Canyons in Arizona — Ranked

19 canyons

1Score 70.7 out of 100
Canyon
Antelope Canyon
A system of six slot canyons on Navajo Nation land near Page, entered only with an authorised Navajo guide.
2Score 56.3 out of 100
Canyon
Glen Canyon
A canyon cut by 169.6 miles of the Colorado River, most of it submerged by Lake Powell after Glen Canyon Dam was built in 1963.
3Score 54.2 out of 100
Canyon
Oak Creek Canyon
A river gorge between Flagstaff and Sedona, followed for 13 miles by State Route 89A after a descent of hairpin turns.
4Score 49.6 out of 100
Canyon
Virgin River Gorge
A canyon cut by the Virgin River in north-western Arizona, carrying one of the most expensive sections of Interstate highway ever built.
5Score 48.4 out of 100
Canyon
Canyon Diablo
An 81-mile incised meander east of Flagstaff, spanned by an 1882 railway bridge, an old Route 66 crossing and Interstate 40.
6Score 47.6 out of 100
Canyon
Texas Canyon
A boulder-strewn valley on Interstate 10 east of Benson, between the Dragoon and Little Dragoon Mountains, named for settlers from Texas.
7Score 46.8 out of 100
Canyon
Black Canyon of the Colorado
The canyon on the Colorado River where Hoover Dam was built, named for the black volcanic rock exposed along its walls.
8Score 46.3 out of 100
Canyon
Sabino Canyon
A canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, with waterfalls along Sabino Creek and trails through the desert.
9Score 44.1 out of 100
Canyon
Madera Canyon
A canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains south-east of Tucson, within the Coronado National Forest and known for its migrating birds.
10Score 42.5 out of 100
Canyon
Sycamore Canyon
A 21-mile canyon below the Mogollon Rim west of Sedona, the second largest in the Arizona redrock country after Oak Creek Canyon.
11Score 39.8 out of 100
Canyon
Salt River Canyon Wilderness
A wilderness area of 32,115 acres in the Tonto National Forest, taking in a deep river canyon with 27 sets of rapids.
12Score 32.7 out of 100
Canyon
Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve
A 478-acre Flagstaff preserve of Sinagua petroglyphs, bought by the city in 2012 after decades of community campaigning.
13Score 26.4 out of 100
Canyon
Boynton Canyon
Boynton Canyon is a box canyon located near the town of Sedona, in Yavapai County, in the U.S. state of Arizona.
14Score 26.4 out of 100
Canyon
French Joe Canyon
A Cochise County canyon near Benson named for an early prospector, known for reliable springs and used by birdwatchers.
15Score 26.4 out of 100
Canyon
Garden Canyon
A Cochise County canyon near Sierra Vista with Apache and Hohokam pictograph sites, dated to around 1700 CE and 400–1250 CE respectively.
16Score 26.4 out of 100
Canyon
Lower Antelope Canyon
A Page, Arizona slot canyon with a more open top than Upper Antelope Canyon, accessible only by guided tour.
17Score 26.4 out of 100
Canyon
Ramsey Canyon Preserve
Ramsey Canyon Preserve, near Sierra Vista, Arizona, has recorded more than 170 bird species, including 14 hummingbird species, along its hiking trails.
18Score 26.4 out of 100
Canyon
Snap Point and Canyon
Snap Point and Canyon, in Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, Arizona.
19Score 26.4 out of 100
Canyon
West Fork of Oak Creek
A side canyon of Oak Creek Canyon, walked rather than viewed: the trail follows a stream between cliffs the Forest Service calls dizzying, crossing the water repeatedly on stepping stones. It is maintained and easy for the first three miles, and runs another eleven into wilderness beyond that. The Forest Service calls it one of the most popular trails on the Coconino National Forest; dogs must be leashed, nothing mechanised is allowed, and a day-use fee applies at the Call of the Canyon car park.

How this category is scored

Every attraction in this category starts from a significance baseline of 60 out of 100, before any designations it holds are added. The full table is on the methodology page.

None of these publish an official visitor count, so they are ranked on public interest and tourism significance, and none can reach the top score band.