15 best day trips from Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona, is surrounded by diverse landscapes and attractions, making it an excellent hub for day trips. Here are 15 great day trip options from Phoenix:
- Sedona:
- Known for its stunning red rock formations, hiking trails, and artistic community.
- Highlights: Red Rock State Park, Chapel of the Holy Cross, and Slide Rock State Park.
- Grand Canyon National Park:
- One of the world’s most famous natural wonders.
- Highlights: South Rim viewpoints, hiking trails, and the Grand Canyon Skywalk (at West Rim).
- Jerome:
- A historic mining town perched on the side of Cleopatra Hill.
- Highlights: art galleries, historic buildings, and the Jerome State Historic Park.
- Tucson:
- Arizona’s second-largest city with a rich cultural scene.
- Highlights: Saguaro National Park, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Mission San Xavier del Bac.
- Prescott:
- A charming town with a historic downtown area and outdoor recreational opportunities.
- Highlights: Whiskey Row, Sharlot Hall Museum, and Thumb Butte.
- Montezuma Castle National Monument:
- Ancient cliff dwellings were built into limestone cliffs.
- Highlights: Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, and hiking trails.
- Scottsdale:
- Known for its upscale shopping, dining, and art galleries,.
- Highlights: Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale Fashion Square, and Desert Botanical Garden.
- Flagstaff:
- A city in the mountains with outdoor activities and cultural attractions.
- Highlights: Lowell Observatory, Walnut Canyon National Monument, and Historic Downtown Flagstaff.
- Cottonwood:
- A historic town in the Verde Valley is known for its wine tasting rooms.
- Highlights: Old Town Cottonwood, wine tasting, and Dead Horse Ranch State Park.
- Taliesin West:
- The winter home and school of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
- Highlights: guided tours of the architectural masterpiece and the surrounding desert.
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument:
- A unique Sonoran Desert landscape with diverse plant and animal life.
- Highlights: Ajo Mountain Drive, hiking trails, and the visitor center.
- Apache Trail:
- A scenic drive through the Superstition Mountains with breathtaking views.
- Highlights: Canyon Lake, Tortilla Flat, and the Superstition Mountain Museum.
- Wickenburg:
- A western-themed town with a historic downtown area.
- Highlights: Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Vulture Mine, and Hassayampa River Preserve.
- Petrified Forest National Park:
- Known for its colorful petrified wood and Painted Desert.
- Highlights: Crystal Forest, Blue Mesa, and the historic Painted Desert Inn.
- Biosphere 2:
- A unique research facility exploring Earth’s ecosystems.
- Highlights: guided tours of the Biosphere 2, ecological research exhibits.
When planning day trips, always check the opening hours, any admission fees, and current conditions at the destinations. Additionally, consider the season and weather, especially if you plan to engage in outdoor activities.
The capital of the hot and dusty state of Arizona is Phoenix. With a population of 1.66 million, there is a lot to take in when visiting Phoenix. Whether you spend your days touring Camelback Mountain, seeing all the weird and wonderful animals at the Phoenix Zoo, or taking a gentle stroll through the Desert Botanical Garden, suffice it to say there’s plenty to keep you busy.
Once you’ve exhausted all of your options for exploring Phoenix, know that there are plenty of other activities you can participate in outside of the city limits. Let’s take a look at the 15-day trips from Phoenix that will keep you on your toes.
1. Grand Canyon
One of the most popular attractions in the United States of America, the Grand Canyon is a true natural wonder. It stretches as far as the eye can see and beyond. The best viewpoints can find at Mather Point and the Mary Colter Lookout Studio.
Lipon Point is one of the most visited lookout points, with stunning views of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River below. The Grand Canyon should be experienced at sunrise or sunset for the most impressive views, preferably both.
2. Las Vegas
Friends, Las Vegas, or Sin City as it is also known, must be visited at least once every lifetime. Las Vegas is an entertainment and entertainment paradise in the Nevada desert with casinos, flash hotels, cabaret shows, and more.
While the pace of life in Phoenix is steady, Las Vegas offers an exciting and enchanting contrast. A bit overwhelming if you stay too long, Las Vegas is best discovered smoothly and concisely. If you’re traveling with your sweetheart, why not live up to the cliché and swing past the Graceland Wedding Chapel? Why not.
When in Vegas and all!
Check out recommended hotels in Phoenix, Arizona (AZ)
3. Los Angeles
Los Angeles, home of Hollywood superstars, sports heroes, and business gods, is a beautiful place to explore, if only for the day. Stroll the Hollywood Walk of Fame and pose with the stars dedicated to your idols. Climb into the hills and walk under the famous Hollywood Sign.
The Griffith Observatory is a real strongpoint of any visit to Los Angeles, and since the art-deco building is breathtaking, you can climb through telescopes and admire stunning views of the vast urban landscape. Not only for kids, but Disneyland also has fun and memories galore, whatever your movie tastes.
4. Tucson Mountain Park
If you fancy getting around for a day trip from Phoenix, Tucson Mountain Park is an excellent introduction to the Arizona landscape. Put on the hiking boots and don’t forget to bring plenty of water. After all, it is the desert, and head to one of the many hiking trails.
Enjoying several fantastic scenic views, exploring the park Tucson Mountain requires minimum fitness levels.
However, if you want to challenge yourself, get a set of wheels and explore on a mountain bike. At Tucson Mountain Park, with gnarly assaults and rough terrain in places, there’s something for everyone.
5. Lake Saguaro Marina
Saguaro Lake Marina is a relaxing and peaceful day trip from Phoenix and offers visitors the opportunity to become one with the scenic landscape. Located off State Route 87, between the eerie ghost town of Sunflower and the city of Phoenix, the Lake Saguaro Marina is very easily accessible.
