# Road trips in Arizona

> 13 road trips and 51 hand-picked places in Arizona, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/arizona/

13 road trips and 51 hand-picked places in Arizona, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

## Road trips through Arizona

- [Red rock Arizona](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/arizona-red-rock/): Sedona’s red buttes, the hillside ghost town of Jerome and Whiskey Row in Prescott.
- [Southeast Arizona: missions, mines and sky islands](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b8-sky-islands/): From Tucson’s White Dove of the Desert to a hidden cave, Old West Tombstone, copper-mining Bisbee and the rock pinnacles of the Chiricahua Mountains.
- [Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon via volcanoes and Desert View](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-flagstaff-volcanoes-desert-view/): Cliff dwellings at Walnut Canyon, the cinder cone of Sunset Crater and the pueblos of Wupatki, then into the Grand Canyon from the quiet east end.
- [Superstition Mountains, the Apache Trail and Tonto Basin](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-superstitions-tonto-basin/): Saguaro trails below the Superstitions, a canyon lake on the Apache Trail, a desert arboretum, and cliff dwellings above Roosevelt Lake.
- [Tucson and Mount Lemmon: from saguaros to pine forest](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-tucson-mount-lemmon/): A Civil War peak, Biosphere 2 and the Desert Museum, then Sabino Canyon and the climb up Mount Lemmon from saguaros to cool pines.
- [Verde Valley and Oak Creek Canyon: Phoenix to Flagstaff](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-verde-valley-oak-creek/): Sinagua cliff dwellings, a chapel in the red rocks, the classic view of Cathedral Rock and the switchbacks of Oak Creek Canyon.
- [Grand Canyon North Rim and Marble Canyon: Kanab to Page](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-north-rim-marble-canyon/): Cross the Arizona Strip to the quiet North Rim of the Grand Canyon, then drop past the Vermilion Cliffs to Navajo Bridge and Lees Ferry.
- [Canyons and cliff dwellings of the Four Corners](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/four-corners-loop/): Ancestral Puebloan villages, slot canyons and the Grand Canyon's South Rim.
- [Navajo Nation: Window Rock, Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-navajo-nation/): Across the Navajo Nation from Gallup to Utah, stopping at a historic trading post, the rims of Canyon de Chelly and a 13th-century village.
- [Hoover Dam and the Colorado River](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/colorado-river/): From the Las Vegas Strip to Hoover Dam and a London bridge in the Arizona desert.
- [Route 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/route66-west/): The Texas Panhandle, the Painted Desert and the Mojave, ending on the Santa Monica Pier.
- [Kanab to Page: pink dunes, hoodoos and Lake Powell](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b8-kanab-page/): Along US-89 from coral-colored dunes to the gateway of Lake Powell, with hoodoos and dinosaurs of Grand Staircase-Escalante on the way.
- [Utah's five national parks, in one loop from Las Vegas](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/mighty-five/): Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands, returning past Monument Valley and Horseshoe Bend.

