This last fall we decided to spend the month of October traveling and adventuring in Arizona. We are from Colorado so we were excited for the warmth, new terrain, and a chance to do something new. Arizona is incredible in the fall and most of the state is warm and without snow (for the most part).
The benefits of visiting Arizona in the fall versus other seasons is really about temperature and crowds. In the fall northern Arizona is still very accessible and the winter weather hasn’t hit quite yet. You can still get some snow, but there really isn’t any accumulation or snow pack. In the southern part of the state the temperature is warm, comfortable, and not too hot, but still hot enough to swim outdoors. The other benefit is less people. During the fall some of the most popular places in Arizona can be enjoyed without mounds of people. This means available camping, hiking and less reservations needed.
Here are 6 of our favorite Arizona locations to visit in the fall.
1. Grand Canyon, NP
The Grand Canyon is the second most visited National Park in America. This canyon is a mile deep and 18 miles wide!! Down below, barely visible from the top is the Colorado River. I have big dreams one day, when my kids are old enough, to do a rafting trip down the river. There are many rafting companies that you can use to plan a trip down the river with, but I would highly recommend Grand Canyon Expeditions that is out of Kanab, UT. We have a friend who is a guide here and they not only offer motorized river trips that go for 8 & 9 days, but they also offer dory river trips that are 14 & 16 days long.
Visiting the park in the fall is incredible. When we were camping here in October there was snow on the ground in some areas, so you can still experience cold temperatures camping here in the fall, but on average it stays around 65 during the day. Despite the colder temperature it was still sublime because the crowds were so low (we were even there on a weekend!). We visited every major turn out, overlook, and walked the rim trail and the crowds were very manageable during this time.
Junior Ranger Program
One of our favorite things to do at our National Parks and National Monuments with our kids is the Junior Ranger Program. Through these programs your kids complete activities in their Junior Ranger book and then earn a ranger badge for that area. Both my kids have loved collecting their badges and it has offered us a great learning experience. The Grand Canyon program was one of my kids favorite, it was very well done.
Camping
Being that the Grand Canyon is an incredibly popular National Park you have to reserve your camping/lodging well ahead of time, even when visiting on or off season. Some campgrounds close as early as October, but the Mather Campground on the South Rim is open year round. If you miss your window to reserve, there are some first-come first-serve sites at the campgrounds, or there is also dispersed camping (boondocking) in the park. We actually stayed at Coconino Rim Road which is dispersed camping. We have a 30 ft trailer and we had no problem finding a spot here. There are two websites we love when looking for camping and dispersed camping. Check out Campendium for all camping including dispersed or if you are interested in only dispersed camping you can use Free Campsites which helps you locate areas all over the U.S.
2. Sedona, AZ
Sedona is gorgeous no matter what season you go, but the fall colors in Sedona are off the charts. The towering red rock formations and the incredible fall foliage makes this place breathtaking. Sedona is a very popular and touristy place to visit in Arizona, the amazing topography tells you why. This destination offers it all, shopping, camping, hiking, water activities, restaurants and relaxation.
We visited Sedona in mid October and the temperature was amazing. While we were there the high was closer to low 70s so we missed out on water activities here, but it made hiking and exploring outdoors so comfortable. The average temperature of Sedona in October is usually around 80 with an average low in the 50s, so depending on the weather you could still enjoy some of the water experiences.
Oak Creek Canyon
We enjoyed Sedona, but we enjoyed the Oak Creek Canyon area even more. The 3 places I would recommend if visiting the area would be driving down Oak Creek Canyon, visiting Slide Rock State Park, and hiking the West Fork Trail.
Driving Oak Creek Canyon
Driving down Oak Creek Canyon is really amazing with beautiful views and towering rock walls. From Flagstaff we drove south down 89A through Oak Creek Canyon. It is about 19.9 miles through the Canyon and ends in the town of Sedona. We loved driving this from the top because you get to drop into this beautiful area. This can be heavily trafficked during peak season and on the weekends, so plan accordingly
Slide Rock State Park
If the temperature is warm enough you have to go play in the water at Slide Rock State Park. Slide Rock is a natural 80 ft red rock water slide that has formed in Oak Creek. This is a very popular recreation area and you can expect large crowds on hot Arizona days. The rock is so slick due to the algae that covers the rocks. When we were there the temperature was a bit too cold for that, but we did see some brave souls playing in the water anyway.
