - a major contributing factor in making it onto the top 10
list.
This southern Arizona destination gets fewer visitations than many other
national parks in Arizona.
Just one of the many features that make it stand out as a favorite for us is
the free shuttle bus that takes hikers to the trailheads. This allows us to
hike one way (the easy way - downhill) through this wonderland of rocks and back to the
visitor center.
This resort town in the desert was built around the reservoir created by Parker
Dam. As artificial as its creation was, the beauty and appeal of this much
water in the desert, against a most scenic rocky backdrop, cannot be denied.
Canyon de Chelly is one Arizona destination that gets fewer visitors because of
its location - being way up in the northeastern part of the state. It wasn't
until our third visit to Arizona that we decided to put in the miles and check
it out for ourselves.
After seeing the amazing cliff dwellings, and the beauty of the canyon, we've returned more than once - it's well worth the trip. And there's no question it belongs
on our top 10 list.
Of course, no other canyon can compare with the most visited Arizona
destination: The Grand Canyon.
Here's another 'travel where the wind blows' secret. If hiking and camping in
the canyon is on your wish list, don't let the need for reservations months in
advance discourage you.
By arriving early in the morning at the
backcountry office in Grand Canyon Village,
depending on the time of year and if you're flexible, there are usually some
cancellations you can fill. Also, a small number of main corridor campsites are
kept for walk-in bookings, so you may be able to arrange a night or two
with just a bit of luck.
Other attractions, like Navajo National Monument, require that you
get off the beaten track.
A little out of the way but well worth the trip, this park is a delightful
find. Set in another majestic scenic canyon, the friendly Navajo staff and the daily free guided tours of a well-preserved cliff dwelling -
Betatakin, make this park one of our sure favorites.
Do you like waterslides? If so, you're bound to have fun in this waterslide
created by nature at Slick Rock State Park, just north of Sedona.
In the gorgeous setting of Oak Creek Canyon, the park offers unsurpassed
scenery but the unique waterslide feature is what influenced me to put the park
on the top 10 list.
See photos of our 2008 adventures in Sedona.
Almost too popular, this Arizona destination should have been reserved as
parkland.
It has become so coveted as a place to live, that the high price of property
ownership serves to exclude most people. With a moderate climate and
unsurpassed scenery, it's easy to see why this has happened. Even if we can't
dream of retiring here, the popularity of this location cannot take away from
the absolute beauty.
The added curiosity of several famous vortex points, gives Sedona something
that cannot be found just anywhere. As a result, it's a definite on the top 10
list
We hiked many of the trails here and decided that Doe Mountain is among our
favorites. It's not one of the most popular trails, but the .7-mile hike to the
top is a moderate climb of only 400 feet and the payoff in relation to the
effort is fantastic! The wide top of the mesa gives plenty of area to explore
with various great views of many of the other prominent Sedona rock features in
every direction.
A hint for Sedona hiking: Since most of the trailhead parking lots hold only a
dozen cars or so, parking is at a premium. Often waiting for someone to come
off the trail is the only way to get a parking spot. Again, this feature, as
aggravating as it can be, self-regulates the number of people who are on the
trail at any one time. And, in an area as popular as this, that's something we
came to appreciate.
As far as a town goes, Bisbee has got it
all goin' on
for me.
A friendly, community made up of retired miners, old time residents, artists,
aging hippies, and retiring baby boomers from all over the country. This mix
guarantees almost anyone could fit in here.
Unlike some areas of the state, this Arizona destination claims the best
year-round moderate climate ... no snow, and no extreme desert heat.
I've run out of numbers and I haven't even mentioned
Saguaro National Park, The Superstition Mountains, Monument Valley,
and
Organ Pipe National Monument. The list could go on and on.
I guess, when it comes to favorite Arizona destinations, limiting myself to 10
wasn't the best idea.
See photos of our latest Arizona travels.
2. The Wave, Coyote Buttes
3. Chiricahua National Monument
4. Lake Havasu City
5. Canyon de Chelly
6. The Grand Canyon
7. Navajo National Monument
8. Slick Rock State Park
9. Sedona
10. Bisbee
Now wait a minute ... How can that be?
Post your own favorite Arizona destinations and see what other visitors have submitted.
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