Arizona calls itself The Grand Canyon State for good reason; the spectacular gorge carved by the Colorado River is one of the finest natural wonders in the world. So magnificent and varied is Grand Canyon National Park that trips to the North Rim and the South Rim are like visiting two entirely different canyons altogether. But why just look from the rim, when adventurous hikers and backpackers can descend toward the Colorado River on the Bright Angel Trail or explore some of the countless tributaries like Havasu Canyon with its unlikely Havasu Falls.

Yet Arizona has countless other great trails and outdoor adventures to offer, including mountain biking, camping, and even hot springs. Besides the Grand Canyon, Arizona houses two other National Parks: Petrified Forest east of Winslow, and Saguaro, near Tucson and featuring unusual armed cacti, not to be confused with the equally distinctive Organ Pipe Cactus that grows along the Mexican border. Two giant man-made lakes actually make Arizona a paddlers' and sea kayakers' paradise; from the town of Page, Lake Powell reaches deep into the corners of the sprawling Glen Canyon, and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area defines the northwest border of the state above Kingman.

Amazingly, Arizona even has skiing in the San Francisco Mountains outside Flagstaff, topped by the 12,533-foot Mount Humphreys and the nearby Sunset Crater. From there, the Mogollon Rim leads east toward Show Low while the Mazatzal Mountains stretch south of Sedona and its spectacular red rocks country into the Superstition Wilderness and then to Phoenix, where outdoor enthusiasts can hike to the summit of Camelback Mountain for great views of the Valley of the Sun.

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