Canyon Country
21 places · Red rock, mesa & gorge
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Hopi Point
Hopi Point is widely considered one of the best sunset viewpoints on the South Rim, projecting far out into the canyon for nearly 180-degree views. The Colorado River is visible in both directions, and major formations including Isis Temple and Shiva Temple are prominent features. It is accessible via the Hermit Road shuttle during peak season.
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Mather Point
One of the most visited viewpoints on the South Rim, Mather Point offers a sweeping panorama of the Grand Canyon with multiple layered buttes and the Colorado River visible far below. The point features two projecting overlooks connected by a paved path from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center. It is often the first canyon viewpoint visitors encounter upon arriving at the South Rim.
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Bright Angel Point
Bright Angel Point is the primary viewpoint on the Grand Canyon's North Rim, reached by a short 0.5-mile round-trip paved trail from the Grand Canyon Lodge. The narrow promontory offers views into Roaring Springs Canyon and Bright Angel Canyon with the South Rim visible in the distance. The North Rim sits approximately 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim, providing a distinct perspective.
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Cape Royal
Cape Royal is the southernmost viewpoint on the North Rim's Walhalla Plateau, offering expansive views of the canyon including Angels Window, a natural arch eroded through a narrow fin of rock. The 0.6-mile round-trip paved trail to the point passes through a ponderosa and piñon forest. It provides one of the widest panoramic views available from the North Rim.
Mesa, AZ
Canyon Lake
A narrow reservoir on the Salt River along the Apache Trail, surrounded by dramatic volcanic cliff walls rising hundreds of feet. The lake fills a steep-sided canyon in the Superstition Wilderness with minimal shoreline development. The Dolly Steamboat offers guided tours through the inner canyon for unique water-level perspectives of the cliffs.
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Lipan Point
Lipan Point on the South Rim offers one of the broadest views of the Colorado River and the canyon's exposed geological record, including the Great Unconformity and the Grand Canyon Supergroup. The Unkar Delta, an ancient Ancestral Puebloan farming area along the river, is clearly visible from this viewpoint. It is a favored location for both sunrise and sunset photography.
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Point Imperial
At 8,803 feet, Point Imperial is the highest point on either rim of the Grand Canyon. It provides views northward toward the Vermilion Cliffs, Marble Canyon, and the Painted Desert, as well as down into Nankoweap Creek drainage. The viewpoint is reached by a short paved path from the parking area at the end of the Point Imperial spur road.
Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Grandview Point
Grandview Point stands at 7,399 feet on the South Rim and offers views of Horseshoe Mesa and the Grandview Trail, one of the canyon's oldest maintained trails. The viewpoint provides a different perspective than the more central South Rim viewpoints, with the Sinking Ship formation and prominent buttes visible. It was historically the site of the Last Chance copper mine on Horseshoe Mesa.
Chiricahua, AZ
Chiricahua National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument features thousands of rhyolite rock spires, balanced rocks, and hoodoos formed from volcanic eruptions 27 million years ago. The monument's remote location in southeastern Arizona provides exceptionally dark skies with Bortle Class 2 conditions. The distinctive rock formations create dramatic silhouettes against star-filled skies.
Chiricahua, AZ
Cave Creek Canyon
Cave Creek Canyon on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains is one of the premier birding destinations in North America, known for hosting elegant trogons and eared quetzals. The steep-walled canyon features dramatic rhyolite cliffs, including the prominent Cathedral Rock formation. The canyon's remote location in the far southeastern corner of Arizona provides Bortle Class 1-2 dark sky conditions.
Monument Valley, AZ
Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chei
The Totem Pole is a slender 450-foot sandstone spire standing alongside the Yei Bi Chei rock formation, which resembles Navajo spirit dancers. This area is located in the backcountry of Monument Valley and is only accessible with a Navajo-authorized guide. The spires are especially dramatic when backlit at sunrise or sunset.
Sedona, AZ
Oak Creek Canyon Overlook
The Oak Creek Canyon Vista is located at the top of SR 89A where it descends into Oak Creek Canyon from the Mogollon Rim. The viewpoint provides sweeping views down the 12-mile canyon corridor carved by Oak Creek. The canyon features layered red and white sandstone walls flanked by ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forests.
Sedona, AZ
Boynton Canyon
Boynton Canyon is a box canyon approximately 2.5 miles deep, flanked by towering red sandstone walls and dense vegetation. The canyon is considered one of Sedona's four main vortex sites and holds spiritual significance for the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The trail passes through diverse vegetation zones from high desert scrub to ponderosa pine forest.
Page, AZ
Upper Antelope Canyon
Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on Navajo land known for its flowing sandstone walls and shafts of light that penetrate the narrow opening during midday. The canyon was formed by flash flooding that eroded the Navajo Sandstone over millennia. Access is only permitted through authorized Navajo guided tours.
Page, AZ
Lower Antelope Canyon
Lower Antelope Canyon is a narrow slot canyon characterized by V-shaped passages and intricate sandstone textures carved by flash floods. Unlike its upper counterpart, visitors descend metal staircases into the canyon, which is narrower and features more complex formations. It is located on Navajo Nation land and requires a guided tour.
Tucson, AZ
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
Sabino Canyon is a desert canyon at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains featuring a perennial creek, riparian vegetation, and dramatic canyon walls. A 3.8-mile tram road follows the canyon floor past nine stone bridges built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The creek creates pools and small waterfalls during wetter months.
Chinle, AZ
Canyon de Chelly North Rim Drive – Massacre Cave Overlook
Massacre Cave Overlook provides sweeping views into Canyon del Muerto, a major branch of Canyon de Chelly. The overlook looks down on a large alcove where a tragic 1805 conflict occurred between Navajo people and Spanish soldiers. The sheer canyon walls and layered rock strata create dramatic compositions.
Flagstaff, AZ
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Walnut Canyon contains over 80 cliff dwelling rooms built by the Sinagua people around 1100-1250 CE within the limestone walls of a 400-foot-deep canyon. The monument sits east of Flagstaff in ponderosa pine forest and benefits from the city's dark sky protections. The canyon rim provides dramatic views of the forested canyon with ancient dwellings visible in alcoves along the cliff faces.
Oak Creek, AZ
West Fork Trail at Oak Creek
West Fork Trail follows a narrow side canyon off Oak Creek Canyon for approximately 3 miles through a lush riparian corridor. The trail crosses the creek multiple times beneath towering red and white sandstone canyon walls up to 200 feet high. The narrow canyon creates dramatic light conditions as filtered sunlight illuminates the walls and water.
Oro Valley, AZ
Pusch Ridge Wilderness - Romero Canyon Trail
Romero Canyon Trail ascends through the western face of the Santa Catalina Mountains into the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, passing through saguaro forest, oak woodland, and ending at seasonal Romero Pools. The granite-walled pools hold water through much of the year and create natural reflecting pools. The trail provides intimate canyon scenery beneath the dramatic cliffs of Pusch Ridge.
Chinle, AZ
Spider Rock Overlook
Spider Rock is an 800-foot sandstone spire rising from the floor of Canyon de Chelly where Monument Canyon and Canyon de Chelly meet. In Navajo tradition, Spider Woman lives atop the spire and taught the Diné people to weave. The overlook is accessible by vehicle along the South Rim Drive.