The American Southwest
Comprehensive guide to the national parks, national monuments and landscapes of West and Southwest USA; online since 1994
Latest Article, 20 December: Sand Cave, Page, Arizona
Also New: Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark, California. Moonflower Canyon, Moab, Utah, Hanging Garden Trail, Page, Arizona. Puerco Pueblo Trail, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. Mansard Trail, Kanab, Utah. South Mountain, La Sal Mountains, Utah. Petrified Logs Loop, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Many Pools Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah. Whitney Pocket Petroglyphs, Nevada. Painted Pinnacles, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Paria Box, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. Cinder Cone Trail, Snow Canyon State Park, Utah
Table of Contents
- States - the ten featured states, of the Southwest and West
- Slot canyons - narrow gorges, mostly in Arizona and Utah
- Hotels - accommodation across the Southwest
- Landscapes - Southwest scenery, including deserts, canyons and ancient ruins
- Highlights - best places, including state parks, desert parks and hoodoo locations
- Itineraries - route suggestions across the Southwest
- Plants - wildflowers and cacti of the Southwest
- Hiking - Southwest trail listings and search
ARIZONA
Destinations in Arizona, from the cactus-filled Sonoran Desert to the Mogollon Rim, the Colorado River and the deep canyons of the Colorado Plateau; Grand Canyon, Sedona, Lake Mead, Route 66, Apache Trail, Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest, Saguaro National Park, Meteor Crater and many more
CALIFORNIA
The varied desert, mountain, forest and coastal scenery of the golden state of California, including the national parks of Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Redwood, Sequoia and Yosemite, and the attractions of Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs and the California Missions
COLORADO
Sites in the mountainous state of Colorado; Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado NM, Garden of the Gods, Great Sand Dunes, Pikes Peak, the Rocky Mountains and the Anasazi cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde
IDAHO
Selected locations in south Idaho; eroded granite formations in the City of Rocks, the varied volcanic features of Craters of the Moon, and the volcanic canyons of Thousand Springs State Park
NEVADA
Much more than just Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada has many fascinating landscapes including Great Basin National Park, Black Rock Desert, Mount Charleston, Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire
NEW MEXICO
National parks, national monuments, ancient sites, eroded badlands and volcanic remains in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment; Bandelier, Bisti, Capulin Volcano, Carlsbad Caverns, Chaco Culture, Gila Cliff Dwellings, White Sands and more
OREGON
From the ocean, across the Coast Range and the Cascades, to the deserts and grassland of the east, sites in Oregon include the Pacific coastline, Crater Lake, Newberry Volcano and the John Day Fossil Beds
TEXAS
State of vast landscapes with two national parks (Guadalupe Mountains, Big Bend), and attractions ranging from the Chihuahuan Desert at Big Bend Ranch, the canyons of Palo Duro and Caprock, the rock art at Hueco Tanks, and the Gulf of Mexico at Padre Island
UTAH
Multicolored land of mountains, canyons, deserts and arches. Utah has some of the most well known US parks - Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Dinosaur, Glen Canyon (Lake Powell), Natural Bridges and Zion, plus Monument Valley and Grand Staircase-Escalante. Less known but still very scenic places include Antelope Island, Flaming Gorge, Goblin Valley and Golden Spike
WYOMING
Dominated in the west by the Rocky Mountains and in the east by the high desert, Wyoming has two world famous attractions in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, plus state parks like Boysen, Hot Springs, Independence Rock and Sinks Canyon
Slot Canyons
Beautifully colored and sculptured narrow canyons in the sandstone rocks of Arizona and Utah, explorable by hiking and canyoneering; such locations as the San Rafael Swell, Escalante River and Zion National Park
Thank you for visiting the American Southwest website! The site has been here since 1994, the Facebook page since 2009, and both are run entirely by me. Maintaining the site is a labor of love, a time-consuming one, though always very rewarding, knowing it helps spread interest and knowledge about this spectacular region.
I would be very grateful, to help the further expansion of the website, to receive a symbolic coffee! ☕☕
If you don't want to or can't buy coffees right now, that's quite ok; you can instead write an friendly comment, it will be equally appreciated Coffees or no coffees, the site will of course keep going just as now; there are over 40 articles awaiting publication, and many more to come following this year's trips. Thank you all very much
I would be very grateful, to help the further expansion of the website, to receive a symbolic coffee! ☕☕
SOUTHWEST HOTELS
 |
Choose from the leading hotel chains via interactive maps or hotel directory; book direct to brand: Arizona,
California (N), California (S), Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
Featuring 7,600 top hotels in 1,200 Southwest USA towns |
SOUTHWEST TRAVELOGUE
 |
Four week RV road trip from Phoenix, Arizona across New Mexico and Texas to the Gulf Coast at Corpus Christi, in 1994 |
SOUTHWEST LANDSCAPES
SOUTHWEST HIGHLIGHTS
Homepage:
Website contributions - do you have photographs to share?
SOUTHWEST ITINERARIES
Pre-planned itineraries for touring Southwest USA; maps, mileages, places to visit each day, and suggested hotels:
 |
Arizona Deserts, California Big Trees, California Deserts, Colorado River, Colorado Rockies, Grand Canyon, Grand Circle, Indian Lands, New Mexico Highlights, Sierra Nevada and more |
PLANTS OF THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST
 |
Plant profiles, with photographs and information about habitat, range, size and flower type; sections cover agave & yucca, cacti and wildflowers |
SOUTHWEST HIKING
Descriptions of all trails in Southwest national parks and monuments, plus a selection in other areas.
Search for Trails
Trails by state: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wyoming
PHOTOGRAPHY
All Photographs, Panoramic Photos, Videos
www.uksouthwest.net - landscapes and historic sites in southwest UK, England and Wales
All Contents © Copyright The American Southwest | Comments and Questions | Contribute | Affiliate Marketing Disclosure | Site Map