Arizona is no doubt an extraordinary state, with breathtaking natural scenery and lots of fantastic places to visit. But just how well do you think you know this state. Well, here’s our list of the top 20 fantastic facts you probably didn’t know about Arizona.

  • You could go to prison for a whole year for cutting an endangered cactus plant such as the Saguaro in Arizona.
  • The Saguaro cactus, which is, by all means, a unique and rare plant, takes up to 100 years to grow a single arm in areas where there’s low precipitation.
  • More than 685 deaths have occurred so far at the Grand Canyon, either due to accidents or health-related issues.
  • Kitt Peak in Sells, Arizona, hosts the largest solar telescope in the world.
  • The Grand Canyon, which is one of Arizona’s most popular tourist attractions, exposes more than 1 billion years worth of rock.
  • Arizona is very large. In fact, it’s so large that it could fit both of Pennsylvania and New England.
  • There’s not a single dinosaur fossil at the Grand Canyon. Why? Because the Grand Canyon rocks are older than dinosaurs are. Some of the fossils that have been found in the Grand Canyon include those of sponges, corals, and trilobites.
  • In all the United States, Arizona tends to have the largest proportion of land designated as Indian land. There are over 20 federally recognized tribes of American Indians in this state.
  • Arizona’s Colossal Cave happens to be one of the largest dry caverns in the entire world.
  • Havasupai Indians, one tribe of Native Americans, actually live inside the Grand Canyon. Their village is located near the Havasu Creek.
  • You might want to thank Arizona the next time when you enjoy a margarita. The fist barrel of tequila in the United States came from Nogales back then in 1936.
  • In Arizona, it’s actually illegal for donkeys to sleep in a bathtub. Well, you can think whatever you want to about that one.
  • Winslow, Arizona, is where you find the best-preserved meteor crater worldwide.
  • The Jerome Grand Hotel used to be a hospital for miners in the town. But it’s currently believed to be one of the most haunted locations in the state.
  • There are over 13 different species of rattlesnakes in the state of Arizona. This is more than what you get in any other state nationwide.
  • Arizona is the 6th biggest state in the country. However, just a meagerly 17% of it is owned privately. The rest goes to state trust lands, park lands, and reservations for Native Americans.
  • Except for President Barrack Obama and Donald Trump (so far), all American presidents since Herbert Hover have stayed at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa located in Phoenix.
  • You’ll find the Apache Trout Fish in Arizona and nowhere else.
  • Phoenix and Tucson are America’s sun cities, with the sun shining in these places 85% of the year. That makes Florida and Hawaii look like a joke.
  • In Arizona, over 150 people are bitten by rattlesnakes annually.
  • Arizona is home to some of the top long-term care facilities in the U.S