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Frommer's Arizona 2004
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by Karl Samson
Arizona
2004
Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s:
“Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete.”
—Booklist
“Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.”
—Glamour Magazine
“Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.”
—Des Moines Sunday Register
“Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.”
—Knight Ridder Newspapers
About the Author
Karl Samson finds that the sunny winter skies of the Arizona desert are the perfect
antidote to the dreary winters of his Pacific Northwest home. Each winter, he flees
the rain to explore Arizona’s deserts, mountains, cities, and small towns. It is the
state’s unique regional style, Native American cultures, abundance of contemporary
art, and, of course, boundless landscapes that keep him fascinated by Arizona.
Summers find him researching his other books, including Frommer’s Washington,
Frommer’s Oregon, and Frommer’s Seattle & Portland.
Published by:
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any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
ISBN 0-7645-3887-X
ISSN 1534-2123
Editor: Paul Prince
Production Editor: Suzanna R. Thompson
Cartographer: Elizabeth Puhl
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Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services
Front cover photo: Hiking in Grand Canyon National Park
Back cover photo: Kayaking in Emerald Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park
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54321
1 The Best Places to Commune
with Cacti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
2 The Best Active Vacations . . . . . .4
3 The Best Day Hikes &
Nature Walks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
4 The Best Scenic Drives . . . . . . . .8
5 The Best Golf Courses . . . . . . . .9
6 The Best Bird-Watching Spots . .10
7 The Best Offbeat Travel
Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
8 The Best Family Experiences . . .11
9 The Best Family Vacations . . . . .11
10 The Best Museums . . . . . . . . . .12
11 The Best Places to Discover
the Old West . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
12 The Best Places to See
Indian Ruins . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
13 The Best Luxury Hotels &
Resorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
14 The Best Family Resorts . . . . . .15
15 The Best Hotels for
Old Arizona Character . . . . . . . .15
16 The Best B&Bs . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
17 The Best Swimming Pools . . . . .17
18 The Best Places to Savor
Southwest Flavors . . . . . . . . . .18
Contents
List of Maps vi
What’s New in Arizona 1
1 The Best of Arizona 4
1 The Regions in Brief . . . . . . . . .19
2 Visitor Information . . . . . . . . . .20
Destination: Arizona—
Red Alert Checklist . . . . . . . . . .21
3 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
4 When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Arizona Calendar of Events . . . .24
5 Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
6 Health & Safety . . . . . . . . . . . .28
7 Specialized Travel Resources . . .29
8 Planning Your Trip Online . . . . .32
Frommers.com: The Complete
Travel Resource . . . . . . . . . . . .33
9 The 21st-Century Traveler . . . . .33
Online Traveler’s Toolbox . . . . .34
10 Getting There . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
11 Escorted Tours, Package Deals &
Special-Interest Vacations . . . . . .38
12 The Active Vacation Planner . . .40
Hot Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
13 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . .46
14 Tips on Accommodations . . . . .48
15 Suggested Itineraries . . . . . . . .49
16 Recommended Reading . . . . . .50
Fast Facts: Arizona . . . . . . . . . .52
2 Planning Your Trip to Arizona 19
1 Preparing for Your Trip . . . . . . .54
2 Getting to the U.S. . . . . . . . . . .60
3 Getting Around the U.S. . . . . . .61
Fast Facts: For the International
Traveler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
3 For International Visitors 54
iv CONTENTS
4 Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of the Sun 67
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Neighborhoods in Brief . . . . . . .73
2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Fast Facts: Phoenix . . . . . . . . . .76
3 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
4 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Family-Friendly Restaurants . . .109
5 Seeing the Sights . . . . . . . . . .115
Frommer’s Favorite
Phoenix Experiences . . . . . . . .123
6 Organized Tours
& Excursions . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
7 Outdoor Pursuits . . . . . . . . . .129
8 Spectator Sports . . . . . . . . . . .135
9 Day Spas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
10 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
11 Phoenix After Dark . . . . . . . . .145
12 A Side Trip from Phoenix:
the Apache Trail . . . . . . . . . . .152
13 En Route to Tucson . . . . . . . . .154
14 En Route to Northern
Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
1 Wickenburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
2 Prescott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