The lake is home to dozens of fish species, including rainbow trout, yellow bass, and channel catfish. An artificial lake, Saguaro Lake, was formed due to the Stewart Mountain Dam. There are plenty of options to do during the day, including kayaking, skiing, and swimming.
6. Joshua Tree National Park
Crossing state lines in California, Joshua Tree National Park is a wild and rugged landscape that is highly photogenic and conducive to exploration.
Home to thousands of twisted and thorny Joshua trees, the national park covers 3,200 km2. Straddling the void between the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert, Joshua Tree National Park is great for hiking, especially if you enjoy jumping from boulder to boulder.
Ideal for true adventurers, Joshua Tree National Park is just over a three-hour drive from downtown Phoenix.
Make sure you find time to make it to Keys View to take in the spectacular view of Coachella Valley.
7. Lake Mead
In terms of capacity, the largest reservoir in the United States of America, Lake Mead, extends as far as Nevada and Arizona. Lake Mead is also an area of National recreation and offers many adventures. Many people choose to explore the perimeters of Lake Mead by ATV; others prefer to go fishing or take a boat trip on the water.
Whatever your interest in the outdoors, Lake Mead is here to please. Formed due to the impressive Hoover Dam, it is possible to combine the two sites on a day trip from Phoenix if you are ready for a busy day. 15 best day trips from Phoenix
8. Bisbee
Bisbee is a small town in southeastern Arizona’s Mule Mountains, rich in mining history. Once a prosperous copper mining town, Bisbee is now a destination in its own right. Bisbee Historical and Mining Museum provides fascinating information about the city’s glorious past; Muheim Heritage House also provides a vivid picture of the lives of the 19th-century locals.
Walk along Tombstone Canyon and admire homes once inhabited by families of working miners. If you don’t have claustrophobia, visit Queen Mine and explore the underground world of Bisbee.
9. Montezuma Castle
Castle is one of Arizona’s oldest and most fascinating historic features. Camp Verde is a well-preserved village located in the Red Rocks of Yavapai County. It is the exact site of Montezuma Castle.
Established by the native Sinagua Indians over 600 years ago, Montezuma Castle is one of the best-preserved prehistoric dwellings in all of the United States.
Standing at a proud five-story height, the cliff of Montezuma Castle is to be believed. Comprised of twenty rooms and built into the rocks of Beaver Creek Canyon, this national monument is an essential link to our past.
10. Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park is an ideal day trip from Phoenix for outdoor enthusiasts. Perfectly preserved and easily accessible, Saguaro National Park has many hiking trails, easy to difficult to explore.
The Signal Hill Trail features ancient petroglyphs created by the Hohokam people. This trail is located in the district of Tucson Mountain in Saguaro National Park.
Cactus Forest Drive might interest you if you are a budding botanist. Located in the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park, Cactus Drive is the best route to see Arizona’s famous giant cactus and its desert landscapes.
Check out recommended hotels in Phoenix, Arizona (AZ)
11. Sedona
Famous for its steep, craggy canyon walls and tall pine forests, the city of Sedona is lovely. Straddling the county boundaries of Yavapai and Coconino,, Sedona is home to a wealth of natural beauty. Red Rock State Park, Slide Rock State Park, and Oak Creek Canyon are just starting.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a modern contrast to the natural landscape. It is a picturesque chapel located in the Red Rocks of Sedona. Visitors come from far and wide to witness the astonishing and dazzling red sandstone formation that surrounds the city of Sedona.
12. flag pole
Flagstaff is the gateway to the peaks of San Francisco, surrounded by rugged mountains, towering pine forests, and barren desert. If you are keen on skiing or snowboarding, Flagstaff will already be on your visiting list. The Arizona Snowbowl is a laid-back, laid-back hill station offering a full range of snow sports throughout the year.
If you want to learn about Native American history, a visit to Wupatki National Monument would be a great one. In addition to a day trip to Flagstaff, it contains unspoiled Pueblo sites. Walnut Canyon National Park is also home to cliffs.
13. Apache Trail
The Apache Trail is also known as State Route 88, and while that involves spending most of the day in a car, it is a great day trip from Phoenix. The Apache Trail is Arizona’s oldest road, with plenty of scenic lookouts and stopping points.
Initially designed for stagecoaches to travel through the Indian country of Apache, the Trail of the Apaches allows you to follow your ancestors’ route. Travel through the state, admiring the Superstition Mountains of the Lost Dutch and the Tonto National Forest.
True to its original form, Apache Trail has hardly improved since its inception. Smaller vehicles are better than large RVs and trucks
14. Jerome
Another of Arizona’s copper mining towns, Jerome, was once considered the meanest and most sinful town in the entire Western West because of its infamous “line of prostitution.” Now that the copper is exhausted, Jerome has more tourists than locals.
Something of a ghost town these days, Jerome provides visitors with interesting and insightful information about the copper mining industry that once thrived in Arizona.
As a living museum, it is possible to combine a visit to Jerome with the Tuzigoot National Monument, which houses a well-preserved ancient settlement on the pueblo.
15. Meteor Crater
Located just 40 miles east of Flagstaff is Arizona’s phenomenal Meteor Crater. Undoubtedly the best-preserved land impact site globally, the Meteor Crater is an area of constant research and examination.
Meteor Crater’s incredible 1.1 km in diameter must be observed to be genuinely understood. The crater is believed to have been created over 50,000 years ago when a meteorite fell to earth.
In addition to the crater itself, visitors can walk to the Discovery Center, complete the interactive exhibits, and learn more about the stars, rocks, and wonders of outer space. 15 best day trips from Phoenix
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15 best day trips from Phoenix
