Activities

Tonto National Forest, Payson The drive along Forest Road 200, near Young, is beautiful any time of year. But it’s particularly rich in fall, which…

Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff In the Flagstaff area, the San Francisco Peaks get much of the attention — but, despite the best efforts of John…

Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe Monument Valley is one of the Southwest’s iconic landscapes. But sometimes, a drive through it can leave you longing for…

Kaibab Plateau, Kaibab National Forest Have you ever put on a jacket for the first time in months and found a dollar in the pocket? Have you ever…

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Winslow It might be hard to imagine when you’re driving 75 mph down a smooth stretch of blacktop, but many north…

Tonto National Forest, Globe ‘‘Harquahala” might not look like a four-letter word, but it serves as one in the Austin household. My son, Westley,…

Santa Rita Mountains, Sonoita Gardner? Or Gardiner? It depends on whom you ask. According to the book Arizona Place Names, Gardner Canyon — which is…

You’ve probably seen organ pipe cactuses (Stenocereus thurberi) in the pages of this magazine, and with good reason: They’re among the Sonoran Desert…