Arizona tourist traps to avoid (and where to go instead)

Arizona’s popular tourist destinations often overshadow its hidden gems. This article reveals recommended alternatives to overcrowded attractions from travel experts and Arizona locals. Discover authentic experiences and breathtaking vistas that showcase the true essence of the Grand Canyon State.

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  • Choose Piestewa Peak Over Crowded Camelback Mountain
  • Skip Grand Canyon Skywalk for South Rim
  • Explore Alstrom Point Instead of Horseshoe Bend
  • Trade London Bridge for Apache Trail Adventure
  • Rent 4×4 to Discover Sycamore Canyon
  • Visit Bisbee for Authentic Wild West Experience
  • Hubbell Trading Post Offers Genuine Native Crafts
  • Skip the Sedona Vortex and Head to Aravapia Canyon
  • Learn About Mining at The Cave Creek Museum
  • The Musical Instrument Museum Outshines “The Thing”
  • Avoid Old Town Scottsdale and Explore The Hawes Trail System
  • Arizona Science Center Offers Family and Adult-Only Fun

Choose Piestewa Peak Over Crowded Camelback Mountain

While Camelback Mountain is a great hike, parking and congestion can be difficult to deal with, especially during peak season. Instead, choose nearby Piestewa Peak, which has more parking and offers the same great views! There are many hikes in the Valley, though! Other options include Lookout Mountain, North Mountain, Shadow Mountain, and the Two Bit trail.

Wendy Doris, Owner of Mostess, Mostess

Skip Grand Canyon Skywalk for South Rim

My advice to tourists in Arizona is to steer clear of that ever-popular tourist trap, the Grand Canyon Skywalk. This is often touted as an exhilarating experience where visitors can walk on a glass bridge that juts out over the edge of the canyon. The views are spectacular, but the experience is usually tainted by the extreme cost of entry, which can be over $60 per person, and the fact that it is such a commercialized attraction. The Skywalk is situated on the Hualapai Resort and not in the Grand Canyon National Park, where the true essence of the Grand Canyon resides.

Instead, do yourself a favor and spend some time at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here lie some of the most iconic and gorgeous views of any area in the world. An out-of-the-way and less crowded experience, but just as grand, is the Desert View, about 23 miles east of the Grand Canyon Village.

One of the oldest lookouts in the park provides incredible 360-degree views of the canyon plus the additional beauty of the historic, 70-foot tall Desert View Watchtower designed by architect Mary Colter. If you are looking for something more active, I would suggest hiking down either the South Kaibab or Bright Angel Trails, both of which drop into the canyon and provide for a much more profound and engrossing experience into the incredible landscape.

Christian Petzold, Travel & Tourism Expert | Marketing Director, BCN Travel

Explore Alstrom Point Instead of Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend appears stunning online, but it’s a polished tourist attraction. You pay to park, walk a paved trail, and reach a fenced overlook crowded with people. Everyone is taking the same photograph. There’s no solitude, no challenge, and no sense of discovery. It has been packaged and sold as an “experience,” but it feels staged and forgettable.

Drive further. Go to Alstrom Point near Lake Powell. There’s no entrance gate. No barriers. You’ll need a high-clearance vehicle and a bit of determination, but the reward is complete silence and one of the most epic sunset views in the Southwest. You can camp on the cliff’s edge, wake up to golden light over the water, and not see another person for hours. That freedom changes how you perceive everything.

Another option is applying for a permit to the Wave. It’s more difficult to access and only a few people are allowed in each day, which makes the experience authentic. No crowds, no fences, no quick exits. You walk across otherworldly sandstone formations and feel like you’re somewhere secret. That’s the kind of place you remember.

Travel loses meaning when you follow the same itinerary as everyone else. You don’t need more content. You need more connection. Choose places that challenge you. Choose silence over selfie sticks. Choose raw over easy. That’s how you start creating memories worth more than any photograph.

