Landmarks and attractions of Arizona

7/28/2019 Landmarks and attractions of Arizona

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Most interesting

attractions and landmarks in

rizona

Gatis Pāvils, 31 December 2012

No.15. http://www.wondermondo.com/Arizona.htmImage: Monument Valley.

Wolfgang Staudt, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

http://www.wondermondo.com/Arizona.htm





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Some of the world's most impressive sights are

located in Arizona. This American state has such

landmarks of world fame as Grand Canyon and

Monument Valley. Highlights of Arizona are:

· Canyons and cliff formations. Grand

Canyon is by far the largest canyon not only in Arizona,

but in whole America and one of most prominentnatural landmarks in the world. But there are many

more impressive canyons – some are wide and majestic,

some – very narrow, dark. Arizona is very rich with

amazing rock formations – hoodoos, colored cliffs,

beautiful natural arches.

· Ancient cliff dwellings. The majestic natural

setting of Arizona and hostilities between the people of

Arizona approximately one thousand years ago inspired

unique design of settlements which were built in cliff

overhangs.

Antelope Canyon – Coconino County. The most

visited slot canyon, which provides numerous grand

sights.

Deer Creek Canyon – Coconino County. Spectacular,

narrow canyon in the side tributary of Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon –

Coconino and Mohave Counties.Possibly the most impressive canyon in the world. This

446 km long canyon is up to 1,800 m deep, with rugged,

nearly vertical walls.

Havasu Canyon – Coconino County. Side canyon of

the tributary of Grand Canyon. Havasu canyon is very

spectacular due to light blue color of lime-rich spring

water, what contrasts with the red color of cliffs.

Frequent limestone terraces, large waterfalls.

Oak Creek Canyon – Coconino County. Enormous

canyon – gorge, approximately 19 km long. Depth is up to 600 km.

Meteor Crater. Shane Torgerson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

T he tale of Meteor crater (Barringer crater) is

tale about success – hard won success of scientificthought through great offering, effort and mistakes.This is one of the best preserved impact craters on

Earth, where one can learn, what happens when

Earth is bombarded by a meteorite.

Wondermondo is unique project: it aims to describe the most interesting man made and natural attractions /

landmarks in the whole world.

Author of website www.wondermondo.com and each article in it is Gatis Pāvils. Visit the site to find a lot more

information!

Grand Canyon.Catron S., CC-BY-SA-3.0

http://www.wondermondo.com/index.htm



http://www.wondermondo.com/




http://www.wondermondo.com/Countries/NA/US/Arizona/Meteor.htm



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Beaver Falls – Coconino County. Group of travertine

terraces in the deep Havasu canyon. Beutiful contrast of

light blue water and red cliffs.

Cheyava Falls –

Coconino County. Amazing waterfall,starting as a spring from the cave in the wall of side

canyon of Grand Canyon. Total height is approximately

244 m, tallest drop is approximately 122 m tall. For

most part of the year it is almost dry.

Deer Creek Fall – Coconino County. 46 m tall,

spectacular waterfall. Here Deer Creek emerges from its

slot canyon and falls directly into Grand Canyon.

Grand Falls – Coconino County. Enormous waterfall,

56 m tall and, at high water – more than 150 m wide.

Muddy water flows over the falls. For most part of the

year only small trickles fall, but at snowmeltand rain thesight here is spectacular.

Havasu Falls – Coconino County. Gorgeous, 37 m tall

waterfall in narrow canyon of Havasu Creek. Water has

unusual blue color what contrasts with the red color of

cliffs. Below the falls are limestone terraces.

Mooney Falls – Coconino County. Approximately 58

m tall waterfall in Havasu canyon. Around the falls are

interesting travertine formations, below the falls have

formed terraces.

Thunder Spring –

Powerful spring which starts as a 30 m tall waterfall in the rim of the side canyon of Grand Canyon.

