Northern Arizona Travel Guide, Grand Canyon to Painted Desert
Part 1 includes Route 66, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, Grand Canyon SkywalkThe Northern Arizona Travel Guide is a resource for those planning a road trip in the region. It is especially useful for trips originating in Las Vegas or Phoenix, or for those traveling on I-40. All the popular attractions are included, such as Oak Creek Canyon, historic Route 66, the Painted Desert, Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Hoover Dam, Lake Powell, Prescott and Sedona, Arizona. Many less famous destinations are also included. Details include descriptions, links to many references, and suggested visit times. Also, review our recommended travel itineraries. NEW! Grand Canyon Skywalk For easiest use, scroll map to top. Using the Interactive MapPlace your mouse pointer on any item number (in purple) on the map. A brief description will appear. Click on the number for a link to detailed information below. Detailed Highway Map of Arizona in separate window 
Northern Arizona Destinations
This symbol indicates links into the American West Travelogue. Map Items 1-5 Below <Map Items 6-10> | <Map Items 11-16> | Travel Itineraries 
(1) Hoover Dam -
All Las Vegas visitors taking the Northern Arizona tour will get a glimpse of spectacular Hoover Dam, located about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Highway US-93 crosses the top of the dam into Arizona. (A bypass bridge is currently under construction.) The dam's visitor center/museum offers an Exhibit Gallery featuring the history of the dam and the natural history of the area, Theater One with an informational film, and an observation deck with a panoramic view of the dam. A self-guided tour into the heart of the dam is available. There are also street-level displays. Visit time: up to a few hours. (2) The Old West Town of Oatman - The town of Oatman started as a gold-mining camp in 1915. After the gold ran out, it served travelers on Route 66 and became a backwater after the freeways were built. Today, visitors can still visit the largely authentic town and sample a bit of the old west as well as a piece of Route 66. The are several old-fashioned hotels including the Oatman Hotel (a favorite of Clark Gable) and various craft and other retail shops. Tame mules wander the main street, and can be fed by visitors. There are daily staged gunfights and other events. Directions: From Kingman, west one exit on I-40, then west on Route 66. Visit time: a few hours up to an overnight stay. (3) Old Route 66 - Route 66 between Kingman and Seligman is one of the longest remaining stretches of the fabled highway. ere is a chance to see a few of the remaining businesses and places that still exist from the old days. The Hualapai Nation (see 3a below) offers recreational opportunities in the western end of the Grand Canyon and has a resort and headquarters in the town of Peach Springs. West of Seligman, cave tours have been offered at Grand Canyon Caverns for nearly 75 years. Visit time: a few hours; a day or more to visit Grand Canyon here. (3a) Hualapai Reservation - Grand Canyon Skywalk - The Hualapai Nation offers recreational opportunities in the western end of the Grand Canyon, including the only auto road to the bottom of the canyon. The tribe has a resort and headquarters in the town of Peach Springs. The nation's tourist center, Grand Canyon West, offers several recreational activity packages. The highlight is the newly opened Grand Canyon Skywalk, a unique horseshoe-shaped structure which extends 70 feet beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon. Its glass-bottomed pathway allows visitors an opportunity to peer thousands of feet straight down into the Grand Canyon for a very unique perspective. Activities and admission to the Skywalk are fee-based. Visit time: a day or more to visit Grand Canyon here. Better road access from Kingman.
(4) Prescott - Sedona Loop -
The loop offers a wide variety of scenery and activities. Prescott, the old territorial capitol of Arizona offers outdoor recreation, history, and culture. Tuzigoot National Monument protects the remnants of a Sinaguan Pueblo dating to 1000 A.D. The Verde Canyon Railroad tours a spectacular canyon. The historic mining town of Jerome sits in a unique locale on Cleopatra Hill. Also, there are three Arizona state parks along the way. Directions: leave I-40 at Ash Fork, go south on Arizona-89 to Prescott, go east on Arizona-89a to Sedona. Visit time: a few hours if just driving through; a few days to fully enjoy each site.
(5) Sedona - Oak Creek Canyon -
Sedona, Arizona, is the gateway to spectacular scenery and outdoor recreation in Oak Creek Canyon and the surrounding Red Rock Country of Arizona's Mogollon Rim. The town also offers world-class resorts, shopping, arts and crafts, varied cuisine, cultural events, "new age energy vortexes", and more. Oak Creek Canyon offers great scenic hiking, fishing, and access to wilderness areas. One highlight is Slide Rock State Park, a natural water park right in Oak Creek. Four wheel drive tours are also very popular. Visitor centers can be found in downtown Sedona and the village of Oak Creek. Directions: from Flagstaff, south on Arizona-89a; from Phoenix, north on I-17, west on Arizona-179. Visit time: can drive through in half a day, can easily spend a week in the area.
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Books
Desert Solitaire
by Edward Abbey
An account of the author's existence, observations and reflections, as a seasonal park ranger in southeast Utah.
Lake Powell : A Photographic Essay of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
by Gary Ladd (Photographer), Anne Markward
Outstanding canyon country photography. Photography
Rainbow Bridge I by Gerald Allen
The world's largest known natural bridge in its exquisite setting. Related Pages
The Canyon Country of the Colorado Plateau generally encompasses the area surrounding Lake Powell in southern Utah and northern Arizona. The pages below offer a sampling of the wide variety of sights and experiences available in the area.
Location
Flagstaff, Arizona, is the gateway to destinations in northern Arizona. Lake Powell is 130 miles north on US-89. Phoenix is 130 miles south on I-17. Interstate-40 runs east and west. Las Vegas is about 240 miles from Flagstaff, west on I-40, then north on US-93. Grand Canyon is 80 miles north on US-180. Sedona, Arizona is 30 miles south via Arizona-89a which runs through Oak Creek Canyon. Albuquerque, New Mexico is 325 miles east on I-40. Local Weather
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