Danielle Hu, Founder, The Wanderlover

Trade London Bridge for Apache Trail Adventure

In Lake Havasu City, Arizona, there is a very popular tourist attraction called “London Bridge.” While it possesses a deep historic connection of being dismantled in London and reassembled in Arizona, it functions more as a marketing ploy than a realistic marvel. Many people who visit it expecting an architectural wonder often leave disappointed upon realizing that it is just an average bridge located in the middle of a desert town with souvenir shops and high-priced boat rentals around it.

The Apache Trail is a better, more genuine alternative to the misleading London Bridge. It offers an old stagecoach route with beautiful scenery, numerous historic sites, and rugged desert terrain – the original Arizona landscape. Visitors are treated to huge cliffs, deep canyons, and sparkling lakes, culminating in an unforgettable trip that is free from the commercial distractions of tourist-heavy destinations. There are popular stopover places on the route such as the eerie Goldfield Ghost Town or the wondrous Canyon Lake, where people get to experience unexplored desert landscapes.

Hassan Morcel, CEO, Keys please Holiday homes Dubai

Rent 4×4 to Discover Sycamore Canyon

The Pink Jeep Tours in Sedona are a rip-off. You’re packed in, bounced around, and paying over a hundred dollars to take photos on a schedule. Skip it. Instead, rent a basic 4×4 in Cottonwood and take yourself to Sycamore Canyon. It’s more open, has better views, and no crowds.

We took our installation crew out there on a weekend trip. We packed food, hit the trails, and had the place to ourselves for half the cost. The same red rocks were there, but without the cattle-herd pacing.

Arizona’s best spots don’t have gift shops. If you want the real thing, drive past the brochures.

Bennett Barrier, Chief Executive Officer, DFW Turf Solutions

Visit Bisbee for Authentic Wild West Experience

I am telling you straight: skip the Wild West shootout shows in places like Tombstone. Working with language and culture daily, I can’t stand how these re-enactments turn real history into cheap theater. They pull in over 100,000 visitors a year, but what they show is a Hollywood version of the past. I’ve led projects where historical accuracy mattered, translating for museums and cultural sites, and seeing Wyatt Earp portrayed like a folk hero while ignoring the violence and politics behind that era is frustrating. These shows flatten stories into clichés.

Bisbee, just 30 minutes away, gives you the real deal. It’s a living mining town with over 4,000 feet of underground tunnels you can tour, and the locals will tell you stories without scripts. You’ll see original 19th-century architecture, not props, and feel something genuine instead of staged. That’s where Arizona’s real character lives.

Danilo Coviello, Digital Marketing Specialist & Founding Partner, Espresso Translations

Hubbell Trading Post Offers Genuine Native Crafts

I’ve seen too many tourists waste time at the Arizona Trading Post tourist traps along I-40, where they sell overpriced ‘authentic’ Native American crafts that are actually mass-produced overseas. Instead, I recommend visiting the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Ganado, where you can watch real Navajo artisans at work and purchase genuine handmade crafts while learning about the fascinating history of trading in the Southwest.

David Cornado, Partner, French Teachers Association of Hong Kong

Skip the Sedona Vortex and Head to Aravapia Canyon

As someone who calls Arizona home, I’d recommend skipping the overpriced and overcrowded Sedona vortex tours that dominate travel itineraries. While Sedona is undeniably stunning, many visitors end up paying top dollar for guided ‘vortex’ experiences that are often more hype than substance—think long lines, rushed moments of ‘reflection,’ and a lot of noise where you’re supposed to find peace.

Instead, I suggest heading to Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness Area , a hidden gem just a few hours away. This pristine desert oasis offers breathtaking views, serene hiking trails, and the chance to truly connect with nature without the crowds. The contrast between Aravaipa’s quiet beauty and Sedona’s commercialized vibe is striking. At Dune Medical Devices Inc., where I work as a freelance writer, we emphasize the importance of meaningful connections—whether in healthcare or in life. Similarly, choosing Aravaipa over Sedona allows travelers to forge a deeper, more personal connection with Arizona’s natural wonders.