West Fork Trail
Finally if you are exploring Oak Creek Canyon you have to hike the West Fork Trail. The West Fork Trail is one of the best hikes in Arizona and is often rated as one of the top 10 hikes in the lower 48. So…it can be busy, on the weekends, during the peak season, but don’t let this stop you from doing this hike.
It is an out and back trail that is 7.8 miles round trip. We hiked this trail on a weekday in mid October and were able to enjoy the trail without the crowds. The trail is easy hiking that travels through a red rock canyon with multiple water crossings.
The fall colors in this area were incredible and I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Because the trail is tucked into the canyon it can get a little cold, I would recommend bringing light layers (or heavier) depending on the weather. Even if you are hot in the sun you could feel very cold in the canyon.
Cave Springs Campground
We loved this area so much we decided to stay at Cave Springs Campground in the canyon. This campground was a bit tight for our RV and comfort level. The campground can accommodate RVs up to 36ft, but the roads are narrow, lined with giant boulders, and difficult to get into some sites. We have a 30ft travel trailer and found a campsite just fine for us, but it was a little nerve racking too. This is a very popular campground and I would highly recommend making a reservation, but they do have a first-come first-serve area as well. We did not make a reservation and went with the first-come first-serve. We got there on a Thursday morning and put our name on a list the camp hosts had to claim our spot when someone moved out. The camp hosts did a wonderful job letting us know what sites were leaving that day and holding our spot in line. We were very lucky and were able to get a spot there.
3. Saguaro, NP
If you picture a cactus in your head you are most likely picturing the great Saguaro cactus. The Saguaro National Park is like stepping on another planet. These beautiful cactus litter the hillsides and valleys of this park. Everything has spikes, everything is venomous, and everything is hot! Ok, I am exaggerating, kind of. This seemingly uninhabitable ecosystem has some incredible biodiversity and you will be blown away, it was the deserts of Arizona that we saw the most wildlife.
When you get to the park, be sure to go to the Visitor Center. We got our Junior Ranger books, maps, and were able to find out what things they recommend. We were here at the end of October and it was still very hot, but not unbearable. Coming from the Colorado fall season to Saguaro felt so good putting our shorts back on.
Beware of the Pollinators!
We loved this park and it felt unreal. We loved sitting outside in the evenings and being warm, we loved the beautiful flowers that were in full bloom, and we loved that the temperature was still very comfortable. What we did learned quickly is that all these conditions also brought out the pollinators. The amount of butterflies we saw was unbelievable, but the bees…well that was intense. The bees here are “africanized” basically that means aggressive and territorial. We literally got trapped in our camper every morning from about 10 am to 12 because we must have been right next to a hive. The kids couldn’t play outside the camper and we would run to our truck every time we went somewhere at that time. After about 12 these bees would either move on, take a nap, or chill out. I don’t know, but they were really intense in some areas.
Gilbert Ray Campground
There is no camping in the national park, but right outside of the park is Gilbert Ray Campground. This is a huge campground that has electric hookups, dump stations, and a fresh water fill up area. It has great accommodations for RVs, tents, or popups. There is a first-come first-serve area here and the option to make reservations. We saw snakes, lizards, and heard coyotes howling at dusk. The campsites are surrounded by the desert which is amazing and a little tough for kids. My kids love to run through their campsite and into the uninhabited wilderness, but here they would be stabbed by everything and not get very far.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Just outside of the national park area and very close to Gilbert Ray Campground is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. At first I was a little skeptical why I would go to a desert museum if I was in the desert, couldn’t I just go outside and look around. I was so wrong, I would say this is more like a zoo/botanical garden/aquarium. It was fantastic. This museum has indoor and outdoor areas where you can go learn about desert reptiles, pollinators, native fish, and stingray touch area!! It was well worth the money and I would recommend giving yourself ample time to be here. We went in the afternoon and missed the stingray touch exhibit. The staff here were so kind they gave us “rain check” tickets to come back in the morning to experience the stingrays. This museum really did beat my expectations.
