ARIZONA’S MOST SCENIC ROAD TRIPS
Let’s be honest, when most people think of Arizona, they think of the Grand Canyon. Makes sense. It’s a giant hole in the ground that looks fake in real life (or so I hear) and is one of the awe-inspiring 7 Wonders of the World. But here’s the thing: Arizona has been underselling itself literally everywhere else. Sure, some people appreciate the red rocks of Sedona, but there is a kind of everywhere else that covers ancient volcanic craters, ancient civilizations, Prohibition-era ghost towns, and yes, even a wine trail. Think of it like a road trip playlist. A lot of variety, most of it random, but there is something for everyone, no matter where you hit next.
Whether you have a long weekend or weeks to explore, these drives cover the best of Arizona’s varied landscapes, history, and culture. Pack your bags, load up the playlist, and get ready to discover the parts of Arizona people speed through on their way to the canyon.
Route 66
Kingman to Seligman (and on to Williams)
If there is any stretch of road that earns the title “The Real Route 66,” it’s the section running from Kingman to Seligman. This stretch of road is the longest continuously operating segment of the original highway still in use today. It’s not a recreation or a tribute. It’s the real Route 66, and it still has all of the kitschy energy of the golden era of American road culture.
Seligman itself is where the Route 66 preservation movement was born, thanks to a local barber, who fought to keep the town alive after the new interstate bypassed it. The Route 66 Museum in Kingman is a legitimate stop, so don’t try to skip it. But most exciting, between the two towns, you’ll find over a dozen places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From old motor courts (recreated in the movie Cars) to roadside diners that still serve pie to travelers at diner counter stools, there are plenty of things to see and enjoy. The road technically continues to Williams; however, much of the original pavement between Seligman and Williams has been buried under modern highway over the years. The Kingman to Seligman stretch is where the magic of Route 66 lives in Arizona. Drive it slow. Pull over often. Take pictures of things that have no practical purpose. Take the time to enjoy the very best old school Americana has to offer.
Western Adventure
Tucson to Bisbee via Tombstone
This drive is for anyone who has quoted a Western film or had a passing curiosity about what life on the Southwest frontier actually looked like. Spoiler: it was pretty dramatic and very, very hot. Start the journey in Tucson at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It’s largely considered one of the best natural history institutions in the country. It’s part zoo, part botanical garden, part outdoor museum, and entirely worth a few hours of your time. From there, visit the Saguaro National Park, where armies of giant saguaro cacti grow in numbers that seem too large to believe. Saguaros are the icons of the Southwest, and some are over 150 years old, standing tall, completely indifferent to the world around them.
Then comes Tombstone. Yes, the location of the OK Corral gunfight in 1881, and where, of course, you can watch daily reenactments on the very same ground. It leans into the mythology without apology, and honestly, good for them. Finish the journey in Bisbee, an old copper mining town turned artist colony that somehow seems to retain its Victorian mining town vibes while embracing its new bohemian wave at the same time. The pastel houses stacked up into the hills are genuinely one of the most unexpected sights to see in this state.
High-Desert Wine Trail
Prescott to Sedona via the Verde Valley Wine Trail
Before you say anything, yes, Arizona makes wine. And it’s good wine. The Verde Valley Wine Trail has been quietly earning serious recognition, and a road trip from Prescott through Cottonwood to Sedona is the best way to experience it. The high desert elevation, warm days, and cool nights create ideal growing conditions for grapes, and the local winemakers have the bottles to prove it.
Start the trail in Prescott, one of Arizona’s “most charming small cities,” with its Victorian-era Courthouse Plaza and walkable downtown that feels a lot more like, say, Colorado, than the Sonoran Desert. Then continue winding your way through the Verde Valley, stopping at tasting rooms in Cottonwood and Jerome. Jerome is an old copper mining town perched oh so dramatically on a cliffside that is equal parts history and character. By the time you roll into Sedona with its otherworldly red rocks turning gold in the afternoon sunlight, the whole drive starts to feel like a fantasy. Pair your wine with a gorgeous Sedona sunset, and you’ll be thanking yourself later.
Craters & Caves
Sedona to Wupatki National Monument
This journey is for visitors who want to feel small in the coolest way possible. Starting from Sedona, which already operates at a high spiritual and visual frequency, you head northeast through a landscape created by volcanic eruptions and ancient civilizations. It feels like traveling back in time.
Walnut Canyon National Monument is the first stop on the journey. This is where the Sinagua people built cliff dwellings directly into the limestone walls of a deep canyon some 900 years ago. The Island Trail takes you right past the actual rooms and, from what I hear, it’s one of the most quietly stunning places to visit here. Next is Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, where the landscape dramatically shifts to a field of black lava rock and cinder cones; the result of a volcanic eruption less than 1,000 years ago. A relatively recent event in geological terms. The final stop is Wupatki National Monument, which sits on a high desert plateau where ancient pueblos once housed hundreds of people. The Wupatki Pueblo and Wukoki Pueblo are incredibly well-preserved, and the views stretch out in every direction in a signature way only an Arizona plateau can manage.
Bonus:
Kayenta and Monument Valley
No Arizona road trip list would be complete without at least a mention of Monument Valley. The iconic sandstone buttes that rise from the valley floor have been photographed and filmed so many times that they feel like a painting. When you arrive, you realize not a single image has ever done them justice.
The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park sits within the Navajo Nation, which is important context for any visitor. The scenic drive through the park is one of the most cinematic roads in the country, and Kayenta serves as the gateway town with lodging, food, and Navajo history and culture that will give the whole landscape new meaning.
Hit the Road
The thing about many of Arizona’s road trip-worthy spots is how it rewards the people who slow down. The ones who take the old highway over the interstate. The ones who pull over to see something that looks interesting and stay to enjoy the sunset rather than rushing to the next stop. Arizona has ancient ruins sitting next to volcanic craters located next to Wild West ghost towns right near wine country, and somehow it all makes sense. Whether you pick one of these routes or string a few of them together to enjoy more of Arizona, in some way, you’ll find the state exceeds your expectations every single time. Get out there and see it for yourself. Even I have some home state traveling to do, and luckily, the road is right there waiting.
