14 Jaw-Dropping Geological Wonders in Northern Arizona That Will Blow Your Mind
I’ve traveled to 27 countries (and counting!) and so I don’t make this statement lightly: the southwest region of the United States is one of the most spectacular places in the entire world. I love love LOVE the fiery red rocks, deep canyons, unique formations, and soaring mountain peaks.
Northern Arizona in particular is a treasure trove of unbelievably gorgeous rock formations, many of them tied to the Colorado River or Colorado Plateau, which has formed and shaped the landscape for millennia.
Without further ado, here are 14 of the best places to visit in Arizona for insanely epic rocks.
14 Insanely Cool Geological Wonders in Northern Arizona
1. Grand Canyon
We had to start this list with THE geological wonder of the western United States—the Grand Canyon. This massive gorge, carved by the Colorado River over millions of years, is a mile deep and stretches across an ever-changing landscape of layered rock and rugged plateaus.
The canyon isn’t just a straight divide; it zigzags across the terrain, with countless side canyons feeding into the main chasm, creating a dramatic and complex landscape.
It’s an absolutely spectacular sight—one that fully lives up to the hype. The views from both the North and South Rims are breathtaking, and while the rims are about 10 miles apart as the crow flies, a true Rim to Rim hike is at least 21 miles long. Whether you’re standing on the edge or descending into its depths, the Grand Canyon is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
During your visit, there are tons of cool opportunities to interact with the world famous Grand Canyon. For example, you can hike sections of the Bright Angel Trail or the South or North Kaibab Trail to go part or all the way into the canyon. You can stop at any of the dozens of vantage points along both rims, or even do a mule ride into the canyon.
2. Cathedral Wash Slot Canyon
Cathedral Wash slot canyon is located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area about an hour south of Page. This 3.3. mile round trip hike is a total adventure and is one of my favorite slot canyons in the southwest!
While many slot canyons have walls with curves and “undulations,”, Cathedral Gorge is full of texture, layers, and jutouts. The farther you hike, the canyon gets narrower and the walls get higher, and the rock layers become more dramatic.
About halfway through the hike, there’s a little scramble down some rocks, and then the walls get even more textured, with many layers of different rocks and patterns of erosion creating tons of texture and unevenness in the walls.
Plus, the trail ends right at the Colorado River! This area by the river is so pretty and so peaceful – you can go sit by the rocks at the shore, and admire the tall red cliffs that line the river nearby and the green water that’s rushing by.
3. White Pocket
White Pocket is one of the most unique and remote landscapes in Arizona. Located in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument near the Arizona-Utah border, this area is filled with swirling sandstone, domes, and ridges shaped by erosion over time.
The rock formations are a striking mix of white, red, and orange, with thin-layered striations and contrasting colors that make the landscape look almost otherworldly.
Unlike its more famous neighbor, The Wave, White Pocket doesn’t require a permit, but getting there is no small feat. The sandy, rugged roads mean you’ll need a high-clearance, 4WD vehicle and experience driving through deep sand to access the area.
Once you arrive, though, you’re free to explore at your own pace. The formations are incredibly varied, with smooth curves, jagged edges, and intricate layers of stone that shift in color throughout the day. It’s a dream for photographers and a fascinating spot for anyone who loves unusual rock formations.
4. The Wave
Speaking of the Wave, there’s nothing quite as captivating as the stark, colorful striations of the curving landscape that are found in this area of Vermillion Cliffs.
Officially known as Coyote Buttes-North, those who visit the Wave are part of an exclusive group, as only 64 people (or 16 groups total) are issued permits to access this rock formation every day. Permits are issued by lottery, and the competition is fierce!
However, if you can land a permit to hike into the Wave, you’re in for an incredible experience, as the vibrantly striated colors that swirl over the undulating rocks create an unforgettable landscape. The Wave itself is just one specific spot in the Coyote Buttes-North area, and there are a ton of other really cool spots to explore.
5. Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is located near Page, Arizona, and part of the precursor section to the Grand Canyon.
The Colorado River runs through the landscape, cutting a deep canyon gorge, with tall, sheer red-orange walls. The river twists and turns on its journey south toward the Grand Canyon, creating on section that appears like a horseshoe.
An easy 15-minute walk from the parking lot brings you to the oveerlook of this incredible natural woner, where you can admire the dramatic curve of the river. Come for sunset – the rocks glow briliantly in the setting sun.
6. Lake Powell
Lake Powell, an enormous human-made reservoir stretching between Arizona and Utah, is is a desert oasis like no other.
Plus, the scale of Lake Powell is pretty mind-blowing—at 186 miles in length and nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline, the water stretches as far as you can see, with cliffs rising straight out of the lake, streaked with layers of orange, red, and cream.
Plus, this massive reservoir feels is an outdoor lover’s playground, with deep blue water snaking through dramatic sandstone walls, with endless canyons, coves and inlets to explore and lots of opportunities for water sports. Kayaking, boating, jet skiing, and houseboating are all popular activities on Lake Powell.
7. Monument Valley
Monument Valley is the American West at its most iconic—the kind of place that looks straight out of an old Western film, except it’s real life, and it’s absolutely stunning.
This stark desert landscape, located within the Navajo Nation, is home to towering sandstone formations that rise dramatically from the valley floor, some reaching up to 1,000 feet high.
You can drive the 17-mile scenic road, winding through the pinnacles, spires, mesas, and buttes that make up Monument Valley. There are a couple of hikes you can do around some of the most famous rock formations, or you can take a guided jeep tour deep into the backcountry for a more up close and personal experience.
