Roger Naylor
| Special for The Republic
Arizona’s 3 national parks: Grand Canyon, Saguaro and Petrified Forest
Arizona’s national parks offer majestic views, a forest of towering saguaros and a look back into time with a preserved forest.
The Republic
An extraordinary array of national park units — 34 in all, which include national monuments and historic sites in addition to parks — blanket Arizona from border to border. This is where we keep our most exquisite scenery, our storied history and wide-open spaces. Parks range from the volcanic sprawl of stone hoodoos crowning Chiricahua National Monument to the gaudy badlands of Petrified Forest National Park to the miles of seductive shoreline at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. And there’s even a certain canyon known to steal hearts and alter lives.
Last year brought cutbacks to staff and funding, putting a strain on our national parks. Let’s show our support in 2026 by rediscovering these crown jewels. To get you started, here are 10 of the best hiking trails in Arizona’s national parks.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Victoria Mine Trail
Starting from the campground, this 2.2-mile trail rambles across a rolling desert plain to the foothills of the Sonoyta Mountains. The trail highlights the range of cactus species the park protects as it dips in and out of arroyos on its way to the remains of the Victoria Mine. Founded in the 1890s, the Victoria produced enough gold and silver to keep men digging for decades in this lonely place. Rusting equipment lies scattered about and the ruins of the company store still stand. Return the way you came for a 4.4-mile outing or continue on one of the other trails connecting here.
Details: Park admission: $25 per vehicle. 520-387-6849, www.nps.gov/orpi.
Tonto National Monument, Lower Cliff Dwelling
Even without the big payoff at the end, the hike to the Lower Cliff Dwelling makes a gorgeous desert outing. The paved trail twists up the slope in a series of curves. Signs are posted along the path providing information on native plants and animals, and a good reason to pause and catch your breath. As you climb, the views across the basin widen. What starts as a slivered peek grows into a broad panorama with a bristling foreground of saguaros and a distant backdrop of mountains framing the blue of Roosevelt Lake. At the top of the trail, a rough stone house fills the eye socket of a cave. Built more than 700 years ago by people of the Salado Culture, it contains about 20 rooms. A docent is on hand to answer your questions.
Details: Park admission: $10 per person. 928-467-2241, www.nps.gov/tont.
Chiricahua National Monument, Heart of Rocks Loop
Hidden in the southeastern corner of the state, Chiricahua National Monument is a place of remarkable beauty, sheltering an array of sculpted stone. Massive columns, slender spires and impossibly balanced boulders loom above the timber. The skyline seems built from the splintered remains of ancient castles. An interconnected network of trails provides visitors with several options. The short loop through Heart of Rocks is the craggy core of the park, where you’ll find the most spectacular formations. Easiest route to reach Heart of Rocks is via a trio of trails: Ed Riggs, Mushroom Rock and Big Balanced Rock. The Heart of Rocks twists through a weird stone garden filled with formations like Thor’s Hammer, Duck on a Rock, Camel’s Head and Totem Pole. Mileage totals 7.3 miles round-trip.
Details: Park admission: Free. 520-824-3560, www.nps.gov/chir.
Saguaro National Park, Hugh Norris Trail
Unlike the cruel slog of most summit hikes, the Hugh Norris Trail (10 miles round-trip) is an airy jaunt that keeps your noggin on a swivel while you gawk at one sweeping view after another. There are some steep pitches but that only sweetens the deal, making it feel like you earn the expansive vistas, among the best in Tucson. Set in Saguaro National Park West, the trail carves a route through classic Sonoran landscape to the top of 4,687-foot-high Wasson Peak. The trail starts out on a cactus-studded bajada and switchbacks upwards to snag a rocky ridgeline. From there the trail angles towards Wasson, hugging first one side of the high shoulder and then the other.
Details: Park admission: $25 per vehicle. 520-733-5183, www.nps.gov/sagu.
Grand Canyon National Park, South Kaibab Trail
Screamingly steep, shade-less and sun-beaten may not sound like an endorsement but it’s what makes the South Kaibab astounding. Most canyon trails follow a fault line limiting range of vision. But Kaibab is a torpedo, launching from the South Rim and chasing a ridge down and out across the canyon. In just under a mile, the canyon cracks open wide at aptly named Ooh Aah Point. At 1.5 miles you reach a comfy plateau called Cedar Ridge, the most popular day hike option. Only the fittest hikers should continue to Skeleton Point atop the Redwall Limestone, offering your first glimpse of the Colorado River. This makes for a 6-mile strenuous round-trip.
Details: Park admission: $35. 928-638-7888,www.nps.gov/grca.
