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My take on the obligatory Devils Bridge photo in Sedona.

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Petrified Forest is one of those seemingly barren landscapes you have to spend some time inspecting and exploring to really appreciate. You’ll definitely be rewarded if you do.

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Ever wonder what it would have been like to visit Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite before the dam turned it into a reservoir for San Francisco? Yeah…me too.

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Mt Ord, maybe 45 minutes northeast of Phoenix just off the Beeline Highway, provides the quickest destination for pine trees and great 360° views. This is looking south towards Four Peaks.

A vast landscape of rolling hills and mountains stretches under a clear blue sky, dotted with sparse vegetation.
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Roaring River Falls is one of the most accessible in Kings Canyon National Park, and it doesn’t exactly disappoint. It’s hard to go there and not wonder how it’d be to slide down that canyon like you might in a water park.

A waterfall cascades down rugged rock formations into a small pool surrounded by steep cliffs and sparse trees.
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Kicking myself for not grabbing Aravaipa Canyon wilderness permits this season.

A rocky canyon landscape features a meandering river and sparse desert vegetation under a clear blue sky.
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It’s hard to drive for more than a few minutes on the Colorado Plateau without some photogenic scene unfolding itself in front of you. It’s the worst place to be a driver—a place where your eyes are constantly trained on the bumpy dirt road in front of you while the passenger gazes out the window at spectacular view after spectacular view. Plan accordingly.

A vast desert landscape features rugged red rock formations and a clear blue sky.
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Coal Mine Canyon is one of those unexpectedly cool places that you can’t believe you didn’t already know about.

A stunning landscape features a canyon with layered rock formations in various shades of white, red, and brown under a clear blue sky.
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I need to get back to Mineral King. It’s like a slice of Colorado tucked into the Sierra Nevada.

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The amazing vista from Marble View is one of the very best in northern Arizona, dominated by Marble Canyon as it enters the Grand Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs behind it. It’s also one of the least visited, even though countless crowds pass by the turnoff on their way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The best part? There are countless fossils in these rocks.

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Zabriskie Point is probably one of the busiest viewpoints in Death Valley—and for good reason.

A vast landscape of rugged, eroded hills and valleys is set against a backdrop of distant mountains under a cloudy sky.
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The view from the “stone house” near Cliff Dwellers at the base of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. This whole region of the Southwest is a fascinating interplay of rocks.

A weathered window frame opens up to a scenic view of a rocky desert landscape with large boulders and a clear blue sky.
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Kings Canyon is a surprisingly impressive canyon.

A rugged mountain landscape features steep, rocky cliffs and a backdrop of towering peaks under a partly cloudy sky.
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The “Wolfman” petroglyph panel in Bears Ears National Monument does not disappoint. This is only a portion of it, and it’s in many ways the one of the most “artistic” petroglyph sites I’ve seen.

Unfortunately, you can see quite a few bullet holes from someone thinking that these cultural artifacts make for good target shooting. Can you imagine shooting at the Mona Lisa or a Sistine Chapel?

Ancient petroglyphs are carved into a reddish-brown rock face, depicting humanoid and abstract figures.
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Missing these Hawaii sunsets.

A tranquil beach scene at sunset features smooth stones on the sand, gentle waves, and a silhouetted treeline against a colorful sky.
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Where there’s smoke, there’s lava.

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It’s sometimes a bit surreal to visit places you learned about in elementary school, like Valley Forge. It seems like an obscure fact until you arrive and experience the landscape for yourself.

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The crater of Haleakala is simply unworldly.

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I had a dream about this canyon recently. As an Arizonan, I take some issue with its name, but it’s also hard to argue with the assessment of it being rather grand.

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Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness is probably the best beginner backpacking trip in the state. You have an amazing canyon, great campsites, plenty of water, and it’s not a hard walk. You’re also sure to see bighorn sheep, and there are plenty of side canyons to explore.