3 Jerome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
4 The Verde Valley . . . . . . . . . . .174
5 Sedona & Oak Creek
Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Vortex Power . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
The High Cost of
Red-Rock Views . . . . . . . . . . .185
5 Central Arizona 157
1 Flagstaff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
2 Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
3 The Grand Canyon
South Rim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218
Fast Facts:
The Grand Canyon . . . . . . . . .223
4 South Rim Alternatives:
Havasu Canyon & Grand Canyon
West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
5 The Grand Canyon
North Rim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
6 The Grand Canyon & Northern Arizona 203
1 Winslow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256
2 The Hopi Reservation . . . . . . .258
A Native American
Crafts Primer . . . . . . . . . . . . .264
3 The Petrified Forest &
Painted Desert . . . . . . . . . . . .266
4 The Window Rock &
Ganado Areas . . . . . . . . . . . .269
5 Canyon de Chelly
National Monument . . . . . . . .272
Fred Harvey & His Girls . . . . . .275
6 Navajo National Monument . . .277
7 Monument Valley Navajo
Tribal Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .278
8 Lake Powell & Page . . . . . . . .281
The Four Corners Region:
7 Land of the Hopi & Navajo 253
CONTENTS v
1 Payson & the Mogollon
Rim Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290
2 Pinetop-Lakeside . . . . . . . . . .294
The Rodeo-Chediski Fire . . . . .295
3 Greer & Sunrise Park . . . . . . .298
4 Springerville & Eagar . . . . . . .302
5 The Coronado Trail . . . . . . . . .305
8 Eastern Arizona’s High Country 290
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .308
Neighborhoods in Brief . . . . . .312
2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . .312
Fast Facts: Tucson . . . . . . . . .314
3 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Family-Friendly Hotels . . . . . . .321
4 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . .329
North-of-the-Border
Margaritaville . . . . . . . . . . . . .334
Family-Friendly Restaurants . . .342
5 Seeing the Sights . . . . . . . . . .344
Frommer’s Favorite
Tucson Experiences . . . . . . . .355
The Shrine That Stopped
a Freeway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356
Walking Tour: Downtown
Historic Districts . . . . . . . . . . .358
6 Organized Tours . . . . . . . . . . .362
7 Outdoor Pursuits . . . . . . . . . .362
8 Spectator Sports . . . . . . . . . . .367
9 Day Spas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
10 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368
11 Tucson After Dark . . . . . . . . . .374
9 Tucson 307
1 Organ Pipe Cactus
National Monument . . . . . . . .381
2 Tubac & Buenos Aires
National Wildlife Refuge . . . . .382
Starry, Starry Nights . . . . . . . .389
3 Nogales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .390
4 Patagonia & Sonoita . . . . . . . .391
5 Sierra Vista & the
San Pedro Valley . . . . . . . . . . .395
6 Tombstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .401
7 Bisbee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .405
8 Exploring the Rest
of Cochise County . . . . . . . . .409
10 Southern Arizona 380
1 Kingman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420
2 Lake Mead National
Recreation Area . . . . . . . . . . .423
Get Your Kicks on Route 66 . . .424
3 Bullhead City &
Laughlin, Nevada . . . . . . . . . .428
4 Lake Havasu &
the London Bridge . . . . . . . . .431
Canoeing the Colorado . . . . . .433
5 Yuma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439
11 Western Arizona 418
List of Maps
Arizona 6
Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of
the Sun 70
Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of
the Sun Accommodations 78
Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of
the Sun Dining 98
Phoenix, Scottsdale & the Valley of
the Sun Attractions 116
Central Arizona 159
Sedona & Vicinity 181
The Grand Canyon &
Northern Arizona 205
Flagstaff 207
Grand Canyon South Rim 225
The Four Corners Region 255
Eastern Arizona’s
High Country 291
Tucson at a Glance 310
Tucson Accommodations 316
Tucson Dining 330
Tucson Attractions 346
Walking Tour: Downtown
Historic Districts 359
Southern Arizona 383
Western Arizona 419
Index 455
vi CONTENTS
1 The Natural Environment . . . . .445
Arizona: Hollywood
Back Lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446
2 Arizona Today . . . . . . . . . . . .447
3 History 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449
Appendix: Arizona in Depth 444
An Invitation to the Reader
In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants,
shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share
the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed
with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to:
Frommer’s Arizona 2004
Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030
An Additional Note
Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is
especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held
responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us,
however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a
close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets.
