Arizona
Parks
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National Historic Trail
Butterfield Overland
MO, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA
In 1857, businessman and transportation entrepreneur John Butterfield was awarded a contract to establish an overland mail route between the eastern United States and growing populations in the Far West. What became known as the Butterfield Overland Trail made an arcing sweep across the southern rim of the country. Stagecoaches left twice a week carrying passengers, freight, and mail.
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National Monument
Canyon de Chelly
Chinle, AZ
For nearly 5,000 years, people have lived in these canyons - longer than anyone has lived uninterrupted anywhere on the Colorado Plateau. In the place called Tsegi, their homes and images tell us their stories. Today, Dine' families make their homes, raise livestock, and farm the lands in the canyons. A place like no other, the park and Navajo Nation work together to manage the land's resources.
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National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins
Coolidge, AZ
Explore the history and stories of an extended network of communities and irrigation canals. An Ancestral Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" are preserved at Casa Grande Ruins. Whether the Casa Grande was a gathering place for the Desert People or simply a waypoint marker in an extensive system of canals and trading partners is but part of the story of the Ruins.
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National Monument
Chiricahua
Willcox, AZ
A "Wonderland of Rocks" is waiting for you to explore at Chiricahua National Monument. The 8-mile paved scenic drive and 17-miles of day-use hiking trails provide opportunities to discover the beauty, natural sounds, and inhabitants of this 12,025 acre site. Visit the Faraway Ranch Historic District to discover more about the people who have called this area home.
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National Memorial
Coronado
Hereford, AZ
It was a journey of conquest filled with exploration, wonder - and cruelty. Inspired by tales of vast cities of gold, 339 European soldiers and hundreds of Aztec allies embarked on an epic journey through arid deserts and rugged mountains. They encountered rich traditions and brought new technologies. The resulting collision and combination of cultures reverberates today.
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National Historic Site
Fort Bowie
Willcox, AZ
Fort Bowie witnessed almost 25 years of conflict between the Chiricahua Apache and the US Army, and remains a tangible connection to the turbulent era of the late 1800s. Explore the history of Fort Bowie and Apache Pass as you hike to the visitor center and old fort ruins. Today, this peaceful landscape stands in stark contrast to the violence that once gripped this land.
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National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ,UT
Encompassing over 1.25 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers unparalleled opportunities for water-based & backcountry recreation. The recreation area stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a vast panorama of human history.
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National Park
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon, AZ
Grand Canyon National Park, in Northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from the rims. South Rim is open. North Rim is open. Daily updates >
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National Monument
Grand Canyon-Parashant
Northern Arizona, AZ
Take a lonely and rocky two-track road in a 4x4 to the edge of the Grand Wash Cliffs. Find a stunning solitary vista deep into the Grand Canyon. Relax in the shade of ponderosas at Mount Trumbull. Touch ancient waters at Pakoon Springs in one of the driest places in the world. Parashant is remote. There are no crowds here. Be equipped to leave pavement, cell service, and the 21st century behind.
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National Historic Site
Hubbell Trading Post
Ganado, AZ
Wóshde´e´, please come in where the squeaky wooden floors greet your entry into the oldest operating Trading Post on the Navajo Nation. As your eyes adjust to the dim light in the "bullpen", you'll find you've just entered a mercantile. Hubbell's in Ganado has been selling goods and trading Native American Art since 1878. Discover Hubbell Trading Post NHS, sheep, rugs, jewelry and so much more...
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National Historic Trail
Juan Bautista de Anza
Nogales, AZ to San Francisco, CA, AZ,CA
"¡Vayan Subiendo!"("Everyone mount up!") was the rousing call from Juan Bautista de Anza. In 1775-76, he led some 240 men, women, and children on an epic journey to establish the first non-Native settlement at San Francisco Bay. Today, the 1,200-mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail connects history, culture, and outdoor recreation from Nogales, Arizona, to the San Francisco Bay Area.
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National Recreation Area
Lake Mead
the Mojave Desert, AZ,NV
Swim, boat, hike, cycle, camp and fish at America’s first and largest national recreation area. With striking landscapes and brilliant blue waters, this year-round playground spreads across 1.5 million acres of mountains, canyons, valleys and two vast lakes. See the Hoover Dam from the waters of Lake Mead or Lake Mohave, or find solitude in one of the park's nine wilderness areas.
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National Monument
Montezuma Castle
Camp Verde, AZ
Established December 8, 1906, Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a story of ingenuity, survival and ultimately, prosperity in an unforgiving desert landscape.
