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The Deserts of Arizona are the desert ecosystems, habitats, vegetative regions, and landforms found in the U.S. state of Arizona. They include many dramatic and famous landscapes and landforms that are symbolic of the state of Arizona. The two major deserts in Arizona are the Mojave Desert in the northwest and the Sonoran Desert in the southern half of the state. The Colorado Plateau, found in the northern and northeast portion of the state, also contains desert features. The places and lands that make up Arizona's deserts are widely varied; Arizona's deserts go beyond the strict definition of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, and also include arid places like Painted Desert and Monument Valley on the Colorado Plateau, among others.

Sonoran Desert


The Sonoran Desert is found in the southern and western parts of Arizona. The state's two largest cities, Phoenix and Tucson, are located here in the Sonoran Desert. Because of its relatively lush vegetation (for a desert) and the emblematic Saguaro cactus found here, the Sonoran Desert is perhaps the desert image most associated with Arizona.

Yuma Desert
The Yuma Desert is a lower-elevation subregion of the Sonoran Desert found in the southwestern corner of Arizona. The main city in the area is Yuma. The Yuma Desert is analogous to the Colorado Desert subregion of the Sonoran Desert found in California.

Tule Desert
The Tule Desert is another subregion of the Sonoran Desert. It is found near the U.S.-Mexico border, almost entirely within the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range.

Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert is found in the northwest and western portions of Arizona. It is drier and more sparsely-vegetated than the Sonoran Desert. The cities of Kingman, Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City are the major settlements in this portion of the state. In Arizona, the Mojave Desert gives way to the Colorado Plateau to the east, and the Sonoran Desert to the south and southeast.

Colorado Plateau


The Colorado Plateau is a semi-arid to arid high-elevation region that makes up most of northern Arizona and the entire northeast corner of the state. Many portions of the Colorado Plateau have desert characteristics, but are considered cold deserts due to their low winter temperatures and less extreme summer heat. The Grand Canyon is one of the major features of Arizona's Colorado Plateau, along with the Painted Desert, Monument Valley, and the drowned Glen Canyon.

Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a massive geomorphic feature that exhibits five of the seven life zones and three of the four desert types found in North America. Across these biomes, it is semi-arid to arid in nature. It lies in the middle of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona.