With the best breathtaking views in Arizona, places like Grand Canyon National Park and Red Rock State Park highlight the natural beauty of America’s diverse flora and wildlife.
In northern Arizona, a large canyon covers over 278 miles of the Colorado River
The Grand Canyon is a massive canyon with stunning views and a deep history tied to the many Native American tribes of Arizona and even farther afield.
Photography of the Grand Canyon often flattens its depth, but actually standing at the rim truly shows off the canyon’s depth and just how massive it is.
Tourist traffic remains heavy, requiring visitors to show up very early in the morning or very late in the day.
Visiting at sunset casts the canyon in a deep gold with purple shades, making a stunning view.
One of the more accessible ways to see the canyon is the Desert View Drive, which allows those who do not want to walk off-trail to the multiple points along the south rim, to get their fill quickly while still seeing the canyon.
The scenic drive allows visitors to see much more of the canyon and stop at multiple viewpoints, giving you less-populated views.
The journey south from the end of the Desert View Drive to Sedona had multiple stops along the way; there are several Native American pueblo ruins to see, and Sunset Crater, an old volcano that erupted.
The drive to Flagstaff had snow-covered hills and visible lava flows, a stark contrast to the desert terrain of the nearby Mojave Desert.
Continuing past Flagstaff, the Scenic road is best taken rather than the main highway, showing off the best of the Sedona red rocks.
Both locations justify the attention and fame that they receive.
Sedona, in particular, balances hiking with breathtaking scenery, allowing someone to experience views without technical or difficult climbing.
One of the hikes in particular is the Devil’s Bridge, where the hike was not difficult until the very end; one must expect some heights that would put those with a fear of heights on edge.
The natural sandstone arch, looming over an open cliff, creates an amazing view and experience when the visitor walks across it.
However, crowds will impact your view, as they often form long lines at the actual sight, and plenty of people are rude and take a long time to get pictures.
A more physically demanding climb came at Bell Rock, where its tall rounded shape gave it a strange but interesting shape.
Reaching the upper rim required careful footing and a moment of deep scrambling, or moving quickly up rocks despite steep conditions.
The view itself was excellent, with an elevated vantage point giving you sweeping views of Sedona’s surrounding red rock formations.
Despite the crows that can block and dampen the many viewpoints, as long as visitors navigate around timing, they can very easily get past that.
The views are also worth it, as the crowds are an annoyance, but the Grand Canyon and Sedona are incredible and well worth it to anyone who wants to see America’s natural beauty.