Situated just north of Flagstaff, Arizona is the little-known Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. This beautiful monument with rugged landscape is dwarfed by its more popular neighbor to the northwest, Grand Canyon National Park. In fact, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument receives less than 2% of the visitors that make their way to Grand Canyon each year.
There is nothing so southwest as the Saguaro cactus, and there are few trails that get you quickly immersed into Saguaro National Park like the Valley View Overlook Trail. This short trail is a terrific way for visitors of all ages and capabilities to get out and really experience the park and views of the Avra Valley.
Of all the wonderful things to do in Sedona, Arizona, one of the most popular activities is trekking up the Cathedral Rock Trail. This trail is no secret-hundreds of adventure seekers hike here every day, even in the heat of the summer. However, there’s a reason why so many people do-the hike is fairly short (though a bit steep in spots), has great views during the majority of the hike and has a wonderful overlook and even a bit of shade on the top of the trail!
Sedona lies in the northern Verde Valley region of Arizona surrounded the 1.8 million acres of unspoiled Coconino National Forest. This popular vacation destination is best known for its striking red sandstone formations which rise from the desert floor. The colors of the towering red-rock buttes and canyon walls change hourly and are best illuminated by the rising and setting sun.
Saguaro National Parkis named after the giant cactus that are native to the Sonoran Desert. These impressive plants live as long as 150 years or more, and may take between 75-100 years to grow their first arm (if they grow one at all!).
This minimally visited park is located just about 2 hours south of Phoenix, yet it only draws around 800,000 visitors each year. Sure, this park is relatively small (just over 91,000 acres) and easily ranks in the bottom-half of parks by size. Though this park lacks in size, there is a great deal to do and explore.
