The Grand Canyon attracts about an average of 5 million visitors per year (specifically the North Rim). If you’ve been there in person, then you know that even the most amazing photograph doesn’t do it justice... it is, quite simply, GRAND.

View of the Grand Canyon (North Rim) from Ooh Aah Point on the South Kaibab trail
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However, the Grand Canyon isn’t the only natural wonder in Arizona that offers spectacular views. Check out these beautiful photos that capture the magnificence of Arizona.

Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon consists of an upper & lower slot canyon near Page, AZ. Visiting is almost exclusively through guided tours in part to preserve the area, because it’s a source of tourism business for the Navajo Nation and because of flash flooding (11 tourists died in 1997 during a flash flood. Measures to prevent this were installed shortly thereafter). If guided tours aren't your thing, the canyons are accesible by boat.

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Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend, also known as King Bend, is just 6 kilometers outside of Page, AZ. There’s a short .8-km hike from the parking area to access the view of the 1,000 foot drop. It’s completely free of charge & makes for a breathtaking side trip.

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Chiricahua National Monument

Chiricahua National Monument is one of Arizona’s sky islands. It’s a 12.9-km scenic paved drive with plenty of areas for hiking and rock climbing amongst the hoodoo formations.

View the blog post of our hike through the Chiricahuas: Heart of Rocks, Echo Canyon Loop

Canyon de Chelly

Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly is an 800 foot sandstone spire and is considered sacred to the Navajo. This monument is also home to the White House ruins, which date from 1200 AD and are some of the oldest in the Canyon. No permit is needed for the White House Ruin Trail or rim overlooks however any other access to the canyon floor requires a park ranger or authorized Navajo guide.

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Monument Valley

Monument Valley is part of the Grand Circle, a ring of national parks and monuments woven together by Scenic Byways in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. The 27-km loop tour through the pay-park brings view of well photographed sights like "The Mittens", "Three Sisters", "The Thumb" and "The Totem Pole".

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Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater is just an hour and a half drive south from Grand Falls. It's considered the world's best preserved meteorite impact site.... the impact was about 50,000 years ago. A fragment of the meteorite (Holsinger) is exhibited in the visitor center. Admission price for adults comes to $16.

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Superstition Mountains

The Superstition Mountains are centered around the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine: a German immigrant named Jacob Welzer discovered a motherload in the mountainsand revealed this on his deathbed in 1891. Whether this is true or not, approximately 8,000 people annually have visited here since 1892 to locate the lost mine. If you decided to try your luck, make sure to keep your wits about you: there have been a plethora of mysterious deaths and disappearances in this area.

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Chocolate Falls

Grand Falls, also known as Melting Chocolate, Chocolate Falls or Mud Falls is northeast of Flagstaff, AZ in the Painted Desert and is almost like a well kept secret. Probably because you have to time your visit between early March to late April when snow is just melting or after a summer thunderstorm. Otherwise you'll hit it at it's dry periodand miss out on something that looks like it's out of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory -- but at least you won't be wasting any admission fees because it's free!

Credit: dtedesco

The Wave

The Wave is part of the Coyote Buttes in the Vermillion Cliffs in southern Utah and Northern Arizona. A day-use permit is required however the Bureau of Land Management limits the permits to 20 per day. It's only $7 per person but these permits book months in advance

Credit: bku Photography

Lake Powell

(View from ALSTROM POINT) is the 2nd largest man-made reservoir and is located between Utah & Arizona. It provides access to many natural points of interest like Goosenecks State Park, Defiance House Ruins, Cathedral in the Desert, Three Roof Ruin and....

Credit: MikeJonesPhoto

If I wanted to feature all of the beautiful, natural wonders in Arizona, this entry would be never ending! There are the Saguaro National Parks, Catalina State Park, White Mountains, Sedona, San Francisco Peaks, Tonto Natural Bridge, Watson Lake... the list goes on. Being here the last 3.5 years has really sparked our sense of adventure. When our time here is up, we will definitely have plenty more adventures to add to our DONE list!