Places You Need To See In American Southwest
Whenever someone makes mention of the American Southwest, it conjures up visions of cactus and deserts. While the Southwestern part of the Untied States does contain many miles of desert containing cacti and other desert plants, you can also find gorgeous lakes and rivers, majestic mountain ranges covered in forest and awe inspiring canyons and rock formations. Depending on who you ask, there may be differing opinions on what actually comprises the American Southwest, however for the purposes of this article we will include New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada, and Utah.
In this area you can find everything from wild and untamed wilderness to bustling and vibrant cities and attractions. We are going to be focusing our attention on the great outdoors for our purposes and be highlighting some of the best scenic areas, monuments and parks for you to explore when you visit the area.
Colorado offers a multitude of different outdoor activities and has more 14,000 foot and taller mountain peaks than any of the other states. There are more mountain peaks above 14 thousand feet in Colorado than there are in any other state, providing many outdoor pursuits. There are many other interesting and fun places to visit, including Dinosaur National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park cliff dwellings, Garden of the Gods and Rocky Mountain National Park.
New Mexico offers various different terrains that range from gorgeous forests and snow capped mountains to the north to desert in the south and east. Some of the best places to visit include Capulin Volcano National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, White Sands National Monument and Carlsbad Caverns.
The Grand Canyon is what Arizona is best known for, and it is definitely worth visiting. In addition, in the northern part of state, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument has beautiful scenery. If you enjoy Westerns and are a fan of John Wayne, then be sure and visit Monument Valley in the Northeastern corner of the state. Arizona has interesting mountain peaks and rock formations in many parts of the state and the area around Sedona is especially notable.
The beautiful state of Utah has great ski areas and mountains. Don't miss the famous Great Salk Lake in the northern part of the state before heading down to the beautiful scenery in the southern half of the state. Some of the most interesting places to visit include Canyonlands National Park, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.
Nevada offers plenty of desert lands in addition to the bright lights of Las Vegas, however the state offers some very interesting recreation lands as well. In the very south, be sure and visit Hoover Dam and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Old West enthusiasts will enjoy Carson City followed by a train trip to Virginia City to visit the historic Comstock Lode.
California contains the most varied landscape with mountains, deserts, forests and beaches waiting to be explored. Some of the best places to visit include Redwood National Park, Lake Tahoe, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Salton Sea and Joshua Tree National Park.
As you have seen, the states of the American Southwest offer nearly endless opportunities for everything from natural scenery to outdoor recreation. Hopefully, you now have some great ideas of interesting and fun places to visit on your future vacations.
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