Other Great Guides for Your Trip:
Frommer’s Grand Canyon National Park
Frommer’s Family Vacations in the National Parks
Frommer’s National Parks of the American West
Frommer’s American Southwest
Frommer’s Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations
Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality,
value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state,
and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices
and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and
regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star
(highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).
In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you
to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from
tourists. Throughout the book, look for:
Special finds—those places only insiders know about
Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips
more fun
Best bets for kids, and advice for the whole family
Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of
Places or experiences not worth your time or money
Insider tips—great ways to save time and money
Great values—where to get the best deals
The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:
AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa
DC Diners Club MC MasterCard
Frommers.com
Now that you have the guidebook to a great trip, visit our website at www.frommers.com
for travel information on more than 3,000 destinations. With features updated regularly,
we give you instant access to the most current trip-planning information available. At
Frommers.com, you’ll also find the best prices on airfares, accommodations, and car
rentals—and you can even book travel online through our travel booking partners. At
Frommers.com, you’ll also find the following:
• Online updates to our most popular guidebooks
• Vacation sweepstakes and contest giveaways
• Newsletter highlighting the hottest travel trends
• Online travel message boards with featured travel discussions
Value
Tips
Overrated
Moments
Kids
Finds
Finds
What’s New in Arizona
Despite the sluggish economy and
general reluctance on the part of many
people to travel, Arizona has remained
a very popular vacation destination.
Sure there have been the inevitable
closings, but the state has also bucked
economic trends by opening three
huge new mega-resorts in the Phoenix
area. Here are some of the highlights
on the Arizona travel scene.
PHOENIX, SCOTTSDALE & THE
VALLEY OF THE SUN Although
the Phoenix area’s three new resorts are
for the most part geared toward conference business, they all have plenty
of great amenities for vacationers.
The JW Marriott Desert Ridge
Resort & Spa, 5350 E. Marriott
Blvd., Phoenix (& 800/835-6206;
www.desertridgeresort.com), in north
Phoenix, is the largest of the three new
resorts and has a huge pool area and
several good restaurants.
The Westin Kierland Resort &
Spa, 6902 E. Greenway Pkwy., Scottsdale (& 800/WESTIN-1; www.westin.
com/kierlandresort), goes out of its way
to reflect the essence of Arizona and is
our favorite of the three. The tubing
“river” and adult pool by the spa make
this a great choice for both families and
couples. It’s also adjacent to the Kierland Commons shopping center, which
has some excellent restaurants.
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Resort, 5594 W. Wild Horse Bass
Blvd., Phoenix (& 866/837-4156;
www.sheraton.com/wildhorsepass), is
located on an Indian reservation south
of Phoenix and has a long, winding
artificial river leading up to the resort.
The spa and river-like swimming pool
are the best features here.
However, if it’s a wildly entertaining
water park your family is looking for
in its next vacation destination, then
book a room at the Pointe South
Mountain Resort, 7777 S. Pointe
Pkwy., Phoenix (& 877/800-4888;
www.pointesouthmtn.com), which
now boasts the biggest and best water
park at any resort in Arizona.
