Arizona - The Grand Canyon State !

We sometimes forget how lucky we are to be doing our Scouting in Arizona.

No only do we have amazing scenery all around the state but we can enjoy it just about year round.

We have cool summer escapes including to Camp Geronimo and the high Country around the Mogollon Rim and to the east in the White Mountains and in the North at the Grand Canyon and around Flagstaff with the 12,000 foot San Francisco Peaks.

We also have a fantastic winter playground on our doorstep with Phoenix South Mountain Park less than a mile from our Troop meeting place and closer still for some! We can hike up 1000 foot or more elevation gains in just a quick mornings excursion (or is that exertion..) and see rock art petroglyphs on the way.

Near to Phoenix we have mountains in almost every direction and a little further a field: lakes for boating & fishing, rivers for rafting & trails to hike or ride by bike or horse.

Across the State we have everything from Sedona's unique red rocks, the Sonoran desert's stately saguaro cactus, a 'Painted Desert', remote springs & swimming holes, pristine underground caverns, mountain ski resorts and 'sky island' nature reserves. We have the largest stand of ponderosa pines in the USA, a 'Petrified Forest', a 'Painted Desert', our own natural wonder of the world... The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River and  one of the biggest man made holes - Morenci Copper mine. We also have several volcanic craters like Sunset Crater and also the world famous 'Meteor Crater'.

There are many historic Native American ruins and modern day Tribal Reservations. Remnants of Arizona's early industry in can be seen in abandoned mines, ghost towns and old mining towns reborn as Art & Crafts destinations. Massive water reclamation projects have tamed the west's wild rivers and created some of the biggest lakes (and dams) in north America: Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Lake Mojave and Lake Havasu, not to mention many smaller lakes even closer to Phoenix.

We have more than our fair share of national parks & monuments, state parks & historic sites; Chiricahua National Monument one of the least visited AZ monuments would be a top attraction in most other states!

Of course we also have some other unusual/fun things in Arizona like Tombstone (the town too tough to die!), remaining sections of the "Mother Road" - Old Route 66, several operating restored historic railroads, South Mountain's Mystery Castle, London Bridge (now at Lake Havasu City) and the largest Nuclear generating station in the USA - Palo Verde. 

Safe to say we will probably never see it all... but we can try!
 

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