John Anderson, Freelance Writer & Arizona Resident, Dune Medical Devices Inc.

Learn About Mining at The Cave Creek Museum

The Cave Creek Museum is a great spot for visitors, no matter your age. We thought we had been to every local attraction, so when we found the museum, we were thrilled to take everybody. We spent hours there looking at the photos, taking the tour of the mining equipment, and the kids got to pan for gold at the end. It is definitely something we’ve recommended, and it is off the beaten path.

Laura Adams, Phoenix resident and Co-Owner of Kaleidoscope Travel Advisors

The Musical Instrument Museum Outshines “The Thing”

I think one of the most notable tourist traps in Arizona is The Thing Museum. It’s a roadside attraction that is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and it has some alien and even dinosaur-related oddities. It’s meant to be intriguing and enticing, making tourists wonder what “The Thing” is. While it is quirky and different, people often feel quite let down by it. The wonder of it all is far better than what’s actually inside.

An alternative I’d suggest, if you like museums, is the Musical Instrument Museum. It is really interesting and unique, with tons of instruments from all kinds of different cultures all over the world. Even those who don’t play any instruments tend to really enjoy this museum.

Steve Schwab, CEO, Casago

Avoid Old Town Scottsdale and Explore The Hawes Trail System

Skip Old Town Scottsdale. Seriously. It looks great on a postcard, but when you are staring at a $26 plate of dry street tacos surrounded by bar crawlers in matching tank tops, it gets old fast. Everything there feels staged. Loud bars, overpriced boutiques, the same trinket shops every two blocks. Parking alone will test your patience. It is less about Arizona and more about Instagram. There is no real depth to the experience unless you count a dusty cowboy hat and a plastic souvenir shot glass.

Head 25 minutes east to the Hawes Trail System near Usery Mountain instead. That is where Arizona actually shows up. You get 50 miles of trails with red rock cliffs, twisted mesquite, and zero crowds. Bring a bike, or just hike it. I take my team out there a few times a year to reset. No cell service, no distractions. Just heat, dirt, and views that remind you why people fall in love with this place. At sunrise, the entire valley turns orange and the air smells like creosote and sun-baked stone. You cannot fake that.

There is no admission fee. No guided tours. Just bring water, sunscreen, and good shoes. You will probably see three people over two hours. The area has actual history too. Old mining paths, hidden canyons, and wild horses if you are lucky. It feels earned. There is nothing curated or commercialized out there. Just raw land and silence. That kind of quiet sticks with you.

If you want the brochure version of Arizona, sure, take a selfie under a neon sign in Old Town. If you want the Arizona people stay for, go east until the road turns to gravel. No bells, no gimmicks. Just rocks, sky, and the kind of peace that does not need to be sold.

Danny Niemela, Vice President and Chief Finance Officer, ArDan Construction

Arizona Science Center Offers Family and Adult-Only Fun

Arizona Science Center may be well-known to local Phoenicians, but many tourists coming to the area may be unfamiliar with this beacon of STEM exploration in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Featuring more than 300 hands-on exhibits, a five-story giant-screen theater, live demonstrations, traveling exhibitions, and exciting science programs, Arizona Science Center allows Arizona visitors the chance to get hands-on, Instagram-worthy experiences that are sure to enrich their trip to this great state. Topics covered through various exhibitions and exhibits include everything from exploring the human body to the forces of nature to physics and much more.

Beyond the galleries, Arizona Science Center offers both family-friendly and adults-only events. Programs including Science on Wheels, CAMP INNOVATION, teen programs, professional development, and Adults’ Night Out: Science With A TWIST. You can find the latest weekend happenings and only-in-Phoenix activities for the entire family on its events calendar.

Alyson Smith, Senior Vice President, Engagement, Arizona Science Center, AzScience.org

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