Arizona Summer Day Camps

Arizona Geography

Saguaro at Sunset from Saguaro National Park Rincon District east of Tucson, Arizona Geography of Arizona See also lists of counties, islands, rivers, lakes, state parks, national parks, and national forests. Arizona is located in the Southwestern United States as one of the Four Corners states. Arizona is the sixth largest state in area, after New Mexico and before Nevada. Of the state's 113,998 square miles , approximately 15% is privately owned. The remaining area is public forest and park land, state trust land and Native American reservations. Arizona is best known for its desert landscape, which is rich in xerophyte plants such as the cactus. It is also known for its climate, which presents exceptionally hot summers and mild winters. Less well known is the pine-covered high country of the Colorado Plateau in the north-central portion of the state, which contrasts with the desert Basin and Range region in the southern portions of the state . View from Mogollon Rim Like other states of the Southwest, Arizona has an abundance of topographical characteristics in addition to its desert climate. Mountains and plateaus are found in more than half of the state. Despite the state's aridity, 27% of Arizona is forest, a percentage comparable to modern-day France or Germany. .