The National Park Service will celebrate the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act on Sunday, August 4, by waiving entrance fees for all national parks.
The law was passed in 2020 and provides funding to improve infrastructure and expand recreation opportunities in national parks, according to its website.
While it may be your first thought to go to the Grand Canyon, the Arizona national park that welcomed more than 4 million visitors last year, you might want to consider a location that’s a little less crowded.
Here’s everything you need to know about Arizona’s underrated national parks.
10 Most Visited National Parks in Arizona
These were Arizona’s 10 most visited national parks in 2023, according to the Arizona Tourism Office.
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Grand Canyon National Park: 4,733,705 visitors
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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: 4,581,190 visitors
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Lake Mead National Recreation Area: 1,298,873 visitors
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Saguaro National Park: 1,010,906 visitors
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Petrified Forest National Park: 520,491 visitors
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Montezuma Castle National Monument: 367,240 visitors
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Canyon De Chelly National Monument: 333,349 visitors
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Wupatki National Monument: 215,703 visitors
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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: 186,601 visitors
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Walnut Canyon National Monument: 152,548 visitors
More: How you can visit any national park in Arizona, including the Grand Canyon, for free on Sunday
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Spanning more than 1.25 million acres across Arizona and Utah, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers a multitude of outdoor activities, including camping on the shores of Lake Powell or boating on the Colorado River. You can also visit iconic locations like Lees FeeryHorseshoe Bend and Rainbow Bridge on both sides of the state line.
Details: A standard entry pass It costs $15-30 depending on if you are bringing a vehicle. You can find each location’s seasonal hours and directions online at www.nps.gov/glca. 928 608-6200.
Saguaro National Park
The Saguaro cactus – a staple of Arizona iconography – only grows in select parts of the Sonoran Desert. This national park, located in Tucson, includes more than 150 miles of designated hiking and biking trails through fields of towering Saguaros.
Details: A standard entry pass It costs $15-25 depending on if you are bringing a vehicle. During the summer, the park is open from 8am to 4pm every day. Located at 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail in Tucson. 520-733-5153. www.nps.gov/sagu.
Petrified Forest National Park
Surrounded by the striped lands of the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest’s eerie setting is reminiscent of the power of nature. Trees that have been turned into nearly solid quartz can be found scattered alongside hiking trails, while paleontological displays of prehistoric animal skeletons can be admired at the park’s Rainbow Forest Museum.
Details: A standard entry pass It costs $15-25 depending on if you are bringing a vehicle. The park is open from 8am to 6pm every day. You can find instructions at www.nps.gov/pefo. 524-6228.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Breathtaking cliffs are filled with small rooms built by the ancestors of 13 modern tribal communities. East of Flagstaff, Walnut Canyon it is different from the desert setting of many other national parks in Arizona and allows visitors to experience these culturally and historically important structures.
Details: O standard entry pass It costs $15-25 depending on if you are bringing a vehicle. The park is open from 9am to 5pm every day. You can find instructions at www.nps.gov/waca. 928 526-3367.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Although Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument didn’t make this year’s top 10 list, the extinct volcano’s cone saw the biggest increase in visitors from 2022 to 2023. This monument has become increasingly popular for its easy-flowing trail mile-long lava flow that snakes around the cone and is mostly shaped by hardened black lava.
Details: O standard entry pass It costs $15-25 depending on if you are bringing a vehicle. The park is open from sunrise to sunset every day. You can find instructions at www.nps.gov/sucr. 928-526-0502, ext. 0.
This article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic: Is the Grand Canyon too busy? Here are 10 other popular Arizona parks.