## Places worth the detour in Arizona

- [Petrified Forest National Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/petrified-forest/): Fossil logs turned to rainbow quartz lie across the Painted Desert. It is the only national park that protects a stretch of Route 66.
- [Grand Canyon National Park – South Rim](https://camping-spirit.com/places/grand-canyon/): A mile deep and up to 18 miles across. The South Rim is open all year. Watch sunset from Hopi Point or Mather Point.
- [Monument Valley](https://camping-spirit.com/places/monument-valley/): Sandstone buttes on Navajo Nation land, known from a century of Westerns. The valley drive is unpaved, and Navajo guides lead tours deeper in.
- [London Bridge, Lake Havasu](https://camping-spirit.com/places/london-bridge/): The 1830s London Bridge, shipped stone by stone to the Arizona desert in the 1960s.
- [Mission San Xavier del Bac](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-san-xavier/): A white Spanish mission church from the late 1700s on the Tohono O’odham Nation, with a richly painted interior. It is still an active parish.
- [Kartchner Caverns State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-kartchner/): A living limestone cave discovered in 1974 and kept secret for years to protect it. Guided tours only; book ahead.
- [Chiricahua National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-chiricahua/): A wonderland of rhyolite pinnacles in a sky island range. Drive Bonita Canyon to Massai Point and hike among the balanced rocks.
- [Desert View Watchtower](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-desert-view/): Mary Colter’s 1932 stone tower at the east end of the South Rim, with Hopi murals inside and wide views of the river and Painted Desert. It is the first stop when you enter from Cameron.
- [Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-desert-museum/): A mostly outdoor zoo and botanical garden of the Sonoran Desert, with mountain lions, hummingbird aviaries and raptor flights. Go early in summer. Gates Pass Road is closed to vehicles over 25 ft.
- [Montezuma Castle National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-montezuma-castle/): A five-story Sinagua cliff dwelling set high in a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek, seen from a short paved loop trail. Just off I-17 exit 289; plenty of RV parking.
- [Canyon de Chelly National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-canyon-de-chelly/): Red sandstone canyons with cliff dwellings and Navajo farms still worked today. Rim drives to Spider Rock and White House Overlook are free; entering the canyon floor needs an authorized Navajo guide, except on the White House Trail when it is open.
- [Wigwam Motel](https://camping-spirit.com/places/wigwam-motel/): Fifteen concrete teepee-shaped rooms from 1950, with vintage cars parked out front.
- [Meteor Crater](https://camping-spirit.com/places/meteor-crater/): A near-perfect impact crater almost a mile wide, left by a meteorite roughly 50,000 years ago. There are viewing decks on the rim.
- [Standin' on the Corner Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/standin-corner/): A small downtown plaza with a bronze statue and a painted mural that honor a famous 1970s rock lyric.
- [Hackberry General Store](https://camping-spirit.com/places/hackberry/): Old gas pumps, rusted trucks and a mountain of road memorabilia on the longest unbroken stretch of Route 66.
- [Oatman Burros](https://camping-spirit.com/places/oatman/): Wild burros, descended from mining-era pack animals, wander the boardwalks of this old gold town looking for handouts.
- [Horseshoe Bend](https://camping-spirit.com/places/horseshoe-bend/): The Colorado River makes a 270-degree turn 1,000 feet below an unfenced rim. There is a parking fee and a 1.5-mile round-trip walk.
- [Antelope Canyon](https://camping-spirit.com/places/antelope-canyon/): Wavy slot canyons lit by shafts of sunlight. You can only visit with a Navajo-guided tour, so book ahead.
- [Four Corners Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/four-corners/): Stand in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah at once. Navajo artisans sell crafts around the plaza.
- [Saguaro National Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/saguaro/): Whole forests of giant saguaro cacti, some over 150 years old. The Bajada Loop Drive is best at sunset.
- [The Shady Dell](https://camping-spirit.com/places/shady-dell/): Vintage aluminum trailers from the 1940s and 50s, furnished with period radios and record players.
- [El Tovar Hotel](https://camping-spirit.com/places/el-tovar/): A log-and-stone lodge from 1905 built right on the South Rim. Rooms go quickly, but anyone can eat in the dining room.
- [Mather Campground](https://camping-spirit.com/places/cg-mather/): Shaded by ponderosa pines, a mile from the South Rim. It is on the free park shuttle loop.
- [Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b8-tombstone-courthouse/): An 1882 brick courthouse turned museum of the silver boom and the famous gunfight, a calm contrast to the costumed streets.