On the other hand, if you and your
significant other are looking for a
romantic getaway where you can
enjoy a few spa treatments, then check
in to the deliciously romantic Royal
Palms Resort and Spa, 5200 E.
Camelback Rd., Phoenix (& 800/
672-6011; www.royalpalmsresortand
spa.com), which last year added a small
spa. This boutique resort was once the
winter home of Cunard Steamship
executive Delos Cooke.
Make a reservation at the Wrigley
Mansion Club, 2501 E. Telawa Trail.
(& 602/955-4079 or 602/553-7387;
www.wrigleymansionclub.com), and
you can dine in the former winter home
of chewing gum magnate William
Wrigley Jr. Although the historic home
is now owned by Geordie Hormel, you
won’t find Spam on the menu.
Fire eaters take note: Under pressure
from pepperheads, we have included
in this edition Los Dos Molinos,
8646 S. Central Ave. (& 602/243-
9113), Phoenix’s famous purveyor of
New Mexican–style food for people
who think Mexican food is never hot
enough. To prove that New Mexican
food does not have to be incendiary,
we have also included the Blue Adobe
Grille, 144 N. Country Club Dr.,
Mesa (& 480/962-1000), which serves
deliciously complex dishes that don’t
come with a fire extinguisher.
Of course, we all know that fried
dough is bad for us, but aren’t vacations
all about indulging in a few guilty
pleasures. At the Fry Bread House,
4140 N. Seventh Ave. (& 602/351-
2345), you can sample Indian tacos,
which are made with big slabs of, you
guessed it, fry bread. These hefty meals
are a mainstay on reservations all across
Arizona, but those served here in
Phoenix are some of the very best.
The Valley of the Sun lost a couple
of its more unusual museums over the
past year. The Fleischer Museum,
which specialized in works from the
California School of American Impressionism, has closed its doors. Also, the
Champlin Fighter Museum has
moved its extensive collection of fighter
planes to Seattle. To make up for these
losses, we’ve added several other interesting little museums. On the campus
of Arizona State University, you can
space out at the Center for Meteorite
Studies, Bateman Physical Sciences
Center, Palm Walk and University
Drive (& 480/965-6511), or get fired
up at the Ceramics Research Center,
which is affiliated with (and across the
street from) the ASU Art Museum at
Nelson Fine Arts Center, 10th Street
and Mill Avenue, Tempe (& 480/
965-2787) There are often interesting
art exhibits at the Schemer Art Center,
5005 E. Camelback Rd. (& 602/262-
4727), which is near The Phoenician
resort. Also, if you’re shopping in Old
Town Scottsdale, be sure to wander
through the Scottsdale Mall (a park,
not a shopping center) to see Robert
Indiana’s LOVE statue.
If too many dinners out have you
thinking you should get some exercise,
join the fitness fanatics on the trail at
north Scottsdale’s recently opened
Pinnacle Peak Park, 26802 N.
102nd Way (& 480/312-7955),
which preserves 150 acres of Sonoran
Desert. You can do a 3.5-mile outand-back hike across the park’s namesake mountain.
The Arizona Cardinals NFL football team is finally getting its new
stadium, which is currently under construction in the west valley city of
Glendale. Until it’s ready in 2006, the
Cardinals will continue to play at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium. During baseball’s spring training
season, you can now catch both the
Kansas City Royals and the Texas
Rangers at the west valley’s Surprise
Recreation Campus, 1580 N. Bullard
Ave., Surprise (& 623/594-5600).
See chapter 4 for more information.
CENTRAL ARIZONA In Sedona,
L’Auberge de Sedona, 301 L’Auberge
Lane, Sedona & 800/272-6777; www.
lauberge.com), has given all its rooms a
total makeover—gone is the chintz and
lace. This boutique resort now has
rooms as beautiful as the setting on the
banks of Oak Creek.
However, the biggest news in Sedona
is the opening of El Portal Sedona, 95
Portal Lane, Sedona (& 800/313-
0017; www.innsedona.com), a 12-
room bed-and-breakfast inn built of
hand-formed adobe blocks. The building is a labor of love for its owner.
