Out and About: Arizona’s Secret Wonders

Arizona is home to some of the “wonders of the world.”

…I’ve heard there are some canyons here.

And some cacti, and mountains, and stuff. Some old, like, Indian drawings? And some wood that’s rock… or rock that’s wood, or something.

Yes, I made up these statements. But time and time again, as I meet Arizonans more native than myself, I’m shocked at how little land they have covered in their own state. Petrified what? And yeah, I went to the Grand Canyon when I was six. I remember it was pretty big.

I didn’t do a scientific study, but of the students at Arizona State who grew up here, I would say roughly half have been to the Grand Canyon. Other attractions, such as the San Francisco Peaks or the Petrified Forest, only garner tiny percentages of these people. Data from the state parks supports this — only 43% of state park visitors are from Arizona.

This shocked me. Now, I have met people who have traveled to all of Arizona’s backcountry secrets like Jerome, Bisbee, Greer and other areas. But the majority who have not? Granted, perhaps people travel more after they are done with school. But don’t families take their kids to the outdoors anymore?

Have you been to an amazing place in Arizona that you don’t think is common knowledge? Email me or comment!

I won’t bore you with all of the amazing place I’ve seen, myself, in Arizona. But I’ll give you the rundown that you should see (including some I wish I’ve seen!) that you might not have known about.

Day Trips From the Valley

Sometimes, I read in Valley magazines that it is possible to make it to Lake Havasu and back in a day. This is, quite simply, impossible for your average human, who generally exists without the ability to teleport. Here are a few of my favorite actual day trips from the Phoenix area.

1. Prescott

Distance: 2 hours

People tend to discount Prescott, especially since the drive from the I-17 to the town is packed

Watson Lake. By Jake Stein.

with Arby’s and Walmarts. However, the historic district of the former territorial capital is well worth it. Centered around the beautiful courthouse, built in 1885, the district is filled with dozens of antique shops, gorgeous Victorian-style homes from the early 20th century and some great restaurants. Notable is the Raven Cafe, which has great coffee, food, and live music most weekend nights.

But, back to the outdoors. Watson Lake and Granite Dells are my favorite areas in Prescott. Watson Lake has kayaks and other water sport rentals, while Granite Dells sports an extensive network of trails as part of the Granite Dells Wilderness Area.

2. Lost Dutchman State Park

Distance: 45 minutes from downtown; closer to East Valley cities

Los Dutchman State Park, Superstition Mountains. By Cassie Strauss.

I can’t emphasize how close this is. From Tempe, a hike, including the drive, takes only 3 hours or so. And the views. The views. You come to Lost Dutchman for the views. And the weird little establishments on the way, including the Blue Bird Gift Shop, where I bought some petrified wood for a few dollars. Since the penalty for taking the same stuff from the Petrified Forest is probably a lot more than that, plus the forest is at least five hours away, that’s a steal—pun intended.

I recommend to time your hike so you get to the zenith right before sunset. You then have to hustle to get back to your car before it gets completely dark, but Dutchman, unlike some other parks, does not close the gates at dusk.

Arizona parks may become next gun-rights battleground

Before February 2010, guns were not allowed in national parks. Two years after federal legislation overturned that ban, Arizona legislators want to make sure guns cannot be banned in national monuments.

Arizona is somewhat known as a pro-gun-rights state, with gun laws among the most lenient in the nation, but the debate over whether lax laws prevent or encourage weapon-related violence is ongoing. House Bill 3440, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Mesa, would make sure the Bureau of Land Management cannot ban recreational shooting in national monuments.

Currently, recreational shooting is banned at Agua Fria, but allowed at the Grand Canyon-Parashant monument and Vermillion Cliffs in northern Arizona. Hunting is allowed at all monuments.

Obviously, the parks are public land. But does the right of the public to feel safe and enjoy land unmarred by bullet damage trump the 2nd Amendment right to arm oneself? The National Rifle Association, unsurprisingly, would say no.

But many others would say yes, including many park rangers who increasingly double-time as law enforcement. Out of the about 4,000 National Park Service rangers in the United States,, 1,500 have the same credentials as federal law enforcement officers.

As the NRA pointed out, placing restrictions on where the public can use weapons creates a “limited right.” But  restricting target shooting in public lands isn’t a restriction of the 2nd Amendment. That famous clause in our Constitution is meant to enable the public to form militias against a rogue government and to protect ourselves against danger when there is no law enforcement available, not to be able to target shoot where we wish.

Arizona already has dozens of public shooting ranges and gun clubs where we can use our guns at our leisure. Personally, I’m in the middle on gun control. Moreover, this isn’t a gun control issue. The ability to carry a gun and the ability to target-shoot in a certain area are two completely different things.

Oracle State Park Re-Opening —sort of— for 2012

After over two years of closure as a victim of budget reductions, Oracle State Park will re-open on February 4. But the park will only be open to the public on Saturdays.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Arizona’s state parks, of which there are 31, include everything from famous Slide Rock to the Tombstone Courthouse to a plethora of man-made lakes. Two of the parks are currently closed, and many others are already operating on a five-day-per-week schedule.

Oracle State Park closed in late 2009 to preserve existing state park funds. Non-coincidentally, 2009 was the year the budget for Arizona State Parks was cut 27 percent from the previous year due to overall budget shortfalls. That 27 percent cut came mainly from the fact that parks no longer received General Fund dollars.

Nearly three years later, Oracle is open not due to a restored budget, but to the hard work of volunteers and Friends of Oracle State Park. Thanks to them, the public can now enjoy the historic Kannally Ranch House and the rest of the 4,000-acre wildlife refuge in the foothills of the beautiful Catalina Mountains in southeastern Arizona. At least every Saturday from 8 to 5.

While the closing and scaling-back of state parks may have been a necessity during an economic recession, two things should be kept in mind: First, the reductions have to stop somewhere. Arizona is home to more national parks and monuments than any other state, and our state parks are another attraction that draws visitors to more rural parts of the state. In 2007, according to a Northern Arizona University study, Arizona’s state parks saw over 2.2 million visitors who spent over $200 million. This tourism is vital to the regions surrounding the parks.

Second, Arizona is known worldwide for its natural beauty and history; we are the Grand Canyon State, and our most popular license place is the iconic mountain sunsets and silhouetted saguaro. State Parks protect not only natural areas and wildlife but historic sites that, public access aside, need finances to keep them from crumbling.

Can we afford to shutter what arguably makes us the most unique?