Arizona-Wild West Scenery of Canyons and Huge Cactus Filled Deserts

Arizona – Heart of the Wild West

Ghost Towns, Borderlands, and Timeless Desert Beauty

Arizona embodies the spirit of the American Wild West—a land of ghost towns, long, lonely stretches of borderland, and some of the most dramatic desert landscapes on Earth. From the iconic Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in the north to the saguaro-studded deserts and Organ Pipe cactus forests in the south, Arizona offers a diverse and rugged beauty that continues to draw me back.

With such a wealth of natural and cultural attractions, it’s a state I know I’ll return to again and again. Below are just a few of the places I’ve explored on my journeys through Arizona.

Havasupai Falls

Havasupai Falls – My Favorite Place in the World

Blue Water, Red Rock, and a Hidden Paradise

Of all the places I’ve traveled, my favorite spot on Earth is tucked deep in the canyons of Arizona—Havasupai Falls. Here, bright blue, chalky water cascades over a series of stunning waterfalls, framed by towering sandstone cliffs. The most iconic of these is Mooney Falls, plunging nearly 200 feet into a turquoise pool below.

The Journey Into Supai

Getting there is no small feat. The trailhead is remote, hours from the nearest major town. From there, it’s a 12-mile hike down into the canyon, passing through the Supai Indian village—the only place in the United States where mail is still delivered by mule.

A few more miles beyond the village lies a campground near the top of Mooney Falls. But the real magic begins after Mooney, on the way to Beaver Falls. That stretch of canyon has always been my favorite part of the hike—quieter, more secluded, and even more spectacular. Few hikers continue this far, which makes it feel like you have the most scenic part of the canyon all to yourself.

Before It Went Viral

I hiked to Havasupai at least five times over multiple years, back before it became a social media phenomenon. Permits were loosely enforced—I rarely reserved one in advance and would simply show up in Supai village and figure it out.

It’s been over 15 years since my last visit, and while part of me longs to return, I’m hesitant. The area has changed dramatically with the rise in tourism, and I fear that the raw, untouched magic that once defined it may have been lost.

Mooney Falls

Wild West Cowboy Towns, Tombstone & Yuma

A Weekend in the Wild West

Ghosts, Gunslingers, and Old Jails

On a weekend road trip, Paula and I headed to Tombstone, the legendary boom-and-bust mining town etched into Wild West lore. Famous for its gunslingers like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, and the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral, Tombstone has kept its rugged frontier character alive, complete with wooden sidewalks and reenactments on the hour.

A Stop in Haunted Yuma

Before reaching Tombstone, we made a stop in Yuma, another iconic Wild West town. There, we visited the old Yuma Territorial Prison, a historic jail known for housing some of the West’s most notorious outlaws.

The prison is also notoriously haunted, especially the solitary confinement cell, where some visitors have reported leaving with unexplained scratches on their bodies. Naturally, I had to try it for myself. I stepped inside, closed the heavy door behind me, and stood in the eerie darkness. It was creepy, no doubt—but thankfully, I emerged scratch-free.

Yuma Old Jail Solitary Confinement Room

Tombstone – The Town Too Tough to Die

Cowboys, Campfires, and a Taste of the Old West

Tombstone, though undoubtedly touristy, turned out to be a lot of fun. The town didn’t feel overly gimmicky—many of the Arizonian locals who work there are clearly authentic, gun-carrying residents, not just actors in costume. It wasn’t unusual to see people openly carrying sidearms and wearing wide-brimmed cowboy hats, adding to the immersive Wild West vibe.

Camping and Exploring the Past

Paula and I chose to camp in town at a local campsite, giving us an atmospheric base from which to explore. One of the highlights was a mine tour, where we descended into an old shaft that once relied heavily on indentured Chinese laborers during its mining heyday—a sobering but important part of Tombstone’s legacy.

We also visited the Boothill Graveyard, the infamous burial ground for outlaws, cowboys, and unlucky miners. Weathered wooden crosses and twisted iron fences made it feel like a movie set come to life, but every name had a real story behind it.

Drinks at the Bird Cage Theater

No visit to Tombstone is complete without a stop at the Bird Cage Theater, perhaps the most iconic building in town. Remarkably, it’s the original structure—not a replica—where Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and other legends actually drank, gambled, and watched performances. Stepping inside, with its preserved saloon bar and faded red-velvet stage, felt like walking straight into the 1880s.

Paula the gunslinger

Bird Cage Theatre

Inside the Bird Cage Theatre

Paula with some locals

Paula and her cowgirl hat

Monument Valley

Monument Valley – Sacred Stone Giants

A Detour Through Navajo Land

On our way back from Utah, my brother and I made a stop at Monument Valley—one of the most iconic and spiritual landscapes in the American Southwest.

Located within sacred Navajo territory, the valley is home to towering sandstone buttes that rise majestically from the desert floor, standing like ancient sentinels over a timeless land. The scenery was nothing short of awe-inspiring—vast, silent, and humbling, with a powerful sense of cultural and spiritual significance.

My tent at Monument Valley

Monument Valley

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

America’s Desert Jungle

One of the most underrated places I’ve visited in Arizona is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a landscape that many tourists completely overlook. But for anyone who loves desert ecosystems, this place is a hidden gem.

The monument is home to some of the most spectacular desert vegetation I’ve ever seen—towering saguaros, dense organ pipe cacti, and a sea of hardy desert flora stretching to the horizon. In fact, it reminded me of the Spiny Desert of Madagascar, one of the only other places in the world where I’ve seen such rich and surreal desert biodiversity.

Organ Pipe offers a unique kind of beauty—quiet, wild, and alive in a way that few deserts are.