Here Are The 9 Best Kept Secrets In Arizona

What are some secret places in Arizona?

Arizona is full of things to do to kill an afternoon (or three). Some of them, like the Grand Canyon and Snow Bowl, are heavily-trafficked places where you're guaranteed to run into throngs of people on any given day. There are, however, some lesser-known and secret places littered throughout the state, just waiting to be explored! For example, Arcosanti is an experimental living space open to visitors. It's an intriguing self-sustaining village in the desert, and it's a must-see for locals and tourists alike. Another great secret-in-plain-sight in Arizona is Mount Graham International Observatory, hunkered down in small-town Safford. It's the largest telescope in the world and it goes sadly underappreciated year after year. It's also worth checking out Secret Canyon, the lesser-known sibling of Antelope Canyon because come on - "secret" is in the name and everything.

What are some of the best day trips in Arizona?

Take your pick from hundreds of possibilities! Kill an entire day (or longer) at the world-famous Grand Canyon, Arizona's very own resident Natural Wonder of the World. Another amazing, totally-worth-it day trip is a visit to the rolling hills of beautiful Sonoita and Elgin, in the southern region of the state - both of which are made up of scores of heavenly vineyards strewn across little-known and under-appreciated wine country. There's also the Petrified Forest, which is a bizarre look into the quirks of the natural world and one of the only places like it in the world. Arizona is perfect for day tripping! Need some more ideas? This article might be helpful.

Where are some off-the-beaten-path places to visit in Arizona?

Arizona is home to lots of things to do, both major and minor. There's a lot of weird and unusual things to do and see here, for example, the Mystery Castle on South Mountain is a strange, under-appreciated, and under-photographed home made of glass bottles and other unusual things built by an eccentric man over the course of 15 years and left to his estranged family upon his passing. The Coconino Lava River Cave is exactly what it sounds like - an ancient passageway carved out of the earth by a literal river of lava, which eventually emptied out and left a "tube" cave, where the temperature remains the same year-round. There's also the bizarre ghost town of Santa Claus, out in the middle of the Mohave desert, which was once an attempt at a tourist attraction but is now eerily derelict (but great for photos).