Arizona has been on my list for as long as I can remember. It was a no-brainer; The American Southwest was a wonderland I have only scratched the surface on. Heat, enough outdoors to keep you busy for a lifetime, and the awesome occurrence of palm trees standing next to cacti. Por Favor!

I had to get past the google searches and scrape more than the surface. Starting with the National Parks in Arizona!

Plus, this dreamland is home to one of the seven wonders of the natural world!

277 miles long, 6,000 feet deep, and over 2 billion years old..

I could go on and on listing facts about this place, tell you how I felt like a speck on this rock we call home, and even give you a video tour of it all… But nothing, I promise you, prepares you for your in-human encounter.

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Grand Canyon National Park

Fun Fact: The most shallow part of this canyon is actually the deepest point of Capitol Reef National Park!

Quite well known as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, let alone the United states, the Grand Canyon certainly deserves its fame.

What I couldn’t can’t believe is the tourism statistics based around this gem. Of all of the visitors that this National park in Arizona receives, 99% of them spend less than 4 hours visiting.

“4 Hours?!”

Yes, 4 hours.

The vast majority of visitors here either drive through the park, hopping out at certain points just to snap their selfie for social media, or just take the bus ride that cruises you past the popular overlooks and consider the canyon “explored”. A park ranger even told me that of this majority of visitors, the rough estimate of average time spent at the actual canyon is 17 minutes! 17 measly minutes.

I spend more time than that eating a single meal. Especially in Arizona, where the tamales are top notch!

You’d be mistaken if you think I became one with the masses.

Just before sunset, I planted myself at Hopi Point one night, and Mojave Point another. These South Rim spots have a glorious vantage point atop some of the most beautiful vistas I’ve ever encountered. Do I recommend it? To no end. 30 minutes before through 30 minutes after the sun settles into the horizon, you witness one of the greatest art shows on earth.

I’m sure you’ve googled images, you’ve read the stories, but nothing will really ever prepare you for this masterpiece by mother nature. Do yourself a favor if you have the opportunity to visit.. take your time. Actually see the Grand Canyon. Don’t be a snap-and-go type. ~17 minutes would be an embarrassment to any of the National Parks in Arizona.

If you stopped me to talk canyon, I could probably go back and forth endlessly about this amazing place, but that’s not to say the other National Parks in Arizona aren’t worth your time!

Petrified Forest National Park

A true blast from the past, this National Park is home to one of the largest deposits of petrified wood in the world!

If you are anything like me, you are thinking that petrified wood is actually a gimmick, and it’s really just rocks that that happen to resemble the tree-like qualities.

Welp. Once again. I was wrong.

These trees were once buried beneath layers of mineral-dense dirt. These soil layers not only significantly enhance the trees’ immunity to decay, but with being so mineral-dense and trees so being absorbent (it’s how they survive.. they absorb water), eventually through a long process, the cells of the tree bind with these minerals and leave a tree-turned-rock in its place.

So I guess you decide: Rock or Tree ?

Leave a comment with your thoughts!

If you ever visit this National Park, take the time to realize that petrified wood isn’t all that there is to see. Also home to badlands, mesas and petroglyphs, it is absolutely worth bearing the Arizona sun to explore this prehistoric terrain.

And as if that isn’t enough to see how awesome the National Parks in Arizona are, I haven’t even mentioned the Sonoran Desert, the place where the largest cacti in US reside…

Saguaro National Park

What do you think of when you think about the American West?

If you said cactus you’re just like myself, and probably 99% of the population. Nothing wrong with that! That alone was one of the things I was most excited for when visiting this area.

Right on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona lies the last (but not least) of the National Parks in Arizona. Truthfully, part of my shock to this place was the realization that the cacti gave me — that the United States offers such a wide range of flora and fauna, not just landscapes.

The Saguaro Cacti really are fantastic beasts of nature. Averaging ~2 tons in weight and ~50 feet tall, it’s hard to make sense of the fact that their existence relies heavily on water.

“Water? In the Sonoran Desert?”

My thoughts exactly. In a place where great amounts of precipitation are scarce, you can’t help but to question how these plants continue to thrive. Well, to add that piece to the puzzle of nature; A Saguaro Cactus can actually store a little over 200 gallons of water at once.

Thirsty little fellas.

Arizona and the American Southwest now have ownership to a piece of me that is hard to describe. Even with the barefoot hiking in rattlesnake territory (didn’t realize til I came across some signage. Sorry, Mom.), I can’t imagine spending less time exploring this amazing place, and in fact, only plan to dedicate more time to it.

“Classic. I’ll be back’.”

Ya know what. You’re right. I cannot help but to have a thirst for more. Maybe I’m the thirsty little fella.

Speaking of, remember to drink your water while you’re out there, especially in the American Southwest. Dehydration is no joke. And while you’re at it, help keep these places the way they are, and go with re-usable bottles. Remember LNT.
Recommendations?

Sure: Nalgene is a great place to start, and a brand that I can personally recommend (not to mention their efforts to help protect our Earth).

Cheers!