The Verde River Valley was first permanently settled by the agrarian Hohokam culture around AD700. The ruins seen here today were built between AD1000 and 1400 by the Sinagua, who left many behind many structures in this region.
Highlights
Ruins, museum, scenic views
Must-Do Activity
The Sinagua pueblo at Tuzigoot had about 110 rooms and is
estimated to have housed 200 to 300 people.
You can walk inside portions of the ruin, including a section with a
reconstructed roof.
Best Trail
A trail leads to an overlook of Tavasci Marsh, a wetland
important to wildlife.
Instagram-worthy
Photo
Tuzigoot pueblo was strategically placed atop a 120-foot
high limestone outcrop with commanding views in all directions, but was not a
cliff dwelling like those built later at nearby Montezuma Castle and Walnut
Canyon National Monuments.
Grand Canyon National Park is generally considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Billions of years of geologic history have been laid bare by the cutting power of the Colorado River. It is cliché but true, you simply have to see this icon with your own eyes. It can be overwhelming. So can the crowds on the South Rim, but those tend to thin out if you hike a mile or two down a trail. If you have the time during the summer months, be sure to drive five hours over the forested Kaibab Plateau to reach the North Rim (which is only 10 miles away as the raven flies).
Desert View Watchtower, Hopi House, El Tovar Hotel, Phantom
Ranch, Toroweap Overlook, whitewater rafting the Colorado River
Must-Do Activity
Growing up in Arizona, Scott used to visit this park frequently, but he feels he never got to know it until he hiked to the bottom in 2016. Even if you only go a couple thousand feet down in elevation on the Grandview Trail or busy Bright Angel Trail, it will give you a new perspective on the canyon.
Best Trail
We day hiked the 18 miles from South Kaibab Trailhead (7200 feet elevation) down to Phantom Ranch (2500 feet) where we filled up with water on the way back up to Bright Angel Trailhead (6800 feet, with multiple water stations on the trail). Backcountry permits can turn this into a multiple day trek, but then you have to carry all your gear out.
Photographic Opportunity
It is an arduous 90-mile one-way drive down a mostly dirt road to access Toroweap Overlook (free online permit required before arrival), but there is a reason photos from this fantastic overlook show up everywhere since the canyon walls are nearly vertical here.
Peak Season
Summer when it is very hot inside the canyon, though it can also be busy around the spring, fall, and December holidays.
Most roads are paved, and except for the very end of the 90-mile long graded dirt road to Toroweap Overlook is accessible to all passenger vehicles (free permit required).
Camping
The park has campgrounds on both rims, but you can also find dispersed camping in the neighboring Kaibab National Forest.
Raven at WatchtowerOn the South Kaibab TrailA view of the two bridgesOn the Bright Angel TrailThe historic El Tovar Hotel opened in 1905Toroweap OverlookRaven about the park
This design we created to celebrate Grand Canyon National Parkis available on a variety of products at Cafe Press and Amazon.
“The green desert” is home to dense stands of saguaros, ocotillos, and its namesake organ pipe cacti. The monument’s 330,689 acres sit on the Mexican border of Arizona and were recognized as a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1976. The park has a reputation for being dangerous, which it can be for NPS Law Enforcement due to its border location, but tourists should encounter no problems while enjoying the beautiful landscape.
Ajo Mountain Loop, Alamo Canyon, birding, earn an “I Hike For Health” pin
Must-Do Activity
The namesake cactus is more common further south and shares this landscape with 27 other species of cacti, including the famous saguaro. To see the cacti at their best, I recommend driving the 21-mile dirt road Ajo Mountain Loop in the evening before turning in for the night at the campground.
Best Trail
The National Park Service (NPS) runs a shuttle some mornings to Senita Basin from where you can hike back to the visitor center (with an optional side trip to the abandoned Victoria Mine).
Photographic Opportunity
The park’s Ajo Mountains are mostly volcanic rhyolite and their jagged outlines photograph well in the twilight hours with the famous saguaro cactus silhouetted in the foreground.
Peak Season
Anytime but summer when temperatures regularly soar above 100°F.
The highway is paved to Kris Eggle Visitor Center and Twin Peaks Campground, but most of the dirt roads are passable for all vehicles.
Camping
The park has the very nice Twin Peaks Campground (with solar showers) where you can pick up free hiker shuttles that allow for one-way trips back to your tent. There are also a couple dry campsites (permit required) on Alamo Canyon Road. A permit is required for backcountry camping.
Organ pipe cactiAn organ pipe cactus with a unique cristate formation.We saw unique bird species like this phainopepla, in addition to Scott’s orioles, Gila woodpeckers, black-throated sparrows, and, of course, ravens.The border wall under construction in January 2020It is a steep 2-hour long scramble up to this archRaven about the park in the Sonoran Desert
Explore More – Why is the Visitor Center named for Park Ranger Kris Eggle?
Raven About The Parks 