Flagstaff Area ~ Casa Grande Ruins ~ Fort Huachuca Area ~ Meteor Crater ~ Four Corners ~ Painted Desert
page
one: Cactus, Arizona Sunrise and Sunset, The Grand Canyon,
Phoenix Area, Dams & Reservoirs, the White Mountains
page
three: Lake Havasu area, Painted Rocks, Montezuma Castle,
Yuma, Winslow Area, Tucson Area, Tombstone Area, Petrified Forest
The
Flagstaff
area is famous for the San Francisco Peaks
This volcanic range
is made up of extinct volcanoes. The highest point in Arizona,
Humphreys Peak (12,633 feet) is located here.
The range was
named by the Spanish padres who founded a mission near here to
honor St. Francis. The peaks were also named to honor St. Francis
of Assisi.
See a live webcam
of the San Francisco Peaks
Another
view of the San Francisco Peaks
Buffalo
Park near Flagstaff
A regional park of about 215 acres
Pictures
below are of the Coconino County Courthouse in winter and in
summer
The Courthouse was built in 1894. An addition was made
to the back in 1925.
In 2002 another large addition was made
that has become the main courthouse.
Downtown
Flagstaff
Northern
Arizona University Campus in Flagstaff
Lowell
Observatory
founded
in 1894 by Percival Lowell
The observatory has several
telescopes in the area. To the right is the Pluto Telescope that
was used to discover the planet, Pluto.
Walnut
Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff
You can go inside
these cliff dwellings and see how the people lived
over 700
years ago. Facility is not open all year
Dragoon
Mountain area near Flagstaff
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, designated so in 1918, is located near Coolidge. The main feature of this monument is a four story building from around the 14th century.The "big house" is made of caliche which is also known as hardtack. It is a sedimentary rock made from calcium carbonate. The durability of this rock is what has helped the structure to keep standing . A roof covering was added in 1932 to protect the structure.
A
sunset in the Casa Grande Area
Fort Huachuca was opened as Camp Huachuca in 1877. Later, in 1882, it became Fort Huachuca. The Fort was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Fort Huachuca is located next to the towns of Huachuca City and Sierra Vista and is about 15 miles north of the Mexican border. It is at the base of the Huachuca Mountains seen to the right. The Army base began as headquarters for the Buffalo Soldiers Regiment. The Fort was annexed by Sierra Vista in 1971. It is the home of NETCOM, the 9th Army Signal Command and the US Army Intelligence Center. An airfield is on the base and shares the runway with the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport.
The Meteor Crater is close to I-40 in northern Arizona not far from Winslow. The rock hit the earth about 50,000 years ago and left a crater almost a mile across, 2.4 miles around and over 550 feet deep! In addition to observation trails, there is an indoor area with a discovery center, a gift shop and a movie theater. There is also the Astronaut Memorial Park at the visitor center. The crater and the meteorite were formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater and Meteorite. But, it was later re-named for Daniel Barringer who first felt it was a result of a meteorite impact. The crater is also owned by the Barringer Crater Company. It is a National Natural Landmark.
You can put your fingers down in all four states on the medallion to the right. The Four Corners Monument is located on the Navajo Nation Reservation. It is about 6 miles from Teec Nos Pos. The area is very remote with few facilities so plan accordingly. The mark was first placed in 1912 but was later replaced with a nicer site of granite and brass. The demonstration center has various Navajo artisans and Navajo foods. Picnic areas are also available.
The
Painted Desert is located in northern Arizona with much of the
area within the Petrified Forest National Park. Most of the
Painted Desert is within the Navajo Nation. The area is mostly
remote and inaccessible. Wind, water and soil erosion have
exposed layers of
rock formation as well as fossils, evidence
of human habitation and even dinosaur tracks.
Go to page 1 or page 3 of Arizona Photos or return to index for more photo choices
