Arizona has always attracted travelers to its wild desert landscape, crisscrossed by highways crossing this vast swath of the American southwest, from the state's surprising ski slopes in flagpole to its ghost towns dotted with saguaro cacti, just minutes from Mexico.
While there are hundreds of routes to choose from (Arizona is the sixth largest state in the country), you'll see more if you take it slowly. Check out a museum in a former copper boomtown that now displays works by luminaries like Ai Weiwei and Cey Adams, or stop in a high-altitude town to taste locally made wine.
Map out routes, settle in and explore at your own pace. To see everything from native cliff dwellings to quirky Route 66 towns, here are the seven best road trips in Arizona.
1. High Desert Whiskey and Wine Road Trip
Best road trip to wine country
Prescott-Sedona; 60 miles
Find your brand of relaxation in the northern Arizona town of Mile-High. Prescottfamous for its gold rush era sedans Row of whiskey And Watson Lake granite valleys. This route winds Mingus Mountain In Jeromea cliffside village best known for its ghosts, which is also part of the excellent Verde Valley Wine Trail.
Continue through the pines to the historic towns of Clarkdale (Tuzigoot National Monument worth the detour), Cottonwood and Cornville, which between them have a dozen vineyards, on the way to Sedona.
2. Crater and troglodyte dwellings road trip
Best Road Trip to Historical Sites
Sedona – Wupatki National Monument; 88 miless
From the red rock canyons of Sedona, this route climbs through forests to nearly 7,000 feet in elevation. flagpolegateway to the region's geological and cultural past. Distinguished by its many historic sites and monuments, head east of Flagstaff to Nut Canyonwhich is home to 25 cave dwellings built by the pre-Columbian Sinagua people, then continue to Winona – its namesake bridge is a picturesque Route 66 relic.
Continue north to stand on the edge of a cinder cone at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. After an eruption destroyed the fertile lands a little over a thousand years ago, the Sinagua migrated through the ponderosa pines and the Painted Desert to the area that is today Wupatki National Monumentwhere you can see their ancient pueblos.
DETOUR: Stop at Northern Arizona Museuma small but perfectly formed gallery that celebrates Native American culture and history, as well as the biology and anthropology of the surrounding region. Check the website for the calendar of events, workshops and field courses.
3. Road trip on Route 66
Best Road Trip for Americana
Kingman-Seligman; 87 miles
This road trip on Route 66, the longest stretch still in use, is the perfect relaxation if you've been partying nearby. Las Vegas. Discover sites like Route 66 Museum and dozens of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places In Kingthen take the historic “mother road” which crosses the sagebrush and villages to Seligman.
Those quirky red signs planted at the side of the road? They are a tribute to the historical Shaving in Burma advertising campaigns. From Seligman, you will always see Route 66 signs pointing to Ash Fork. But purists will take note – although the Mother Road technically continues to Williamsa bustling city which is the starting point of the Grand Canyon Railwaymost of the original route is buried under I-40.
Planning tip: Admission to the Arizona Route 66 Museum also includes the Theater and Electric Vehicle Museum. The Kingsman Visitor Center, where everything is housed, has lots of information and souvenirs about this iconic road.
4. Road trip between cactus giants and gunslingers
The best road trip to discover living deserts and the old Wild West
Tucson-Bisbee; 97 miles
Located in the Sonoran Desert, Tucson is the epicenter of exploring the long relationship between humans and plants. Stop at Tucson Botanical Gardens or the 21 acres Arizona and Sonoran Desert Museum for an introduction to desert culture, guided hikes and art exhibitions. Then sink deep into the belly of Saguaro National Park to commune with its century-old namesake cacti, which flower and bear edible fruits in spring.
After driving among the bristling sentinels, the road takes you to Tombstonethe city “Too hard to die”. Formerly a gathering place for shootings in OK Corralthe community plays hardball in its Wild West history. Continue south until you reach Bisbeea former copper boom town that now focuses on the arts. THE Artemizia Foundation exhibits contemporary works by famous artists such as Cey Adams and Ai Weiwei.
5. Navajo culture and heritage road trip
Best Road Trip for Navajo Culture
Kayenta-Monument Valley; 27 miles
Although this road trip is a short getaway, it dives into the heart of Navajo culture. Start your trip to Kayenta at the open-air Navajo Shadehouse Museum to learn about the code talkers employed by the military during World War II. Heading north, this route traces the remains of volcanic upheavals such as Agathla Peak rising above ancient ancestral Puebloan cave dwellings.
Planning tip: To get close access to these sites, you will need to go to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Parkcrossing Utah before returning to Arizona to arrive at the entrance.
6. Coronado Trail Scenic Byway
The best road trip for thrill seekers
Springerville-Morenci; 117 miles
The Coronado Trail Scenic Byway seems like a straight road south, but there's a big twist to this road trip: 460 turns to be exact. Originally built in 1981 and echoing the route taken by its namesake Spanish explorer in the 17th century, it was given the not-so-subtle highway number 666 and nicknamed “The Devil's Highway “.
Renamed Highway 191, this road trip through Arizona's White Mountains, near New Mexico departs from Springerville, the site of the Casa Malpais Archaeological Park, before diving and weaving through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. A great place to refuel and grab lunch is at Hannagan Meadow Lodge. Near Clifton, look for a strange national monument: the Arrow Tree, a dead pine pierced with arrows.
Local advice: As you travel the final detours toward Morenci, keep an eye out for wildlife like bears, bobcats, bighorn sheep, and wolves.
7. Edge-to-edge road trip in the Grand Canyon
Best Classic Road Trip
South Shore – North Shore; 210 miles
It's easy to get fixated on Grand Canyon National Park with its layers of limestone and the Colorado River winding a mile below the south bank. Admire the expanse of the gorge, hike the trails, then explore the other side of the 1.2 million-acre park on a rim-to-rim road trip. Exit due east, stopping at Duck on a rocky viewpoint for photo sessions or to visit the trading post from 1916 to Cameron to purchase antique Navajo rugs.
This road trip gains altitude through Marble Canyon, near Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, famous for the Wave, a formation made up of sandstone swirls. This is condor territory, so keep an eye out for these winged giants soaring overhead, then head south through the conifers of the Kaibab National Forest to the North Shorewhich is at 8,000 feet.
Planning tip: Before you head out on that road trip, check the park's website for extreme heat warnings in South Shore in summer and for north shore closures in late fall.