See chapter 5 for details.
THE GRAND CANYON &
NORTHERN ARIZONA In
Flagstaff, Josephine’s, 503 N.
Humphrey’s St. (& 928/779-3400),
is now serving excellent food in a historic Craftsman bungalow.
Despite ongoing traffic congestion
problems at the Grand Canyon, it got a
little bit more difficult to get around
the national park without a car this past
year. The Grand Canyon Eco-Shuttle,
which used to operate between the
community of Tusayan and Grand
2 WHAT’S NEW
Canyon Village, is no longer running.
You’ll now have to call a taxi.
See chapter 6 for details.
THE FOUR CORNERS REGION
Due to security concerns, tours down
into Glen Canyon Dam no longer
operate when the nation is on Code
Orange alert level. Also, with the lake’s
water level down almost 100 feet, tour
boats can no longer cruise right up to
Rainbow Bridge; it’s now necessary
to walk a mile from where the boat
moors if you want to stand in the
shadow of the largest natural bridge in
the world.
See chapter 7 for more information.
EASTERN ARIZONA’S HIGH
COUNTRY In the summer of
2002, you probably heard plenty
about the huge Rodeo-Chediski forest
fire that raged through the pine forests
of eastern Arizona. Although the massive fire leveled hundreds of thousands
of acres of forest and destroyed homes
throughout the region, it never made
it to the prime tourist area’s of Pinetop-Lakeside, Greer or the Coronado
Trail. So if you’re planning on exploring this region of the state, which is
little visited by out-of-staters, there’s
no need to worry about hiking amid
charcoal and ash.
See chapter 8 for more information.
TUCSON The former Sheraton El
Conquistador Resort & Country Club
is now the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort,
10000 N. Oracle Rd. (& 800/325-
7832; www.hiltonelconquistador.com),
and is adding a splashy new water playground, complete with water slide.
Two noteworthy Tucson restaurants—the top-end Stone Ashley and
the ever-popular Presidio Grill—
served their last meals this past year.
However, frugal travelers should take
note of some new restaurants listed in
this book this year. Fans of economical
and authentic Japanese food should be
sure to search out Yoshimatsu Healthy
Japanese Food & Café, 2745 N.
Campbell Ave. (& 520/320-1574). If
it’s Cajun food you prefer, head to
Nonie New Orleans Bistro, 2526 E.
Grant Rd. (& 520/319-1965). The
owners of Tucson’s popular Bistro Zin
and Wildflower restaurants have also
now opened a casual pizza place called
Sauce, Casas Adobes Plaza, 7117 N.
Oracle Rd. (& 520/297-8575).
History buffs and anyone else curious about the history of Tucson will
want to visit the new Arizona Historical Society Museum Downtown, 140
N. Stone Ave. (& 520/770-1473). If
you or your kids are crazy for trains
and you happen to be in town on the
right day of the month, you can visit
the Gadsden-Pacific Toy Train Operating Museum, 3975 N. Miller Ave.
(& 520/888-2222).
See chapter 9 for more information.
SOUTHERN ARIZONA If Old
Tucson Studios was just too touristy
for you but you still want to swagger
down the streets of a Hollywood cowtown at high noon, then head to Benson and Mescal (& 520/883-0100), a
movie set that is operated by Old Tucson Studios. This place sees only a
handful of visitors each week.
See chapter 10 for details.
WESTERN ARIZONA How about
a little dinner theater in the shadow of
the London Bridge? At the London
Arms Pub & Playhouse, 422 English
Village (& 928/855-8782), you can
catch live theater and savor some of
the best food in Lake Havasu City.
See chapter 11 for details.
