Arizona might be known for its hot desert climate, but it also experiences snow in its highest elevations. These snow-capped peaks belong to San Francisco Mountain, a dormant stratovolcano north of Flagstaff. Humphreys Peak is the tallest of the group, reaching 12,633 feet in elevation. The high elevation, coupled with extreme weather and temperature drops, makes for a difficult hike to the top, but the view is unparalleled.

Found in the southwestern deserts of the U.S. and northern Mexico, the Gila monster (pronounced hee-luh) was named after the Gila River Basin in Arizona where it was first discovered. They are the only poisonous lizards native to the U.S., but not to worry — for humans, a bite isn’t lethal, though it might be very painful. Keep a look out for their distinct black with pink, orange, or yellow markings.

Besides being known as “the Grand Canyon State,” Arizona's other nickname is “the Copper State.” Thanks to its many ancient volcanoes, the state is rich in copper deposits, which led to a booming copper mining industry beginning in the mid-19th century. Today, old mining towns are scattered around Arizona. A few famous towns, like Jerome — the “Wickedest Town in the West” — are popular tourist stops.

In the 1960s, entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch, Sr. needed to attract visitors to his new town, Lake Havasu City, which he founded after moving his boat company there. When McCulloch learned that the city of London was looking for a buyer for their inoperative London Bridge (to be replaced with a new version), the businessman jumped on the opportunity. The bridge was dismantled and shipped to Havasu City in western Arizona, where it remains today.

Sedona, a desert town in central Arizona about two hours north of Phoenix, is known for its dramatic red rocks. One of the best places to view them is at Red Rock State Park, home to one of the state’s most famous landmarks, a massive sandstone butte named Cathedral Rock. There are hikes of all difficulty levels in the park, each with stunning views of these unique geological formations.

An American fast food staple, the McDonald’s drive-thru got its start in Sierra Vista, Arizona, on January 24, 1975. The idea stemmed from the local Fort Huachuca Army Base soldiers, who couldn’t leave their cars while in uniform. To remedy this, the local McDonald’s decided to open a drive-thru near the base by installing a window in a wall. Soon, McDonald’s drive-thrus were appearing all over the country.

The Montezuma Castle National Monument is a protected archaeological site in the Verde River valley north of Phoenix. The centerpiece of the monument is a well-preserved Pueblo cliff dwelling carved 80 feet high directly into limestone cliffs. The structure stands five stories tall and has 20 rooms, all made of mud and stone. The monument dates back to 1100 CE and was made by the native Sinagua peoples.

Thanks to its clear desert skies, Arizona is home to a handful of esteemed observatories, including Lowell Observatory on top of Mars Hill Mesa in Flagstaff. The observatory has played a part in several significant advancements in extraterrestrial research, including the discovery of the dwarf planet Pluto. The observatory is open to the public, allowing visitors to catch a glimpse of our galaxy through its astounding telescopes.

There is no shortage of sports games to attend while in Arizona. Phoenix is home to all four major professional sports teams, the Arizona Cardinals (NFL), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), and Arizona Coyotes (NHL). It is also home to the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury team, the PGA's Phoenix Open, college football's Fiesta Bowl, and several NASCAR events.

Arizona’s Painted Desert looks just how it sounds: a colorful swirl of hills and mesas situated in a southwestern desert. These badlands begin on the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon and stretch further east into the Petrified Forest National Park. The natural rainbows of the landscape were formed some 200 million years ago by river deposits, and the area was named by Spanish explorers in the 16th century.

Home to the Navajo peoples, Navajo Nation comprises 27,000 square miles of desert in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. Some of the Southwest’s most famous landmarks are located in Navajo Nation, including the popular hiking area Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley, known for its red sandstone buttes. Tourists can also visit several Navajo museums to learn more about the area’s rich culture and history.

Yuma’s sand dunes, located on the border with California, were a perfect match for Luke Skywalker’s home planet of Tatooine in the “Star Wars” films. Parts of “A New Hope” and “Return of the Jedi” were filmed here. Sadly, the sets were torn down, but not before locals could get their hands on pieces of them to put in their homes and businesses.

Phoenix, Arizona, is the most populated state capital in the country. That may be partly thanks to its climate — Phoenix is also one of America’s sunniest and driest cities. The city has a population of around 1.7 million and is one of the fastest-growing areas of the country, and its economy is booming with tech firms and manufacturers.

An engineering marvel for its time, the 1,224-foot Hoover Dam spans the Colorado River on Arizona's western border with Nevada. Named after President Hoover, it was completed in 1935, creating the country’s largest artificial reservoir, Lake Mead. Today, Lake Mead is a popular tourist destination and recreation spot for watersports and hiking.

Established in 1994, Saguaro National Park is home to the largest species of cacti native to the United States. These giant desert plants can reach heights of 50 feet and live for up to 200 years. They are only found in a small area of the Southwest U.S. The cactus bears an edible fruit and a white flower blossom, which is also the state flower of Arizona.

The famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place in 1881 and has since been portrayed in many Hollywood Westerns, making Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday household names. Much to the dismay of Wild West fans, the real gunfight didn’t actually happen at the O.K. Corral — it took place in a nearby alley — and some of the details have been fictionalized. A historical marker in Tombstone still marks the site.

The Four Corners Monument offers visitors the unique opportunity to stand in four states at once — the only such site in the U.S. Those who visit can stand in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona all at the same time. Along with the four states, the flags of the Native American groups who live in the area are also represented here.

The Sonoran Desert is a subtropical desert that stretches from southern Arizona into the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. The major Arizona cities of Phoenix and Tucson are also located in this desert. The desert experiences less than 10 inches of rain per year, typically only during the winter months and the rainy summer season (July and August).

Arizona’s nickname honors its most famous natural feature, the Grand Canyon, which lies at the north end of the state near the Utah border. Living up to its name, the Grand Canyon is the country’s largest canyon, extending for 277 miles. Every year, millions of visitors make the journey to see the canyon, which was carved out by the Colorado River over the last 6 million years.

One of America’s oldest and most famous highways, Route 66 begins in Chicago, Illinois, and ends in Santa Monica, California. Along its route, the highway bisects Arizona, passing some of the state’s most popular attractions, including Petrified Forest National Park, Walnut Canyon National Monument, the city of Flagstaff, and Grand Canyon Caverns.