FARFLUNG ARIZONA — An Arizona road trip? Why not? Last winter, a college friend and I visited the Grand Canyon, one of the country's most celebrated treasures. In late April, we returned to check out Arizona's northeastern corner, which seemed speckled with less-visited wonders and, I hoped, a few hidden gems.

I didn't have grand expectations. After all, what could be as breathtaking as the 6-million-year-old chasm, as I had seen it, dusted by snow and illuminated by the last rays of daylight? The answer, I soon learned, was plenty.

DAY 1

Using Flagstaff as our jumping-off point, we meandered north on U.S. Highway 89. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument wasn't part of the plan, but a roadside sign announcing it caught our attention. Its name intrigued me, and I thought this could be one of our hidden gems.

Black rock with touches of green and yellow lichen covers most of the Bonito Lava Flow, near the park entrance. Red and orange glaze the top of Sunset Crater Volcano, for which the park is named. Legend has it that 19th-century explorer John Wesley Powell gave the crater its name because he thought its rim resembled a sunset.

Just up the road from Sunset Crater is Wupatki National Monument, with picturesque scenery and pueblo ruins. The largest of these is the Wupatki Pueblo, which in the 12th century had 100 rooms holding as many residents. You can tour the pueblo grounds, including the ball court and community room.

Worth a visit? The Wupatki and Sunset Crater Volcano national monuments charm but I wouldn't plan a trip just to see them. They're great stops on the way to the Grand Canyon or southern Utah. Together, they're two distinct experiences for the price of one detour.

DAY 2

From Sunset Crater and Wupatki, we drove two hours north on U.S. 89, heading for Horseshoe Bend. The parking lot is small and dusty. Furry caterpillars meander across the 3/4-mile trail. But what you encounter is nothing short of amazing.

Vistas from the cliff's edge include the Colorado River 1,000 feet below as it cuts a horseshoe into the land. Greenery lines the river on both sides, as reddish-orange and yellow rock strata rise from the banks.

Seeing Horseshoe Bend recalled the wonder I felt gazing at the Grand Canyon for the first time. Although I appreciated that I could take in Horseshoe Bend in one gulp (not so the Grand Canyon).

Worth a visit? Yes, definitely. But again, make it a stop on a larger trip. The view is stunning, but the area doesn't lend itself to hiking. Best to pair Horseshoe Bend with nearby Antelope Canyon.

Off state Highway 98 on Navajo land about 11 miles east of Horseshoe Bend, Lower Antelope Canyon looks like any other stretch of desert. But descending into this canyon feels as if you've stepped into an elaborate art installation.

The slot canyon's sandstone walls convulse into elaborate shapes. Light casts bright patches in some places and shadows in others. Every turn you take yields a new sight. Not for the passive walker, Antelope Canyon is an energetic experience. You climb and squeeze your way through some sections so narrow that only one person at a time can pass. At the steepest points, visitors can continue only with the aid of metal stairs.

I enjoyed Lower Antelope Canyon more than the Grand Canyon. You can hike here. The photographic opportunities are terrific.

Surprisingly, there were few tourists even though we visited midday when the sun's angle creates ideal light conditions. Upper Antelope Canyon, more popular because of its easier trail, probably lured them away.

Access to the canyons, which make up the Antelope Canyon Navajo Tribal Park, is by guided tours only, which start at $20, not including the $6 admission.

Back on 98, heading east for about three hours to U.S. Highway 163, we saw enormous rock formations rise as we neared the Arizona-Utah border.

Monument Valley, the backdrop for numerous Hollywood westerns, is a concentration of towering sandstone formations, some more than 1,000 feet high. A 17-mile drive winds past the valley's rock formations, including the Mittens, Grey Whiskers, King On His Throne and the Three Sisters. For the most part, the monuments resemble their names.

Worth a visit? Monument Valley left me only mildly impressed. During the 17-mile drive, I felt as though I was seeing the same monuments, as grand as they were, over and over from different angles.

For me, visiting the valley was a passive experience. We drove, got out at scenic vistas and snapped a few photos. Because Monument Valley is a Navajo tribal park, climbing is not permitted. Hiking opportunities also are limited.

My friend, however, was entranced by the valley's grandeur. The $5 admission gives you access to just one-third of the park. I skipped the guided tours, which start at about $50 and can cost more than $100.

DAY 3

For the last leg of our road trip, we headed to Petrified Forest National Park, about a four-hour drive south of Monument Valley via Highway 191 and Interstate 40.

The trees from more than 200 million years ago were washed into streams and buried under sediment, so none stands upright.

The trees, however, wear an impressive palette of colors from minerals — mostly quartz — that supplanted the organic matter.

Allow a day to visit. Driving the 28-mile road through most of the park's sights takes at least an hour, not taking into account stops.

The Blue Mesa Trail carries you into the bowels of the Painted Desert's badlands, an alienlike landscape strewn with kaleidoscopic petrified wood. History buffs should stop at Newspaper Rock, a collection of boulders bearing more than 650 petroglyphs.

Worth a visit? Along with the Lower Antelope Canyon, the Petrified Forest was a highlight of my road trip. The park has first-rate scenery, and much of it can be appreciated up close. Best of all, the park was relatively empty.

In just three days, I had seen a lifetime's worth of canyons, badlands, mesas and buttes. But, for me, Lower Antelope Canyon and the Petrified Forest were the true hidden gems.