Petrified Forest National Park, Blue Mesa Trail
This 1-mile loop appears to wind its way through the suburbs of the moon. The path from the parking area starts out paved but switches to gravel as it makes a sharp descent into a small basin wrapped in an otherworldly array of bluish bentonite clay badlands. These are haunting hills streaked with a soft, mournful color palette. Sprinkled amid this lunar landscape is a colorful collection of petrified wood. Watch for pedestal logs, remnants of ancient trees perched atop a crumbly stand of thick clay as if on display. Numerous plant and animal fossils have been found in the layers of Blue Mesa.
Details: Park admission: $25 per vehicle. 928-524-6228, www.nps.gov/pefo.
Navajo National Monument, Betatakin
Tucked inside a cavernous arch, the ancient village of Betatakin is completely sheltered by the overhanging canyon wall. Approximately 120 rooms were built in the alcove, with some spilling outside. The only way to visit Betatakin is with ranger-led hikes generally offered Memorial Day through Labor Day. These strenuous 5-mile round-trip hikes climb into and out of a steep canyon with the trail dropping through a diverse forest (including a surprising aspen grove), fed by a perennial stream, and wrapped in towering sandstone cliffs. Reservations are not required. A signup sheet is posted in the visitor center and tours are first come, first served. The free tours generally last 3-5 hours.
Details: Park admission: Free. 928-672-2700, www.nps.gov/nava.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, River Trail
This short hike is a fascinating history lesson paired with enchanting scenery. The River Trail is located at Lees Ferry, a crossroads of western history. Starting at the launch ramp, the mile-long path follows an old wagon road past a collection of stone buildings in varying states of decline. Well-placed signs provide a detailed account of life on the frontier here that included Mormon pioneers and hopeful miners. All the while, the river shimmers in the sun, blue then green, then melancholy and moody as cloud shadows sweep overhead. Banks are fringed with grasses and scrubby trees, as colorful hills slant down to the water. The Spencer Trail branches off; an old pack mule route hacked from the cliffs. A brutal climb but it’s worth scrambling up just a level or two for the elevated vistas. The trail officially ends after 1 mile at the ruins of an old cabin.
Details: Park admission: $30 per vehicle. 928 608-6200, www.nps.gov/glca.
Walnut Canyon National Monument, Island Trail
Dozens of prehistoric cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people are tucked away in the contours of Walnut Canyon, east of Flagstaff. The Island Trail is the centerpiece of the park, dropping steeply 185 vertical feet. It allows visitors to experience a rare intimacy in this small, forested gorge with surprises tucked in every fold of the sloping walls. Ancient cliff dwellings line the path and soot-darkened rooms invite you inside. Interpretive signs tell the story of this resourceful culture. The staircase into the canyon consists of 273 stair steps that will be waiting on the way out. The loop portion of the trail includes another 190 stair steps. That means 736 stair steps if you’re keeping score. As the National Park Service emphasizes: Going down the Island Trail is optional. Returning is mandatory.
Details: Park admission: $25 per vehicle. 928-526-3367, www.nps.gov/waca.
Coronado National Memorial, Joe’s Canyon Trail
This lanky route traverses Montezuma Canyon gaining 1,000 feet of elevation in the first mile as it switchbacks up with lovely views. Out of the canyon, you’ll cross the slanted grasslands of Smuggler’s Ridge while peering deep into the green rolling hills of Sonora, Mexico. When you reach the junction with the Yaqui Ridge Trail, this is more than just two paths crossing. This is the beginning of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (another national park unit). The 800-mile-long iconic trail stretches the entire length of the state from Mexico to Utah, and Yaqui Ridge is the southern terminus. Joe’s Canyon Trail ends at the high saddle of Montezuma Pass. Return the way you came for a 6.2-mile round-trip hike. The park occasionally runs a hiker shuttle so that only a one-way hike is necessary.
Details: Park admission: Free. 520-366-5515, www.nps.gov/coro.
Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ.
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Meet Roger Naylor
The Arizona Republic contributor and author, Roger Naylor, will be giving several book presentations over the coming weeks, including discussions of his book, Arizona National Parks and Monuments. All events are free, unless otherwise noted.
February 2 in Maricopa at the Maricopa Library & Cultural Center, 5 p.m. Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 18160 N. Maya Angelou Dr., 520-568-2926.
February 3 in Chandler at the Chandler Museum, 12 p.m. Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 300 S. Chandler Village Dr., 480-782-2717.
February 4 in Tucson/Oro Valley at the National Parks Store, 11 a.m. Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 12880 N. Vistoso Village Dr., 520-622-6014.
February 7 in Scottsdale at the Holland Center, 2 p.m. Topic: Route 66 Centennial. 34250 N. 60th St., Bldg. B, 480-488-1090. $10 admission to benefit Cave Creek Museum.
February 26 – Scottsdale at the Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, 6 p.m. Topic: Arizona National Parks and Monuments. $10 admission. 3830 N. Marshall Way, 480-686-9539. Register at: https://westernspirit.org/project/arizona-national-parks-and-monuments-with-roger-naylor/