8. Sedona
Sedona is one of the most incredible hiking destinations in the entire United States, and if you love striking red mountains and crazy rock formations, you’ll be in heaven here. There are dozens and dozens, of epic hikes in and around the charming town of Sedona, featuring natural bridges, caves, pinnacles, spires, buttes – there truly is no end to the impressive natural features of this part of Arizona.
A few favorite hikes include the Subway Cave, where cave walls curve around in a perfect oval shape, and there’s a large gap running the length of the middle of the cave. Devil’s Bridge, a large natural bridge that you can actually walk across, is another popular spot.
I loved hiking up Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, both of which are fun, scrambly trails that take you up next to craggly pillars and outcroppings. And if you need something a little easier but still incredibly scenic, I adored West Fork Oak Creek, where you hike in and/or next to a stream cutting through a deep canyon.
9. Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest, an oft-forgotten national park on Arizona’s eastern border, is truly a delightful surprise. Located in the middle of a barren stretch of desert, suddenly you’re immersed in the “painted hills” district of Petrified Forest, where vibrantly red and white striated hills fill the valley, with multiple vantage points to admire the surprising landscape.
As you head south, these red painted hills turn into blue and white striated hills, with more opoprtunities for hiking and exploration. Finally, as you reach the south district of the park, you reach the famed petrified forest.
Petrified wood – millions of years old wood that has been calcified and turned into brilliant stone – fills the landscape. In fact, this part of Arizona holds one of the largest concentrations of petrified food in the entire world. Multiple trails and viewpoints showcase the petrified wood, which are generally very colorful, glossy, and quite large.
10. Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater is one of the most well-preserved meteor impact sites on Earth, and standing on its rim, the scale is mind-blowing. Formed 50,000 years ago when a meteorite struck northern Arizona with the energy of more than 20 million tons of TNT, the crater is nearly a mile wide and over 550 feet deep.
Because of Arizona’s dry climate and the relatively young age of the crater, the impact zone has barely changed over time, making it one of the best places to see exactly what a meteor impact looks like. NASA even used it to train Apollo astronauts before their moon missions, and it’s still used for astronaut training today.
11. Havasupai
Havasupai is one of the most incredible places in Arizona, but getting there isn’t easy. Located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation—right next to Grand Canyon National Park—the landscape looks almost identical to the Grand Canyon, except with something you won’t find in the park: stunning turquoise waterfalls.
Getting to Havasupai requires some serious planning. You need a permit, which is notoriously difficult to get, and once you have one, it’s a 10-mile hike each way with dramatic elevation changes to reach the campground and falls. Since it’s a multi-day trip, you’ll have to backpack in all your gear and camp at the bottom of the gorge.
But the effort is worth it. The Havasupai area is home to five incredible waterfalls, all surrounded by towering red rock walls and flowing with that signature blue-green water. These waterfalls range from dramatic drops to cascading pools, plus you can get in and swim in the water yourself.
Overall, Havasupai is easily one of the most unique and unforgettable places in the state.
12. Canyon de Chelly
Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “du shay”) is a national monument located on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.
This canyon is stunningly gorgeous and weaves, curves, zig-zags, with a small but very pretty river running through the bottom. This makes the canyon very green and lush. You can regularly see a few houses and a dirt road that winds through in some spots where the Navajo still live.
The best part of Canyon de Chelly, though, is easily Spider Rock. This enormous 750-foot-tall monolith stands alone in the canyon, rising dramatically from the valley floor. The way Spider Rock stands proudly, encircled by the textured, undulating walls of the red canyon around it, is absolutely stunning.
13. Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon is one of the most famous slot canyons in the world—you’ve probably seen its swirling orange walls on a Windows screensaver or travel ad. This narrow, twisting canyon was carved by flash floods over thousands of years, creating the smooth, flowing rock formations that make it so iconic.
Located on the Navajo Nation, Antelope Canyon can only be visited on a guided tour, and it’s one of the most popular destinations in the Southwest. There are two main sections: Upper Antelope Canyon, known for its wider pathways and dramatic light beams, and Lower Antelope Canyon, which is narrower and more of an adventure with ladders and tight passageways.
The canyon’s small openings allow shafts of sunlight to stream through, illuminating the walls and making the orange sandstone glow. It’s an incredibly photogenic place, and there’s a reason it’s one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world.
14. Tonto Natural Bridge
Tonto Natural Bridge is believed to be the world’s largest natural travertine bridge, standing 183 feet high and stretching 150 feet wide over a nearly 400-foot-long tunnel.
The bridge was formed over thousands of years as mineral-rich water deposited travertine, creating this massive arch. Erosion from Pine Creek continues to shape the tunnel beneath even today.
There are several hiking trails within Tonto Natural Bridge State Park that provide different perspectives of the bridge. The best hike is the Gowan Trail, a round trip path that takes you down underneath the bridge and offers an incredible up-close view of the bridge’s underside.
However, If you’re not up for a hike, there are multiple observation viewpoints to admire the bridge from above.
The Wrap Up
Arizona is packed with some of the most unique and jaw-dropping geological wonders in the country, from towering rock formations to deep canyons. All of these locations, from the sandstone buttes of Monument Valley to the turquoise waterfalls of Havasupai, showcase the incredible power of nature. If you love exploring epic rock formations and dramatic landscapes, Arizona is an absolute must-visit.