4. Sabino Canyon State Park
Sabino Canyon is a riparian desert canyon that is home to an abundance of plant and animal life. This ecosystem has the ability to support a huge amount of biodiversity and if you are lucky you might be able to see some amazing animals in the area.
Sabino Canyon Crawler
You are not able to drive up the canyon in your own car, but you can either hike up the road or buy a ticket for the shuttle. The shuttle is 1 hr round trip and has 9 stops along the way. You can get off and on the shuttles along the route at shuttle stops. As you ride along there is an audio tour that plays in the shuttle and tells you all about the canyon.
We rode up all the way to stop 9 and then took the shuttle back down to stop 8 where we got off and hiked down to the creek. We pretty much set up our picnic area and stayed put for the rest of the day. It was so beautiful and the slick blue marbled rock was just the place to spend the day enjoying the hot desert canyon.
Desert Wildlife
There are so many animals in the Tucson area which was so surprising to me. It feels so hostel here that it is hard to believe anything could survive, but these incredible plants and animals are so well adapted to these conditions. In Sabino Canyon we saw a Coati, but even more surprising was the animals we saw right in the neighborhood of our friend's home. During our stay we saw javelina, a bobcat, desert spiny lizard, and a black widow spider. The desert supports so much life!!
5. Kartchner Caverns State Park
Kartchner Caverns State Park is a large state park that not only offers cave tours but also beautiful hikes and camping.
Kartchner Caverns
Kartchner Caverns are large wet living carbonate caves with incredible cave formations. I wish I had a picture for you of the caves, but photos were not allowed. There are several cave tours and many are wheelchair accessible (which is amazing). We did the Big Room Tour at the beginning of November. We chose this tour because this room is only open October 15 to April 15, that is because the rest of the year it is home to cave bats and acts as a nursery for their new offspring. The crazy thing about these caves is how warm and humid they are. The average temperature inside the cave year round is 70 degrees fahrenheit with 99% humidity, this is due to the fact that these caves are right below the surface of the ground. These caves will not disappoint and the formations are beautiful. Preservation is the number one priority for the cave ecology so I would highly recommend making a reservation for your cave tour.
Campground
At the state park they offer a beautiful campground that is walking distance to the caves. Each site offers water hook ups, electric hook ups, and a dump station right outside of the campground area. The campground offers sites for RV, tent, and they also have cabins you can rent. Not only can you take a short hike over to the visitor center where the cave tours begin, but there are also hiking trails a short walk away as well. I would recommend making a reservation before you plan your trip.
6. Bisbee, AZ
Bisbee, AZ was founded in 1880 and is one of the richest mineral sites in the world. Today Bisbee is an artful and lively town in the Mule Mountains 90 miles from Tucson Arizona. This beautiful little mining town has a gorgeous old town area that is just fun to walk through, but one of our favorite things we did here was the Queen Mine Tour.
Queen Mine Tour
The Queen Mine was a high yielding copper mine in Bisbee. This mine is seven levels high and has 2000 miles of tunnels, it is one of the largest mines in the world. The mine was fully functioning for about 100 years and produced mass amounts of valuable minerals including copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc.
Today you can get outfitted in a hard hat, head lamp, and take a rail trolley tour into the mine. Let me tell you, this was so fun!! Our tour guides were retired miners from the area who taught us about mining techniques and stories from their lives as miners. They were so funny and incredibly entertaining.
You ride into the mine on a trolley and get off at several spots to explore and learn about the mine. It was very exciting and we really enjoyed it.
Old Town Bisbee
This town is just beautiful. The buildings and homes date back to the 19th century and are just beautiful to walk down the streets. They offer wonderful shops, art galleries, and restaurants. We visited here at the beginning of November in the middle of the week and found most of the town closed. So keep that in mind if you plan a visit, on the off season it might be better to make your way into town on a weekend.
Arizona in the Fall = The best of both worlds!
The surprising thing about Arizona is how unique different areas are. You have incredible mountain destinations in the north and desert regions in the south. Insane biodiversity in the riparian desert ecosystems, and so much to explore and learn about. I would definitely recommend Arizona in the fall, it is still warm enough in the north yet cooler than the summer in the south, it offers the best of both worlds.
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