Arizona 2008 Official State Visitor's Guide - (Page 16) Park it in Arizona Arizona’s most alluring and scenic settings are administered largely by the National Park Service. All told, you’ll find 25 national parks, monuments, recreation areas and historic sites throughout this rugged land. Camping in Arizona’s National Parks Obviously, you need parts of at least two days to plan an overnight camping adventure inside one of Arizona’s national parks, but if you have the time, this is an great way to maximize your understanding of each venue. In many parks, campgrounds lie relatively close to scenic overlooks and ancient ruins – there’s something special about waking up amid the riotously colorful badlands of Petrified Forest National Park, or at Mather Campground, where you’re just a short walk from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Most of Arizona’s national parks allow camping, with policies about reservations and facilities varying greatly from property to property. Parks especially known for this activity include Canyon de Chelly, Chiricahua, Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, Organ Pipe Cactus, Petrified Forest and Saguaro. For a full list of national park sites in Arizona, visit www.nps.gov/state/az. Some of them, such as Fort Bowie National Historic Site in Willcox and Montezuma Castle National Monument in Camp Verde, are relatively compact and truly can be experienced in a day. But most of these properties are best experienced over several days. With that in mind, here’s a handy primer on how best to experience four of Arizona’s most stunning national parks – the Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest and Saguaro – with no more than a day to spare. A quick visit to any of these properties still offers unforgettable photo ops and abundant chances to behold Arizona’s unrivaled natural beauty. canyon de chelly naTional MonuMenT Comprising a pair of sheer-walled canyons that rise more than 1,100 feet and extend 25 to 35 miles, Canyon de Chelly ranks among the most underrated venues in the national park system. The views, whether from the park rim roads or the valley floor, are simply stupendous, and the monument’s archeological significance cannot be overstated – there are more than 7,000 sites and ruins pertaining to the Ancestral Puebloans who resided here from A.D. 350 to 1300. The Approach: This approximately 84,000-acre park is in the heart of northeastern Arizona’s Navajo Country, 80 miles north of Interstate 40. It’s a 3.5-hour drive from Flagstaff, and a 5.5-hour drive from Phoenix. Visitor Center Tips: Check out the informative exhibits about Canyon de Chelly’s ancient cliff-dwelling people before setting out on a drive along the most spectacular of the park’s two scenic roads, South Rim Drive. Best “Bang for Your Buck” Morning Hike: A rewarding, but somewhat strenuous, 2.5-mile hike off of South Rim Drive, the White House Ruin trail leads down the side of a canyon wall to a fascinating ruin with more than 60 rooms. All other hikes require that you are accompanied by a Navajo guide. A Lunch to Remember: The cafeteria inside the park’s historic Thunderbird Lodge serves surprisingly tasty steaks and Southwestern fare – the building occupies a restored 1896 adobe trading post. Offbeat Activity or Attraction: One of the most enjoyable ways to appreciate the canyon is via a horseback ride – these are offered by T otsonii Ranch. The Perfect Spot to Watch the Sunset: Spider Rock Overlook, at the end of South Rim Drive, offers a stunning vantage point more than 1,000 feet above the canyon. If You Have More Time: With two or three days to explore, you can book an overnight Jeep camping tour through Canyon de Chelly T ours. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ©HPMG 16 • A r i z o n A o f f i c i A l S tAt e V i S i t o r ’ S G u i d e http://www.nps.gov/state/az
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