Home of the best-known natural wonder of the world, the Grand Canyon, Arizona is an incredibly diverse state. Our articles, written as local residents of the state for three decades, showcase this diversity and beauty.
We write a lot about out home state, highlighting mostly its natural beauty and diversity, the National Park units that help preserve the best sites, its archaeological sites, but also the cities of the state, especially our home, Phoenix (though most of our Phoenix articles also focus on the outdoors).
State Facts At A Glimpse
Arizona became a US state on February 14th, 1912, as the country’s 48th state.
Covering 113,909 square miles, the state is the 6th largest in the nation.
Home to the best-known natural wonder of the world, the Grand Canyon, Arizona is known as the Grand Canyon State.
The state flower is the gorgeous saguaro blossom. The huge white flower blooms in May and June, opening in the middle of the night and closing the next day—surviving only about 18 hours for pollination. Native to the Sonoran Desert, the Saguaro is the largest cactus found in the U.S.
The Palo Verde is the official state tree. Its name means “green stick” and it blooms a brilliant yellow-gold in April or May.
The official state mammal of Arizona is the ringtail, a fox-like, nocturnal animal that measures about two-and-a-half feet long.
The official state bird is the cactus wren. It gets its name from the fact that it likes to build nests in the protection of thorny desert plants, like the saguaro and other cacti.
The state also has an official amphibian, the Arizona tree frog.
Petrified wood is the official state fossil. The Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona is home to America’s largest deposits of petrified wood.
Turquoise is the official state gemstone. You can find the blue-green stone throughout the state.
Arizona is the only state that includes a part of each of the four deserts found in North America: the Sonoran Desert (the state’s largest, and the most biologically diverse desert in North America), the Mohave Desert, the Great Basin and the Chihuahuan Desert.
You’ll find the largest contiguous stand of ponderosa pines in the world here, stretching from near Flagstaff along the Mogollon Rim to the White Mountains region.
The state has 3,928 mountain peaks and summits, with 26 peaks of over 10,000 feet in elevation.
Mount Humphreys north of Flagstaff is the state’s highest mountain, rising to a height of 12,643 feet.
The state is home to the best-preserved meteor crater in the world near Winslow.
Landmarks
In and Around Phoenix
Phoenix In One Day
Offering ideas of things to do in Phoenix if you are only here for one day, showcasing some of the best and most unique things the city offers.
Layover In Phoenix
Ideas for things to do near Sky Harbor Airport, for travelers through our city who have layovers here, ranging from a few hours to a full day.
Nature Parks and Preserves in Phoenix
From late fall to early spring, it is a great time to spend time outdoors in Phoenix; the city offers plenty of nature parks and preserves to choose from.
Hiking Trails in Phoenix
Phoenix is also home to plenty of trails, for all hiking levels, offering easy strolls for beginners to extremely steep and/or long trails for experienced hikers, and everything in between.
Day Trips From Phoenix
Road Trips Through The State and Beyond
“Four Seasons In One Day”