Montezuma Well – Yavapai County. Large sinkhole,

112 m wide and 17 m deep. Fed by powerful springs,

water has high level of dissolved arsenicum. In the

sinkhole live at least five endemic organisms.

Saguaro National Park, West – Pima County. One

of the best locations to see the unique saguaro cactus

(Carnegia gigantea Britton & Rose) stands withthousands of these giant cacti. Biologically one of the

most diverse deserts in the world.

Giant Logs and Long Logs – Petrified Forest National

Park, Navajo County. Some of the best examples of large

petrified logs of Araucarioxylon arizonicum in varied

colors from the Late Triassic period.

Meteor Crater – Navajo County. Visually the most impressive meteorite impact crater on Earth. Diameter of

the crater is about 1,200 m, depth – 170 m. The outer side of the rim rises 45 m high above the surrounding

plains. The bottom is covered with 210 – 240 m thick layer of rubble. Impact took place some 50,000 years

ago.

Saguaro National Park. jaygalvin, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Deer Creek Fall.davedlg, Flickr/ CC BY 2.0






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San Jose de Sonoita cottonwood – Santa Cruz County. Largest known Fremont Cottonwood ( Populus

fremontii ), with a circumference of 12.8 m, height – 28 m.

S P Crater – Coconino County. Well defined cinder cone with dark lava flow extending from it. This

symmetric cone rises 250 m above surroundings.

Arizona is very rich with petroglyph sites from different

periods and among the countless petroglyphs many are

very interesting – if one is keen and can imagine the way

of life of indigenous people, these ancient drawings can

tell surprising things.

Lyman Lake Petroglyphs – Apache Country.

Petroglyph sites with very diverse cliff drawings fromdifferent periods – from 6000 BC to 1400 AD. Some

specialists consider that part of the drawings are

associated with shamanism.

Newspaper Rock – Apache County. Large number of

petroglyphs etched on cliff wall by different ancient

cultures. Most images show animals, humans, but there

are numerous symbols as well.

Painted Rocks – Maricopa County. Group of boulders

with hundreds of petroglyphs.

V-bar-V petroglyph site –

Yavapai County. Large petroglyph site, with 1,032 petroglyphs, drawn in 1050–

1400 AD in specific style, now called – Beaver Creek Rock Art Style.

White Tank Mountain petroglyphs – Maricopa County. Diverse petroglyphs etched in boulders, most

likely by Hohokams. It is possible that one petroglyph depicts supernova which happened in 1006 AD.

Antelope House – Apache County. Impressive ruins of

Anasazi settlement under cliff overhang. Abandoned

circa 1260. Nearby was Tomb of Weaver which

contained a mummified body of old man.

Betatakin –

Coconino County. Abandoned Anasazi cliff dwelling, which once had up to 120 rooms for up to 125

people, now some 80 rooms remain. Located in

spectacular cliff overhang.

Honanki cliff dwellings – Coconino County. Two

pueblos in cliff overhangs, inhabited by Sinagua people

in 1100 – 1300 AD. Numerous petroglyphs, even from

2000 BC, although most drawn by Sinagua people

during the habitation period.

Kiet Seel Pueblo – Coconino County. Abandoned

Anasazi cliff dwelling, occupied in 1250, abandoned circa

1300 AD. Here lived up to 150 people. Contains circular tower, one of most prominent cliff dwellings in the

United States. Located under cliff overhang.

V-bar-V petroglyphs.Chanel Wheeler, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

White House Ruins. Ronnie Macdonald, Flickr / CC BY 2.0



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Lower Cliff Dwelling and Upper Cliff Dwelling – Gila County. Two closely located cliff dwellings. Lower

Cliff Dwelling has some 20 rooms, Upper Cliff Dwelling – 40 rooms. Inhabited circa 1300 – 1450 AD.

Montezuma Castle – Yavapai County. Very well preserved cliff dwelling, built by Sinagua people circa 700

AD and occupied until 1400 AD. Occasional religous ceremonies take place here up to this day. Access to the

site requires long ladder or very good climbing skills.

