In a state as hot and dry as Arizona, rivers are focal points within the state. On Arizona’s eight major rivers, including the Salt, Gila, and Verde rivers, rafting, tubing, and kayaking provide a cool and scenic respite from the heat. The state’s most famous river—the mighty Colorado—is one of the longest rivers in the United States and is responsible not only for carving the 277-mile Grand Canyon but also for sustaining more than 40 million people in seven states.
Arizona has approximately 90,373 miles of river, of which 57.3 miles are designated as wild & scenic—less than 1/10th of 1% of the state’s river miles.
