THE UNEXPECTED NATURE OF ARIZONA

Everyone knows about the Grand Canyon, Sedona and the saguaros of the Sonoran Desert. Less obvious are the hanging gardens, the waterfalls and the grassy riverbanks.

A PORTFOLIO EDITED BY LISA ALTOMARE AND JEFF KIDA

PRECEDING PANEL: Hanging foliage grows along a perennial spring that feeds East Clear Creek, a waterway on the Mogollon Rim. The Kinder Crossing Trail, which begins near State Route 87, is an ideal way to experience this creek's scenery and cool water.

ABOVE: Delicate wildflowers bloom among the leaves of corn lilies in the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona. As a "sky island" range, the Chiricahuas harbor many plant and animal species not found in the desert surrounding the mountains.

RIGHT: The steep walls of Secret Canyon, in the Sedona area's Red RockSecret Mountain Wilderness, cradle a solitary tree. The Secret Canyon Trail, a well-used hiking route, meanders in and out of the bottom of this canyon.

LARRY LINDAHL

Columbines line the verdant banks of Christopher Creek, east of Payson on the Mogollon Rim. Here, flooding has washed away part of the creek's banks, leaving the roots of hardy trees exposed.

PRECEDING PANEL: Clumps of tall grass crowd the banks of the West Fork of the Black River, in the White Mountains, amid an approaching storm. The river originates near Alpine and flows for 114 miles to where it joins the White River to form the Salt River.

LEFT: A small stream flows over a waterfall in Pat Scott Canyon, part of the Huachuca Mountains' Miller Peak Wilderness. This Southern Arizona wilderness area is known for its deep canyons, high cliffs and diversity of bird and mammal species.