Mummy Cave Ruins – Apache County. Anasazi settlement below cliff overhang. These two caves were

inhabited in 300 – 1300 AD. Structures with some 80 rooms, three kivas. Includes a building with three

floors, with colourful plaster preserved in inner rooms.

Palatki Pueblo – Coconino Country. Ruins of Sinagua settlement from 1100 – 1400 AD and rich finds

ofpetroglyphs from 4000 BC – 1400 AD.

Sliding House – Apache County. Group of Anasazi buildings in improbable location – very steep grottoe

under cliff overhang. Houses see, to be falling into the abyss. Inhabited circa 900 – 1200 AD, originally had 30

– 50 rooms.

Tsʼah Biiʼ Kin (Inscription House) – Coconino County. Abandoned Anasazi settlement under majestic cliff

overhang.

White House Ruins – Apache County. Ruins of Anasazi settlements under a rock overhang. Ruins of once

large building with 80 rooms, which were inhabited in 1040 – 1275 AD. Numerous petroglyphs nearby.

Agate House Pueblo – Navajo County. Abandoned

prehistoric settlement, almost exclusively built from

petrified wood. Pueblo had eight rooms, inhabited in 900

– 1200 AD. Partly reconstructed.

Casa Malpais – Apache County. Abandoned Mogollan

settlement with many interesting monuments. Inhabitedcirca 1260 – 1400 AD, settlement contains Great Kiva

and Solar Calendar – stone enclosure with opening

toward the north and two more which show the winter

and summer solstice as well as equinoxes. Petroglyphs

nearby, also linked to Solar Calendar.

Kinishba Ruins – Gila County. Enormous pueblo,

where the great house has some 600 rooms. Constructed in 1100 – 1300ies, housed up to 1500 people.

Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites – Maricopa county. Ancient settlement, inhabited in 450 –

1450 AD. Represents a large platform, which earlier had many houses, three ball courts.

Baboquivari Cave – Pima County. Sacred cave at the base of Tohono O'odham people, centre of their

cosmology.

Lehner Mammoth-Kill Site – Cochise County. Place, where mammoths were killed by people of Clovis

culture circa 7,000 BC. There have been found bones of other extinct animals as well.

Arcosanti – Yavapai County. Experimental town, which is built according to the principles of arcology –

fusion of architecture and ecology. Construction of the unusual arched constr uctions started in 1970, now

works have slowed down.

Agate House Pueblo, built from petrified wood. Petrified Forest, Flickr / CC BY 2.0



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Oraibi – Navajo County. One of the oldest continuously

inhabited settlements within the United States. Founded

before 1100 AD. Stronghold of Hopi culture and

traditions, with traditional architecture.

Mission San Xavier del Bac – Pima County. Ornate

Franciscan mission, constructed in the late 18th century

in Baroque stye. Very ornate, architecture and art unite

European and local traditions.

San José de Tumacácori church – Santa Cruz

County. Spanish Colonial church from the late 18th

century. Mission established in 1691.

Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

– Mohave County and Nevada, Clark County. Bridge

with the widest concrete arch in Americas, length of span

– 320 m. Total length of bridge 579 m. Bridge is built

across Colorado Ro ver downstreams from the Hoover

Dam, constructed in 2010.

Navajo Bridge – Coconino County. Two steel arch

bridges across Grand Canyon, 254 and 277 m long, 140

m above the river. Constructed in 1929 and 1995.

Hoover Dam – Mohave County and Nevada, Clark

County. Comparatively old, enormous dam for

hydropower station, with details in Art Deco style.

Constructed in 1931 – 1936, 221 m high.

Large Binocular Telescope – Graham County. One

of most sophisticated optical telescopes in the world, with two 8.4 m large mirrors. Built in 1996 – 2004.

Oraibi Pueblo.Grand Canyon National Park, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Mike O'Callaghan– Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.Gordon Wrigley, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Landmarks and attractions of Arizona

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