Arizona · best-of list
The 12 Best Outdoor Spots in Arizona
All 12 outdoor spots our route editors picked in Arizona, across 6 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
12 outdoor spots in Arizona, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Catalina Foothills 3 picks
Mount Lemmon
Catalina Foothills · On our Tucson New Year's Eve route
The Catalina Highway climbs from saguaros to pine forest and, after winter storms, snow at the top.
Tip: Check road conditions; chains or 4WD can be required after snow.
Sabino Canyon
Catalina Foothills · On our Tucson New Year's Eve route
A desert canyon with a year-round creek, cottonwoods and saguaro slopes; an electric shuttle runs up the canyon road.
Tip: Walk the paved road one way and ride the shuttle back; check shuttle hours for Jan 1.
Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 4.0Tohono Chul
Catalina Foothills · On our Tucson New Year's Eve route
A desert botanical garden in the northwest Foothills with shaded walking paths, art galleries and a bistro.
Tip: Confirm holiday hours before going on Jan 1.
Grand Canyon 3 picks
Hopi Point
Grand Canyon · On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route
Hermit Road overlook jutting far into the canyon, with Colorado River views.
Tip: Reach it by free shuttle Mar–Nov; a top sunset spot.
Photo: Károly Szász · Google
Mather Point
Grand Canyon · On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route
First big overlook, a short walk from the main visitor center.
Tip: Crowded at sunset; come at sunrise instead.
Photo: Grand Canyon National Park · CC BY 2.0
Rim Trail
Grand Canyon · On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route
Mostly paved path linking overlooks from Yavapai Point toward Hermits Rest.
Tip: Ride the shuttle out and walk back to the village.
Photo: Vicky Kapadia · Google
Papago Park & Camelback 2 picks
Camelback Mountain
Papago Park & Camelback · On our Phoenix New Year's Eve route
The city's landmark peak; the Echo Canyon trail climbs about 1,200 feet in 1.2 miles to a summit over the whole valley.
Tip: Start at first light with plenty of water; parking at Echo Canyon fills fast on Jan 1.
Hole-in-the-Rock
Papago Park & Camelback · On our Phoenix New Year's Eve route
Sandstone butte with a natural opening, reached by a short trail, looking out over Phoenix and the zoo.
Tip: It takes about 15 minutes up; go at sunrise or sunset when the rock glows red.
Photo: Tony the Marine (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sedona 2 picks
Airport Mesa
Sedona · On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route
Easy overlook with a 360-degree red-rock view.
Tip: Arrive 45 minutes before sunset to get a parking spot.
Photo: Eddiewexler · CC0
Slide Rock State Park
Sedona · On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route
Natural sandstone water slide in Oak Creek Canyon on an old apple farm.
Tip: Summer weekends fill by mid-morning; bring water shoes.
Photo: Don Graham from Redlands, CA, USA - God bless it! · CC BY-SA 2.0
Downtown Tucson 1 pick
Sentinel Peak
Downtown Tucson · On our Tucson New Year's Eve route
The hill with the big whitewashed A just west of downtown, with a summit road and a view across the whole city to the Catalinas.
Tip: Drive up for sunset; the road gate closes in the evening.
Phoenix 1 pick
Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix · On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route
Trails through saguaros, cacti and wildflowers from deserts worldwide.
Tip: Go late afternoon for golden light on the cacti.
Photo: Scotwriter21 · CC BY-SA 4.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in Arizona?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 12 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Arizona has the most outdoor spots on this list?
Catalina Foothills and Grand Canyon lead with 3 each; the other picks are spread across 4 more destinations.
Are any of these free?
8 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Mount Lemmon, Hopi Point, Camelback Mountain, Airport Mesa, Sentinel Peak, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Arizona
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- Catalina Foothills 3 on this list
- Grand Canyon 3 on this list
- Papago Park & Camelback 2 on this list
- Sedona 2 on this list
- Downtown Tucson 1 on this list
- Phoenix 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.