Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially-defined region of the U.S. state of
Arizona. Generally consisting of
Coconino County,
Yavapai County,
Navajo County, and
Apache County, it is geographically dominated by the
Colorado Plateau, the southern border of which in Arizona is called the
Mogollon Rim. It is home to dozens of mountain ranges, including the state's highest, the
San Francisco Peaks. It also contains most of the state's natural lakes. In the West lies the
Grand Canyon, which was cut by the flow of the
Colorado River while the land slowly rose around it. The elevation ranges from 2200 feet at the bottom of the Grand Canyon to 12,633 feet at Humphrey's Peak. In the central portion lies the
Painted Desert, consisting of
sedimentary rocks eroded by water and wind, exposing thick, brightly colored layers. In the East are the very large
Hopi and
Navajo reservations, parts of which overlap, leading to occasional territorial disputes. In this area travelers may tune their radios to hear native-language broadcasts.
Native Americans make up the average of 47.87% in Coconino County, Navajo County, and Apache County. Dozens of Anasazi, Sinagua, and other ruins of the ancient Puebloan people can be found throughout the region.