What cities would be closest to the prettiest sceneries and land in Arizona?

I am planning a trip to Arizona because it is one of the few states I havent got to visit yet but I have no idea on where would be best to go. I love pretty veiws... foothills, waterfalls, ect...

Also.. what is the weather in Arizona? Does it get almost unbearable hot?What cities would be closest to the prettiest sceneries and land in Arizona?
You'll get more responses if you post your question in the Phoenix section of the Travel Category. It's going to start heating up in Phoenix and Tucson pretty soon, so if you travel during the summer, you should stick to the high country around Flagstaff.



If you're not used to the heat, it gets TRULY unbearably hot in the summer.What cities would be closest to the prettiest sceneries and land in Arizona?
Arizona is the Grand Canyon State. Canyons and pine forests dominate the northern part of the state. The southern part is rocks, cactus, and desert. And yes is it almost always hot, most of the time very hot, even deadly hot. The northern part, near Flagstaff, gets snow in the winter in the higher elevations. Temperatures this time of the year are in the 70s. In another few weeks they will be in the 80s or 90s and over 100 by May/June. Water is a precious scarce resource so you are not going to find many waterfalls. Virtually all the water comes from the Colorado River.



If you want beautiful scenery I recommend North Arizona and Southern Utah. If you plan to go to the Grand Canyon, consider also checking out the canyon country of southern Utah. Do the "Great Circle Tour" to see Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches National Parks and the Grand Canyon. Bryce is one of the most fantastic sights in the southwestern U.S.

http://www.nps.gov/brca/

http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm



At Bryce Canyon everyone stays at Ruby's Inn.

http://www.rubysinn.com/



You can cross the Colorado River at Lake Powell

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=nav鈥?/a>



Utah Route 12 is one of the most scenic roads in the country. Red Canyon and Big Thunder Road in Dixie National Forest is the inspiration for Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain (see the picture I took in link below)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RedRoc鈥?/a>

http://www.utah.com/byways/highway_12.ht鈥?/a>

http://scenicbyway12.com/



I really want to stress the beauty of Bryce and the Route 12 Scenic Byway. It's one of the most impressive drives I've ever been on.



BTW if you plan to go to more than one National Park, buy the annual pass. It allows a vehicle and it's occupants unlimited access to all National Parks for a year.

http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htmWhat cities would be closest to the prettiest sceneries and land in Arizona?
Sedona, AZ, has many pretty red rock formations to enjoy. Oak Creek Canyon is a great place to hike or take in a scenic view. There are names for the many different formations of red rocks, like Coffeepot Rock, for example.



Saguaro National Park outside of Tucson is another very pretty area. More great hiking, birdwatching, and sightseeing opportunities.



Here are some links for more information:

http://www.visitsedona.com

http://www.nps.gov/sagu/parknews/index.h鈥?/a>



There are many beautiful scenic drives in AZ. Here is a link to them:

http://www.azcentral.com/travel/drives/t鈥?/a>