Arizona

Sedona Canyon

• Lady Banksia, World's largest rose tree, Tombstone, Arizona April 2005
• Grand Canyon Cottonwoods Feb 2005
• Sedona Canyon- Is this Old Growth? Sept 2004
• North Rim Forests Jan 2003
• Rodeo/Chediski Fire July 2002
• Kaibab Plateau History May 2002
• Gigapixel Project - Grand Canyon  March 2005

Grand Canyon National Park http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm Grand Canyon National Park, a World Heritage Site, encompasses 1,218,375 acres and lies on the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona. It is considered one of the finest examples of arid-land erosion in the world. The Canyon, incised by the Colorado River, is immense, averaging 4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles. It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 15 miles at its widest.  The Park contains several major ecosystems. Its great biological diversity can be attributed to the presence of five of the seven life zones and three of the four desert types in North America. The five life zones represented are the Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran, Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian. This is equivalent to traveling from Mexico to Canada. The Park also serves as an ecological refuge, with relatively undisturbed remnants of dwindling ecosystems (such as boreal forest and desert riparian communities). It is home to numerous rare, endemic (found only at Grand Canyon), and specially protected (threatened/endangered) plant and animal species. Over 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian, and 17 fish species are found in the park.

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Grand Canyon -  photo by US National Park Service

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument http://www.nps.gov/orpi/index.htm 

Saguaro National Park http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm 

Ironwood Forest National Monument

Ironwood Forest National Monument http://www.az.blm.gov/ironwood/ironwood.htm This 129,000-acre national monument contains a significant system of cultural and historical sites covering a 5,000 year period. Possessing one of the richest stands of Ironwood trees in the Sonoran Desert, the monument also encompasses several desert mountain ranges including the Silver Bell, Waterman and Sawtooth, with desert valleys in between. Elevation ranges from 1,800 to 4,261 feet. Three areas within the monument, the Los Robles Archeological District, the Mission of Santa Ana del Chiquiburitac and the Cocoraque Butte Archeological District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

GORP - Arizona Wilderness Areas http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_wilderness_area/az.htm The variety of wilderness areas in Arizona is really quite amazing - ranging from the stark beauty of the desert to dense conifer forests in alpine areas.  Apache Creek, Aravaipa Canyon, Bear Wallow, Blue Range, Cabeza Prieta WA - Cabeza Prieta, Castle Creek, Cedar Bench, Chiricahua, Escudilla, Fossil Springs, Four Peaks, Galiuro, Granite Mountain, Havasu WA, Hellsgate, Imperial WA, Juniper Mesa, Kachina Peaks, Kanab Creek, Kendrick Mountain, Kofa WA, Mazatzal, Miller Peak, Mt. Baldy, Mount Wrightson, Munds Mountain, Pajarita, Pine Mt., Pusch Ridge, Red Rock - Secret Mountain, Rincon Mountain, Saddle Mountain, Salome, Salt River Canyon, Santa Teresa, Sierra Ancha, Strawberry Crater, Superstition, Sycamore Canyon, Trigo Mountains, West Clear Creek, Wet Beaver, Woodchute. 

Kaibab Plateau http://www.swfa.org/ (Southwest Forestry Alliance) The Kaibab Plateau, perched on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the Kaibab Plateau is home to the greatest remaining density and distribution old growth pines. Numerous sensitive wildlife species, including the Mexican spotted owl, the Kaibab squirrel and the Northern goshawk and the Apache Trout depend upon this unique area.