WHAT’S NEW 3
The Best of Arizona
Planning a trip to a state as large and diverse as Arizona involves a lot of decision making (other than which golf clubs to take), so in this chapter we’ve tried
to give you some direction. Below we’ve chosen what we feel is the very best the
state has to offer—the places and experiences you won’t want to miss. Although
sights and activities listed here are written up in more detail elsewhere in this
book, this chapter should help get you started planning your trip.
1 The Best Places to Commune with Cacti
1
• Desert Botanical Garden
(Phoenix): There’s no better place
in the state to learn about the
plants of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert
and the many other deserts of the
world. Displays at this Phoenix
botanical garden explain plant
adaptations and how indigenous
tribes once used many of this
region’s wild plants. See p. 115.
• Boyce Thompson Arboretum
(east of Phoenix): Located just outside the town of Superior, this was
the nation’s first botanical garden
established in a desert environment. It’s set in a small canyon
framed by cliffs, with desert plantings from all over the world—a
fascinating place for an educational
stroll in the desert. See p. 154.
• Arizona–Sonora Desert Museum
(Tucson): The name is misleading—this is actually more a zoo
and botanical garden than a
museum. Naturalistic settings
house dozens of species of desert
animals, including a number of
critters you wouldn’t want to meet
in the wild (rattlesnakes, tarantulas,
scorpions, black widows, and Gila
monsters). See p. 344.
• Saguaro National Park (Tucson):
Lying both east and west of Tucson, this park preserves “forests” of
saguaro cacti and is the very
essence of the desert as so many
people imagine it. You can hike it,
bike it, or drive it. See p. 348.
• Tohono Chul Park (Tucson):
Although this park is not all that
large, it packs a lot of desert
scenery into its modest space.
Impressive plantings of cacti are
the star attractions, but there are
also good wildflower displays in
the spring. See p. 356.
• Organ Pipe Cactus National
Monument (west of Tucson): The
organ pipe cactus is a smaller,
multi-trunked relative of the giant
saguaro and lives only along the
Mexican border about 100 miles
west of Tucson. This remote
national monument has hiking
trails, scenic drives, even a large
natural spring. See p. 381.
2 The Best Active Vacations
• Rafting the Grand Canyon:
Whether you go for 3 days or 2
weeks, no other active vacation in
the state comes even remotely
close to matching the excitement
of a raft trip through the Grand
Canyon. Sure, the river is crowded
with groups in the summer, but
the grandeur of the canyon is
more than enough to make up for
it. See chapter 6.
• Hiking into the Grand Canyon
or Havasu Canyon: Not for the
unfit or the faint of heart, a hike
down into the Grand Canyon or
Havasu Canyon is a journey
through millions of years set in
stone. This trip takes plenty of
advance planning and requires
some very strenuous hiking. With
both a campground and a lodge at
the bottom of each canyon, you
can choose to make this trip with
either a fully loaded backpack or
just a light daypack. See chapter 6.
• Riding the Range at a Guest
Ranch: Yes, there are still cowboys
in Arizona. They ride ranges all
over the state, and so can you if
you book a stay at one of the
many guest ranches (once known
as dude ranches). You might even
get to drive some cattle down the
trail. After a long or short day in
the saddle, you can soak in a hot
tub, go for a swim, or play a game
of tennis before chowing down.
See chapters 5, 9, and 10.
• Staying at a Golf or Tennis
Resort: If horseback riding and
cowboy cookouts aren’t your
thing, how about as much golf or
tennis as you can play? The
Phoenix/Scottsdale area has the
greatest concentration of resorts in
the country, and Sedona and Tucson add many more options to the
mix. There’s something very satisfying about swinging a racquet or
club with the state’s spectacular
scenery in the background, and
the climate means you can do it
practically year-round. See chapters 4, 5, and 9.
• Mountain Biking in Sedona:
Forget Moab—too many other
hard-core mountain bikers.
Among the red rocks of Sedona,
you can pedal through awesome
scenery on some of the most
memorable single-track trails in
the Southwest. There’s even plenty
of slickrock for that Canyonlands
experience. See p. 188.
