10 Best Road Trips from Phoenix

Make your way from Phoenix to arguably the most popular attraction in Arizona: Grand Canyon National Park. This striated canyon is 3.5 hours from the city, making it one of the best weekend trips you can take.

Once you get to the Grand Canyon, you have a couple of different options. You can simply look at this natural wonder from the many different viewpoints, which is already an incredible encounter, or you can take a more adventurous approach. Hike, helicopter, or whitewater raft your way through the Grand Canyon for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Take an amazing road trip from Phoenix to Sedona for red rock views and blood-pumping hikes galore. After the 2-hour journey, you’ll be more than ready to stretch your legs while tackling one of the best trails in town.

While there are too many Sedona hikes to count, there are a few that stand out above the rest. Check out the gravity-defying Devil’s Bridge Trail, the short and sweet Seven Sacred Pools via the Soldier Pass Trail, or the challenging Cathedral Rock Trail. 

Located just an hour and 45 minutes outside of Phoenix, Tucson has a lot going for it. You can hike at Saguaro National Park, explore the labyrinth at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and pop by the Pima Air & Space Museum, just to start.

But if there’s just one thing you have to do in Tucson, it’s eat. As the first-ever UNESCO City of Gastronomy, the city’s food scene, particularly its Mexican and Indigenous American cuisines, can’t be beat. With countless farmers' markets, vineyards, and food tours, you can easily spend your entire visit just eating and drinking your way through town. 

Situated on the famed Route 66, Flagstaff is one of the best road trips from Phoenix. As you drive the 2.5 hours toward this famed route and town, you can stop in spots like Sedona and Lake Montezuma and make it a multi-day road trip adventure.

While hikes, eateries, and museums all await in this Arizona town, the real Flagstaff fun begins after dark. As the first International Dark Sky City, Flagstaff offers some of the best views of the Milky Way in the entire world. Gape up at the night sky from fantastic stargazing spots like Wupatki National Monument and Buffalo Park.

Tombstone, Arizona got its name for a reason, or a few of them, to be more precise. Nicknamed “The Town Too Tough to Die,” Tombstone has been filled with everything from gunfights to guillotines over the years. 

Rather than shy away from its wild past, Tombstone actually embraces it for tourism purposes. Many visitors make the 3-hour road trip from Phoenix just to see the gunfight reenactments at O.K. Corral, say hello to a few ghosts at The Bird Cage Theater, and grab a drink at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon.  

Named after the lake of the same name, Lake Havasu City is a great road trip from Phoenix, as it’s 3.5 hours away. There are 2 different routes that you can take to get there. The northern one (along Highways 93 and 40) is filled with charming small towns and haunted ghost towns, while the southern one (along Highways 10 and 72) is filled with hot springs and waterfront views.

But the real fun begins in Lake Havasu City, where you can enjoy Arizona’s own beachfront paradise. Go boating, try stand up paddle boarding, or lounge around on the sandy shores. Don’t forget to visit the famed London Bridge, the most well-known landmark in town.

Stretching over 200 miles (322 km), the Mogollon Rim is one of the largest natural features in Arizona, and the main visiting area is just 2 hours outside of Phoenix. 

Amongst the lakes, cliffs, and forests, you can easily spend days exploring everything that the Mogollon Rim has to offer. Do something active, like hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, or biking. Or take it easy with activities like picnicking, birdwatching, and stargazing. Either way, your trip to the Mogollon Rim is practically guaranteed to be a breath of fresh air. 

Just 2 hours from Phoenix, Prescott isn’t all that far from the city. But those couple of hours take you to another world, one filled with small-town charm. 

First things first, you’re going to want to head outdoors during your time in Prescott. Hike through the Granite Dells, go for a summer swim in the Watson and Willow Lakes, or trek the relatively easy Thumb Butte trail. Once you’ve got your fill of fresh air and sunshine, spend the evening at one of Prescott’s charming bars, particularly on the famed Whiskey Row.  

Often dubbed the “Sunniest City on Earth,” Yuma is a special spot for both outdoor activities and agricultural adventures. Given the doable 3-hour drive, it’s one of the best road trips from Phoenix as well.

Get an early start to take advantage of as much Yuma sunshine as possible. Tackle the challenging Telegraph Pass Trail or kayak in Mittry Lake with the help of 3:10 Kayak & Paddleboard Rentals. And if you’re more into the agricultural side of things, take a tour of Martha’s Gardens Date Farm or pick your own lemons at Amundson’s Citrus Fruit Farm. 

Embark on the 2-hour road trip from Phoenix to Jerome for haunted sites and abandoned buildings. As the largest ghost town in America, there’s no doubt that this former mining town is worth exploring.

Start your ghost town visit with a trip to Jerome State Historic Park, where you can learn all about the city’s once-thriving copper mining industry, and its eventual downfall. Then, take to the streets to find the town’s ghosts. They’re known for hanging out at The Asylum restaurant, the Connor Hotel, and Lawrence Memorial Hall, in particular.