- [Pipe Spring National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-pipe-spring/): A spring-fed oasis on the Arizona Strip with an 1870s stone fort built by Mormon ranchers and a museum on Kaibab Paiute history. Ranger-led tours of the fort run most days; allow an hour.
- [Point Imperial](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-point-imperial/): The highest viewpoint on either rim, looking east over the Painted Desert and the start of Marble Canyon. It is reached by a short paved spur off the Cape Royal Road, with a small parking lot a few steps from the railing.
- [Cape Royal](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-cape-royal/): The end of the winding Cape Royal Road, where an easy paved trail passes Angels Window, a natural arch, before reaching a wide view down to the Colorado River. Drive out late in the day for sunset light.
- [Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-navajo-bridge/): Two steel arch bridges span Marble Canyon 142 m above the Colorado River; the old 1929 bridge is now for pedestrians. Look for California condors perching under the girders. Free parking on the west side.
- [Lees Ferry](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-lees-ferry/): The launch point for Grand Canyon river trips, with the ruins of an 1870s ferry crossing and Lonely Dell Ranch. The paved 8 km spur road from US-89A is in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, so the park fee applies.
- [Walnut Canyon National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-walnut-canyon/): Sinagua cliff dwellings built into limestone ledges of a forested canyon east of Flagstaff. The Island Trail descends 56 m by stairs past 25 rooms; exit 204 from I-40.
- [Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-sunset-crater/): A cinder cone that erupted about 1085, with black lava flows and a 1.6 km Lava Flow Trail at its base. One fee covers Sunset Crater and Wupatki on the same 55 km loop road.
- [Wupatki National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-wupatki/): Red sandstone pueblos built after the Sunset Crater eruption, the largest with around 100 rooms and a ball court. A paved trail from the visitor center loops through it.
- [Grandview Point](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-grandview-point/): A forested South Rim viewpoint on Desert View Drive with one of the widest panoramas of the canyon. The steep, unmaintained Grandview Trail drops from here; only day hike a short way.
- [Lost Dutchman State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-lost-dutchman/): Trails lead from saguaro desert toward the cliffs of the Superstition Mountains, named after a legendary lost gold mine. The park has a campground with electric sites; best from November to April.
- [Canyon Lake](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-canyon-lake/): A reservoir on the Salt River squeezed between steep cliffs along the Apache Trail (AZ-88). There are beaches, a marina and a scenic pullout; a Tonto Pass is needed to park at recreation sites.
- [Boyce Thompson Arboretum](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-boyce-thompson/): Arizona’s oldest and largest botanical garden, with a 2.5 km main trail through desert plants from around the world below Picketpost Mountain. Mornings are best in summer, when hours start early.
- [Tonto National Monument](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-tonto-nm/): Salado cliff dwellings in shallow caves above Theodore Roosevelt Lake. A paved but steep 1.6 km return trail climbs to the Lower Cliff Dwelling; the Upper Cliff Dwelling needs a ranger-guided tour.
- [Theodore Roosevelt Dam](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-roosevelt-dam/): A 1911 masonry dam, later encased in concrete, holding back Roosevelt Lake at the end of the Apache Trail. A viewpoint and a long steel arch bridge sit beside it on AZ-188.
- [Picacho Peak State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-picacho-peak/): A sharp volcanic peak beside I-10, site of a Civil War skirmish. The Hunter Trail uses steel cables near the top; in wet springs the lower slopes turn gold with poppies.
- [Biosphere 2](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b18-biosphere-2/): A sealed glass research complex built around 1990 to test closed ecosystems, now run by the University of Arizona. Visits take you past the rainforest, ocean and desert biomes; allow about two hours.

## FAQs

**What are the best road trips in Arizona?**
Popular routes include Red rock Arizona, Southeast Arizona: missions, mines and sky islands, Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon via volcanoes and Desert View and Superstition Mountains, the Apache Trail and Tonto Basin. CampingSpirit has 13 trip guides that pass through Arizona, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map.

**Which places in Arizona are worth a detour?**
Our editors recommend Petrified Forest National Park, Grand Canyon National Park – South Rim, Monument Valley, London Bridge, Lake Havasu, Mission San Xavier del Bac and Kartchner Caverns State Park.