• Bird-Watching in Southeastern
Arizona: As avid bird-watchers,
we know that this isn’t the most
active of sports, but a birder can
get in a bit of walking when it’s
necessary (like, maybe to get to
the nesting tree of an elegant trogon). The southeast corner of the
state is one of the best birding
regions in the entire country. See
chapter 10.
THE BEST DAY HIKES & NATURE WALKS 5
3 The Best Day Hikes & Nature Walks
• Camelback Mountain (Phoenix):
For many Phoenicians, the trail to
the top of Camelback Mountain is
a ritual, a Phoenix institution.
Sure, there are those who make
this a casual but strenuous hike,
but many more turn it into a serious workout by jogging to the top
and back down. We prefer a more
leisurely approach so we can enjoy
the views. See p. 82.
• Picacho Peak State Park (south
of Casa Grande): The hike up this
central Arizona landmark is short
but strenuous, and from the top
there are superb views out over the
desert. The best time of year to
make the hike is in spring, when
the peak comes alive with wildflowers. Picacho Peak is between
Casa Grande and Tucson just off
I-10. See p. 155.
• The West Fork of Oak Creek
Trail (outside Sedona): The West
Fork of Oak Creek is a tiny stream
that meanders for miles in a narrow
6 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ARIZONA
377
160
191
264
67
389
59
191
180
40
89
89
87
191
77
180
89
64
98
66
68 40
89
93
40
93
15
ALT
89
95 17
93
69
279
179
180 61
87
260
40
89
ALT
89
260
64 Lake Mead National
Recreation Area
Grand Canyon National Park
PRESCOTT FOREST
NATIONAL
KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST
Parashant
National Monument
NATIONAL
FOREST
PRESCOTT
COCONINO
NATIONAL
FOREST
Petrified Forest
National Park
APACHE-SITGREAVES
NATIONAL FORESTS
Canyon de Chelly National
Monument
Wupatki
National Monument
KAIBAB
NATIONAL
FOREST
KAIBAB
NATIONAL
FOREST
Vermilion Cliffs
National
Monument
Sedona
Flagstaff
Holbrook
St. Johns
Page
Kayenta
Window
Rock
Chinle
Ganado
Grand Canyon
Village
Kingman
Cameron
Tuba City
Bullhead
City
Seligman
Laughlin
Sedona
Jerome
Lake Havasu City
Flagstaff
Prescott
Camp Verde
Williams
Needles
Lake
Powell
Winslow
odar ol o C
revi R
Lake
Mohave
Lake
Mead
Lake
Havasu
Lake
Mohave
NEVADA
Hoover
Las
Vegas
Dam HUALAPAI INDIAN
RESERVATION
NEVADA
CALIFORNIA
Lake Mead National
Recreation Area Grand
Canyon
West
UTAH
Grand Canyon
National Park
Monument Valley
Navajo Tribal Park
Glen Canyon National
Recreation Area
PRESCOTT FOREST
NATIONAL
KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST
Parashant
National Monument
NATIONAL
FOREST
PRESCOTT
HAVASUPAI
INDIAN
RESERVATION
Grand Canyon
North Rim
COCONINO
NATIONAL
FOREST
NEW MEXICO Petrified Forest National Park
HOPI INDIAN
RESERVATION
PAINTED
DESERT
RESERVATION
APACHE-SITGREAVES
NATIONAL FORESTS
Canyon
de Chelly
National
Monument
Humphreys Peak
Wupatki
National Monument
skaeP ocsi cnar F naS
NAVAJO
KAIBAB
NATIONAL
FOREST
KAIBAB
NATIONAL
FOREST
R G E HT NA D CANYON Navajo National Monument INDIAN
COLORADO
Temple Bar
Four Corners
Navajo Tribal Park
Vermilion Cliffs
National
Monument
Meteor
Crater
HT E GRAND
CANYON
60 mi 0
0 60 km
N
Arizona