Made up of 4 states, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada, the southwest is home to hardy animals who have adapted to live in the harsh landscape. Rivers and weather have carved out beautiful geologic features across the region, with Arches National Park protecting the greatest abundance of natural arches in the world.
The parks often exceed 100F during summer, so it is perhaps surprising that many of them see snow during the winter, creating magical landscapes that give a completely different appearance to their summer state. The vast open areas dotted with canyons creates brilliant desert playgrounds which can be explored by boat, bike and 4x4. And for the more adventurous visitor, try your hand at canyoneering or white water rafting while basing yourself out of Moab, a major adventure town in Utah!
The region is also home to some of the most spectacular vistas and hikes in the country. Zion is home to the incredibly unique hikes of The Narrows and Angels Landing, and is one of five national parks in Utah. And how could you forget the Grand Canyon? One of the world's great wonders, with it hard to believe such impressive scale can be carved out by just one river. The southwest really does take your breath away!
