Arizona’s Canyon Country

The Grand Canyon, top, and Snoopy Rock in Sedona.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

Every time I visit the region around Flagstaff, Arizona, I go to the dictionary in search of adjectives. Unfortunately, there are no adjectives that properly describe the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, the red rock country in and around Sedona or the eclectic scenery of Oak Creek Canyon.

The Grand Canyon, the world’s most famous natural wonder, keeps the un-huddled masses coming back. This geological miracle, however, isn’t the only reason people vacation in Canyon Country.

Tourist attractions abound in this Southwestern state that time has kissed with impressive grandiosity. Among the more famous attractions in the region are Oak Creek Canyon, Sycamore Canyon, Sedona and the cliff dwellings of Flagstaff.

The mystifying Wupatki, the ruins of more than 800 rock dwellings, are 25 miles north of Flagstaff on U.S. 89. Visitors can stroll through the mists of time among the ruins on steep, paved trails. It is well worth a look at the wonder of these caves inhabited by the Wupatki thousands of years ago.

Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona can be reached by taking Highway 40 through Needles, where Snoopy’s brother Spike hangs out. From Flagstaff, you can take 180 north to the Grand Canyon and 179 south through Oak Creek Canyon and into Sedona. The area can be reached in six to 10 hours from San Gabriel Valley.

Flagstaff has excellent family accommodations and the area has many campsites. Sedona also offers excellent family accommodations and campsites.

The grand Canyon’s north rim features the virgin pine forest of Kaibab Plateau and viewpoints 1,200 feet higher than those of the better-known south rim. The north rim is not as accessible as the south rim. It can be reached from Arizona 67. It is closed in the winter.

The south rim is more popular, with easy access and incredible views and the perfect end to a 215-mile trip from rim to rim. Adventure abounds at the Grand Canyon, from hikes or donkey rides to the canyon floor to a ride on the Grand Canyon Railway, which takes visitors for a nostalgic trip from the south rim to Williams.

Oak Creek Canyon, albeit along a steep and winding highway, delights millions of visitors with its readily accessible fantasyland of red rock cliffs, carved through shady forestland by a cascading mountain stream. Oak Creek Canyon has a half-dozen national forest campgrounds and Slide Rock State Park. Slide Rock is developed around a natural water slide, smoothed in the stone creek bottom over centuries and a favorite recreational point for generations.

While Oak Creek Canyon provides the route for U.S. 89A, considered one of the nation’s eight top scenic highways, nearby Sycamore Canyon has no roads at all. Sycamore, a wildly beautiful, remote wilderness, is accessible only to hikers and horseback riders.

Known worldwide for its red-rock beauty, Sedona is 120 miles north of Phoenix and 30 miles south of Flagstaff, at an altitude of 4,500 feet. Sedona is completely surrounded by the Coconino National Forest. Western author Zane Grey put Sedona on the map.

A delightful transition between desert and mountain, Sedona’s moderate, four-season climate makes it a perfect year-round retreat.

Sedona offers the visitor a full range of resort amenities — accommodations to suit all pocketbooks, dining that ranges from casual to gourmet, unlimited recreational opportunities and the beauty of the red rocks, including such rock formations as Chimney Rock, Coffee Pot Rock, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Two Nuns across from the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Elephant Rock, Snoopy Rock and Lucy Rock.

All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.