You haven’t really experienced the Grand Canyon until you’ve looked upward to see the rim. The three corridor campgrounds and primitive camping zones along the main cross-canyon trails and 29 designated areas along lesser-used trails, will give you the signature wilderness experience of the West. But you have to plan ahead. Download a permit and fax to 928-638-2125 any day...

Chain motels abound along old Rt. 66, so you can pick your favorite of the national brands. Best Western Pony Soldier Inn stands out with suites and large, well-appointed rooms, microwave, fridge, free wi-fi, courteous service, and a hot breakfast in the old restaurant in the parking lot. Only problem: no elevator to the second floor. Local number 928-526-2388

This three-diamond hotel with 250 rooms sets the standard for family fun activities. Besides a restaurant, cafe, sports bar, lounge, gift shop, pool, and spa and sauna, you can chill out at the family center with arcade games, billiards, and bowling. Or sign up for a flight-seeing or rafting adventure. All rooms include TV, free internet, phones, coffee pot. Local...

Steakhouse, saloon, old-time music review… join the warehouse-style seating, but please, don’t sing-along with your mouth full. Besides steaks, the menu includes chicken, pasta, salmon, burgers, kabobs, and even a few veggie selections. The singers pump up the excitement with a spirited performance of classic favorites. Out back, the RV Park (928-774-1912) has 174 pull-through sites with full hookups (no...

Sleep close to the action. Pitch your tent or park the RV in the middle of the Coconino Nat. Forest in the developed Bonito Campground at the entrance to Sunset Crater Nat. Monument. Bonito has 44 improved sites, paved roads, flush facilities, drinking water, ranger programs. Drive 12 miles northeast of Flagstaff on US 89. Turn east (right) on FR...

Located 9.9 miles from the South Rim and 14 miles form the North Rim, this is the long, painfully sought destination for backpackers to the river. Located at the bottom of the canyon in the Sonoran Desert Zone, temperatures often exceed 100 F. in the summer, but a dip in the cool Bright Angel Creek offers relief. Each of the...

Step back in time in this National Historic Landmark hotel designed by Mary Colter in 1935. Relax in the rustic lobby with fireplace and lounging benches. Some cabins rim-side have stunning views, others are nestled among juniper trees just yards from the canyon. The lodge has no TV and some shared baths; cabins, some with fireplaces, have TV and private...

This large-scale RV camp in Tusayan specializes in motor home services with pull-through sites, high-amp hookups, restrooms with showers, dump site, propane sales, laundry facilities, free wi-fi, and camp store. No generators allowed and 10 p.m.-8 a.m. quiet time enforced. Within walking distance of Tusayan restaurants and attractions. Tents allowed in separate a grassy area (no reservations). Located on Hwy...

This luxurious, AAA three-diamond atrium hotel offers activity packages for flight-seeing, rafting, horse rides, and canyon tours. Suites and rooms include TV, phone, newspaper, coffee, hair dryer, free lobby wi-fi, seasonal pool and hot tub, restaurant, lounge, gift shop, free local airport pickup. Suits include fridge and microwave. Pets under 40 lbs welcome with a $50 fee; all rooms non-smoking....

Canyon Vista is the first of 7 campgrounds on Lake Mary Rd. (Forest Rd. 3) which runs southeast of Flagstaff. Only 6 miles from town, this campground has 14 campsites, hiking trails, rock climbing, and scenic vistas. Hiking trails and loops lead to Sandy Canyons Trail, Vista Loop Trail, Walnut Canyon, and Arizona Trail and to The Pit rock climbing...

With mountains, forests, lakes, and scenic drives, the Coconino NF makes Flagstaff a Mecca for all-season outdoor activities. The Bonito Campground at the entrance to Sunset Crater Nat. Mon. has 44 improved sites with flush toilets, drinking water. Seven other USFS campgrounds with similar facilities (Canyon Vista, Lakeview, Pinegrove, Ashurst Lake–Forked Pine, and Dairy Springs–Double Springs) are located from 6...

For a thrilling, and challenging, overnight hike, take the North Kaibab Trail half-way to the river and camp at Cottonwood Campground. Each campsite has a picnic table, pack pole, and metal food storage can required for all food, toiletries, and plastics. Cooling off in the crystal waters of Bright Angel Creek is encouraged. The 6.8-mile route drops 2,800 feet from...

Nestled in the forest at the edge of a meadow, this campground is perfect for chilling out and watching deer and the dramatic tassel-eared, white-tailed Kaibab squirrel. Hike and bike the challenging, 18-mile Rainbow Trail through old-growth ponderosa to five little-visited viewpoints on the North Rim. 38 first-come sites, drinking water and vault toilets, but no hookups. Open May 15–Oct....

Located at the east park entrance 26 miles from the South Rim Village, this much quieter spot has 50 sites sized for tents and small RVs (30-foot max), no utilities, water faucets nearby, flush bathrooms, no showers, no hot water, no reservations. Each site has a campfire grill and picnic table. Get your supplies from the General Store at nearby...

All the campgrounds full? Don’t despair, you can roll out you sleeping bag in the Kaibab and Coconino national forests. Driving any motorized vehicle off a designated road is prohibited in both national forests, but you can drive 30-feet from the road to camp. Camping is prohibited for 1 mile from a developed campground and 1/4-mile from a water hole...

Prairie dogs once called the broad open ponderosa parkland home. Now the dogs are gone and a small-boat lake stocked with crappie and catfish offers scenic campgrounds for fishermen, paddlers, and campers wanting to explore the surrounding forest, or anyone looking for a quiet hangout. In spring and summer, wildflowers turn the shoreline into a blanket of gold. The 1-mile...

Located on the rim with stunning views, this Registered National Historic Landmark is the Grand Dame of hotels on the South Rim. Built in 1905 and remodeled in 2005, the 78 rooms have cable TV, phone, with free parking, concierge service, elegant dining, and high-quality gift shop. All rooms non-smoking.

Rated in the Top 10 B&Bs in Arizona and located four blocks from historic downtown, this 1902 stone house has four elegant rooms and two suites decorated with Victorian late-1800s French antiques. Morning coffee, afternoon tea, or evening aperitif served in the elegant parlor or living room with volcanic rock fireplace. Gourmet breakfast includes organic coffee, fresh fruit, eggs, locally-baked...

Strap on the cross-country skis or snowshoes and explore 25 miles of groomed forest trails in the Coconino Nat. Forest. Rent gear, take lessons, warm up at the lodge. Come back in the summer for a forest hike or one of the cross-country running events. The Center offers off-the-grid camping in a solar-powered cabin, yurts (portable toilets, propane grill, no...

Comfortable rooms, Main Street convenience, reasonable prices. You’d never guess this is the oldest hotel in Arizona–until you peek into one of the 25 period-themed rooms. A WWI military jacket on the coat rack, photos, and furniture betray the hotel’s 1891 origin. This European-style boutique hotel provides free Wi-Fi, microwave, fridge, no TV, and morning lobby coffee. A carriage house...