Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All the United States Arizona

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Arizona

284 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Arizona

Updated July 11, 2025

Email

Cities

Top Cities
Tucson
“You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies” at the Phoenix Art Museum.
Phoenix
Smooth, massive walls make for an intriguing surprise compared to typical cave architecture
Flagstaff
Winslow
Petrified Wood
Holbrook
The world’s largest rose tree
Tombstone
All Cities
  1. Ajo
  2. Benson
  3. Bisbee
  4. Camp Verde
  5. Casa Grande
  6. Chandler
  7. Clarkdale
  8. Douglas
  9. Flagstaff
  10. Florence
  11. Globe
  12. Golden Valley
  13. Grand Canyon Village
  14. Green Valley
  15. Holbrook
  16. Jerome
  17. Kayenta
  18. Kingman
  19. Lake Havasu City
  20. Leupp
  21. Littlefield
  22. Marble Canyon
  23. Mesa
  24. Oracle
  25. Page
  26. Parker
  27. Payson
  28. Peach Springs
  29. Phoenix
  30. Picacho
  31. Quartzsite
  32. Rimrock
  33. Scottsdale
  34. Sedona
  35. Tempe
  36. Tombstone
  37. Tonalea
  38. Tucson
  39. Wickenburg
  40. Willcox
  41. Williams
  42. Winslow
  43. Yavapai County
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

11 Out-of-This-World Places You Can Reach in Your Car

Sponsored by GMC Terrain

The best road trips are those that seem to take you to new worlds: surreal-looking beaches, wondrous parks, and roadside oddities that make you do a double take. For instance, in Wisconsin, a local plumber has rigged a natural aquifer into a series of ice sculptures; in Utah, erosion has created a series of rock formations that look like something between an army of goblins and a series of abstract landscapes; and in New Mexico, rippling white sands stretch out to the horizon as far as the eye can see. The best part? You can reach these—and eight more—places by car (with the occasional walk from the parking lot). So pack some snacks, pull up this itinerary, and hit the road.

View Itinerary
The painted hills create a natural colorscape in Oregon’s desert.

Unusual Attractions in Arizona

Self-Portrait over the Wave (On the high point)

Marble Canyon, Arizona

The Wave

Rippling sand dunes frozen in the Arizona rock.

Page, Arizona

Antelope Canyon

Most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest.

Supai, Arizona

Havasupai Falls

This secluded aqua waterfall in the Grand Canyon is the perfect swimming hole, and the Havasupai tribe's fiercely protected natural wonder.
“You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies” at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Phoenix, Arizona

Yayoi Kusama Firefly Infinity Mirror Room

The installation’s official name, “You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies,” says it all.

Page, Arizona

Horseshoe Bend

Dramatic river bend surrounds a natural red-rocked pedestal.
Montezuma Castle National Monument

Yavapai County, Arizona

Montezuma Castle

Ninety feet off the valley floor is an ancient dwelling put under protection of the U.S. government by Teddy Roosevelt.

Phoenix, Arizona

Mystery Castle

A self-built castle made by a mysterious man.

Peach Springs, Arizona

Caverns Grotto

In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.
See All 284 Things To Do in Arizona

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Arizona

Peach Springs, Arizona

Caverns Grotto

In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.

Phoenix, Arizona

MacAlpine's Soda Fountain

Open since 1938, this diner has kept its fountain, malt machine, and all the gum that greasers left beneath its counter.

Phoenix, Arizona

Fry Bread House

Founded by members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, this one-room joint's James Beard–winning fry bread is light as a cloud.
Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In

Seligman, Arizona

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In

A classic Route 66 landmark that was built with scrap lumber and is held together with kitsch and puns.
See all 23 Places to Eat in Arizona
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Arizona

Native Americans 32
History 29
Architecture 25
History & Culture 24
Geology 23
Deserts 23
Museums 22
Ecosystems 20
Ruins 19
Nature 16
Architectural Oddities 16
Memorials 15
Places To Stay 6
Unique Restaurants & Bars 3

Arizona Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. WhiskeyBristles
    36
  2. ianlefk
    8
  3. cdanesh
    8
  4. Edward Denny
    7
  5. rickbbiking
    6

Places Edited

  1. WhiskeyBristles
    65
  2. brendonstinson
    44
  3. Darrell Powers
    20
  4. CoolCrab
    18
  5. mocchiatto
    18

Places Visited

  1. WhiskeyBristles
    172
  2. Edward Denny
    158
  3. gardnermcelroy
    149
  4. cdanesh
    111
  5. gennawey
    105

Recent Arizona Activity

  • 9ff6bm6tbk

    wants to go to White Pocket

  • kjneary

    has been to 9-11 Remembrance Garden

  • kjneary

    has been to Standin' On the Corner Park

Stories About Arizona

Eroded rocks of the badlands in the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.

Arizona’s Petrified Forest Is Changing What We Know About the Dawn of the Dinosaurs

New discoveries of small animals that lived more than 200 million years ago are changing how paleontologists think about biodiversity in the Triassic.
by Shaena Montanari
May 23, 2025

How to Be a Food Bank Influencer

Kristina Wong uses comedy to address inequality in the food system.
by Andrew Coletti
April 11, 2024
Montezuma Well.

What’s Beneath the Bubbling Sand at the Bottom of the Montezuma Well?

A dive to the bottom of this ancient sinkhole reveals bubbling sand, thick like Silly Putty. Is there another pond beneath it?
by The Podcast Team
June 3, 2025
Just 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, a field of California poppies paints Walker Canyon a vibrant orange. The poppies appear in several Indigenous legends. In one Chumash story, a talking lizard describes the flowers by saying, “it is as if the sun itself is on the ground.”

Stunning Wildflower Superbloom Photos That Will Have You Racing to the Hills

Orange, yellow, and purple petals blanket the southwestern United States.
by Sarah Durn
April 14, 2023
A 171-foot-tall white stain, left by the retreating waters of Lake Powell, looms over a lone human as he strides across a sandstone fin in the heart of Glen Canyon.

The Return of Glen Canyon

As Lake Powell's water levels continue to drop, a stunning landscape resurfaces—along with questions about the future of the Colorado River and those who depend on it.
by Craig Childs
March 6, 2023
Saguaro National Park in full bloom.

The Unique (and Surprisingly Wet) Biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert

In Arizona, the country’s most diverse desert teems with kaleidoscopic spring flowers, charming desert tortoises, and the famous saguaro cactus.
Sponsored by Visit Arizona
Beware hungry cows.

The Arizona Cattle Ranch Hiding 10,000 Year-Old Petroglyphs

Brantley Baird’s Rock Art Ranch offers tours of canyon-wall petroglyphs and a stunning collection of ancient pottery.
Sponsored by Visit Arizona

Podcast: Tumbleweed Christmas Tree

This is how you do the holidays in the desert.
by The Podcast Team
December 19, 2022

Lists Featuring Arizona

Fierce little cat.
Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.
Oh, hello!
Little Spotted Kiwi

10 Ethical Animal Places to Visit in 2019

Unique experiences from Nairobi to Chiang Mai.

12

Including Cat Island, Elephant Nature Park , and India's Giant Technicolor Squirrels

Winter Solstice 2019
The Spiral Jetty
Double Negative’s north trench

A Tour of Spectacular 1970s Art Made From the Landscape Itself

Eight places to witness the incredible ambition of the Southwest land art movement.

8

Including Sun Tunnels, The Spiral Jetty, and Complex City

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.