727-727 Travel Guide

Deer Creek lies along the Mogollon Rim in central Arizona, a hidden canyon in the transition zone between desert and high mountains. The Mogollon Rim is Arizona's most dramatic escarpment, stretching about 300 kilometers and separating the Colorado Plateau from the basin-and-range desert to the south. Deer Creek emerges from the plateau forest, cascades down the escarpment in a series of waterfalls and deep pools, and eventually joins the Verde Valley. Ponderosa pine forests line the stream with cool air, a stark contrast to Arizona's typical desert. The trail winds along the creek, crossing fossil rock layers, hopping stones, and passing through forest meadows, ideal for cooling off and exploring plateau ecology. In autumn, cottonwoods turn gold along the creek; in spring, wildflowers bloom. Deer Creek is a little-known Arizona plateau secret for hikers seeking solitude and natural wildness.

The Havasupai Indian Reservation, located on the west side of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, is the ancestral home of the Havasupai tribe, famous for its breathtaking blue-green waterfalls and oasis. This hidden paradise within the Grand Canyon features Havasu Creek whose mineral-rich waters create a unique blue-green hue, forming Navajo, Fifty Foot, and the most famous Havasu Falls along its course. Havasu Falls, approximately 30 meters high, cascades blue-green water into emerald pools surrounded by red rock walls, creating one of America's most beautiful waterfall landscapes. This oasis contrasts sharply with the arid Grand Canyon, like a desert miracle. Visitors must hike or ride mules through the canyon to reach it, and the reservation strictly controls visitor numbers, preserving this sacred land in pristine purity, making it a dream destination for nature lovers and photographers.

Little Colorado River Navajo Tribal Park lies in the Navajo Nation of northeast Arizona, where the Little Colorado River has carved a deep canyon into the Painted Desert. The canyon walls are famous for their stair-step formations, with sedimentary layers in red, orange, purple, and gray spiraling down more than 300 meters at the deepest point. Managed by the Navajo tribe, the park shares the Navajo land with Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon but receives far fewer visitors, preserving a more primal wilderness feel. From the overlook, the river winds along the canyon floor in a distinctive milky blue-green hue from dissolved minerals. A Navajo cultural display area sells crafts and offers tribal-led tours, providing a window into the relationship between the Navajo people and this land. Both a geological wonder and a cultural sanctuary, it rewards deeper exploration.

The Tusayan Ruins & Museum, near the South Rim entrance of Grand Canyon National Park, preserves a Puebloan village site more than 800 years old. A short loop trail winds through the stone-walled ruins, explaining how the Hopi ancestors lived; the museum holds pottery, stone tools and archaeological photos — the ideal starting point for the canyon's Native history before you head in.

Winslow is an old Route 66 town in Arizona made famous by the Eagles' hit 'Take It Easy' and its lyric about standing on a corner in Winslow. Standin' on the Corner Park in the center has a commemorative statue and mural drawing fans from around the world; the town also keeps a 19th-century depot and retro motels, full of road-trip nostalgia.

Hermits Rest sits at the westernmost point of the Grand Canyon South Rim, designed by famed architect Mary Colter in 1914 and designated a National Historic Landmark. The stone lodge was built to resemble the dwelling of a hermit, with a massive chimney, irregular stone walls, and a heavy wooden door creating a rustic character that appears to grow naturally from the cliff edge, exemplifying Colter's philosophy of order within disorder. The site has served as a visitor eatery and gift shop and still houses a small store and rest area. From here hikers can descend into the canyon via the Hermit Trail or take the free shuttle bus to other South Rim viewpoints. At sunset the red stone building merges with the canyon walls in warm light, offering a singular place to appreciate the interplay of Grand Canyon light and human architecture.