Of the state's 118,000 square miles, only about 15 percent, or an area roughly the size of Delaware, is privately owned. The rest is devoted to forests, parks, wilderness, wildlife preserves, recreation areas, and Native American reservations. From seas of stoic Saguaro cactus to thick groves of fragrant pine trees, Arizona's vast open spaces beg for exploration. In fact, Arizona boasts more national monuments than any other state in the continental United States, and is second only to Alaska.

The world's largest stretch of ponderosa pine forest meanders from the Eastern Arizona town of Alpine through Flagstaff, Prescott and Payson. The northwest corner boasts pine, spruce, and fir conifers, large stands of aspen, and lush grassy meadows. The state's southeast corner offers a sea of lush, honey-colored meadows and is home to a rare orchid known as Canelo Lady Slipper, which grows streamside in the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area.

In altitudes, Arizona ranges from 70 feet above sea level near Yuma to 12,643 feet on Humphrey's Peak near Flagstaff.