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National Monument
Navajo
Black Mesa, AZ
The Hopi, San Juan Southern Paiute, Zuni, and Navajo people have inhabited the canyons for centuries. Springs fed into farmlands on the canyon floor and homes were built in the natural sandstone alcoves. The cliff dwellings of Betatakin, Keet Seel, and Inscription House were last physically occupied around 1300 AD but the villages have a spiritual presence that can still be felt today.
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National Historic Trail
Old Spanish
AZ,CA,CO,NV,NM,UT
Follow the routes of mule pack trains across the Southwest on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. New Mexican traders moved locally produced merchandise across what are now six states to exchange for mules and horses.
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National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus
Ajo, AZ
Look closely. Look again. The sights and sounds of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, an International Biosphere Reserve, reveal a thriving community of plants and animals. Human stories echo throughout the Sonoran Desert, chronicling thousands of years of desert living. A wilderness hike, a scenic drive, or a night of camping will expose you to a living desert abounding with hidden life.
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National Park
Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ
Park Hours: 8am to 5pm, MST. Don't forget that Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings. Would you like to see the park film? It is located at the park's YouTube Channel as well as the park's giftshops.
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National Monument
Pipe Spring
Fredonia, AZ
The rich history of Pipe Spring and its flowing water comes alive as you explore the traditions of the Kaibab Paiute and the Mormon settlers through the museum, historic fort, cabins, and garden. Hike the Ridge Trail to enjoy geologic wonders, plants, and wildlife. Attend living history demonstrations and talks and be sure to visit with our amazing ranch animals!
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National Park
Saguaro
Tucson, AZ
Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.
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National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano
Flagstaff, AZ
The lava flow lies on the land like a dream, a wonderland of rock. A thousand years ago the ground was torn open and lava erupted into the sky, forever changing the landscape and the lives of the people who lived here. A thousand years later, trees and flowers grow among the rocks, and people visit the lava flow to see and remember the most recent volcanic eruption in Arizona.
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National Monument
Tonto
Roosevelt, AZ
The Salado Phenomena, 700 years ago, blended ideas of neighboring Native American cultures to emerge a unique and vibrant society. Tonto National Monument showcases two Salado-style cliff dwellings. Colorful pottery, woven cotton cloth, and other artifacts tell a story of people living and using resources from the northern Sonoran Desert from 1250 to 1450 CE.
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National Historical Park
Tumacácori
Tumacácori, AZ
Tumacácori sits at a cultural crossroads in the Santa Cruz River valley. Here O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people met and mingled with European Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, settlers, and soldiers, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in cooperation. Follow the timeworn paths and discover stories that connect us to enduring relationships, vibrant cultures, and traditions of long ago.
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National Monument
Tuzigoot
Clarkdale, AZ
Water flows under and through this landscape, feeding the growth of people and towns. The Verde Valley is watered by snowmelt, summer monsoons, and springs that well up from the ancient sedimentary rocks. In the heart of the valley, a thousand years ago, people began to build a little hilltop pueblo that would grow into one of the largest villages in the area.
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National Monument
Walnut Canyon
Flagstaff, AZ
Come gaze across curved canyon walls. Among the remarkable geological formations of the canyon itself, the former homes of ancient inhabitants are easily evident. Along the trails you can imagine life within Walnut Canyon, while visiting actual pueblos and walking in the steps of those who came before.
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National Monument
Wupatki
Flagstaff, AZ
Nestled between the Painted Desert and ponderosa highlands of northern Arizona Wupatki seems like an unlikely landscape for a thriving community. In the early 1100s during a time period of cooler temperatures and wetter seasons the ancestors of contemporary Pueblo communities created a bustling center of trade and culture. For Hopi people these sites represent the footprints of their ancestors.
By The Numbers
- 22 National Parks
- 10,431,792 Visitors to National Parks
- $1,094,600,000 Economic Benefit from National Park Tourism »
- $78,612,742 of Land & Water Conservation Fund Appropriated for Projects (since 1965) »
- 30 Certified Local Governments »
- 116 Community Conservation & Recreation Projects (since 1987) »
- 2 National Heritage Areas »
- 3 National Trails Administered by NPS »
- 1,508 National Register of Historic Places Listings »
- 46 National Historic Landmarks »
- 10 National Natural Landmarks »
- 2 World Heritage Sites »
- 633 Places Recorded by Heritage Documentation Programs »
- 11,836,335 Objects in National Park Museum Collections »
- 13,470 Archeological Sites in National Parks »
- 3 Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans »
- 10 Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries »
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These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2020.