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Arizona is a beautiful state, and so different from top to bottom! I’ve pulled together some of the most fun and amazing sights for families to see on an Arizona road trip.
I’ve linked the attractions below to their Trip Advisor page or a local blogger’s post about the area. Images are both mine and from friends and family who have traveled to these amazing places. Though we reserved an RV rental via RV Share and took a family road trip last summer and went to several of these destinations, we haven’t visited them all.
15 Must See Places on an Arizona Road Trip
- Page, Arizona: Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are amazing landmarks! I used to think you’d have to travel into Utah for these beautiful rock formations, but we have some right here in Arizona!
Horseshoe Bend
Photo Credit: Tucson Mama on Instagram
Antelope Canyon
Photo Credit: Tucson Mama on Instagram
2. The Grand Canyon: Of course no Arizona road trip is complete without a stop at the Grand Canyon National Park!
Parents, there are many areas of the park that do not have railings! I highly recommend wearing your little ones if possible or securing them to you some way. We didn’t realize this and our little explorer had a hand holding him at all times!
3. Williams, Arizona: This small town is closest to The Grand Canyon and the famous Route 66 runs right through it. Around the holidays, make sure to sign up (early!) for The Polar Express.
4. Flagstaff, Arizona: In addition to the Bearizona drive through wildlife park, Flagstaff is home of the North Pole Experience every winter! No matter what the season is, you’ll definitely want to check out the Meteor Crater just outside of town!
Thanks to friend Kelly Walsh for this picture
5. Sedona, Arizona: Sedona is beautiful! There are some great places to eat and shop in the center of town (we found an awesome General Store with rubber band guns) and Slide Rock State Park is a must-see. Bring swimsuits or even just towels to explore.
6. Jerome: There’s lots of fun to be had at the Blazin’ M Ranch! Make sure you arrive with plenty of time to play before the dinner bell rings!
7. Campe Verde, Arizona: Home of the Out of Africa Wildlife Park, Predator Zip Lines, and Montezuma Castle National Monument.
Thanks to friend Maryann Graue for these pictures
The Out of Africa Wildlife Park is an amazing experience! Get up close with the animals, take a tour, and even (safely) feed the animals!
8. Scottsdale, Arizona: If you’re looking for an outdoor adventure, you might enjoy the many off road adventure tours that are offered. Scottsdale is also home to several amazing spas, spring training for several baseball teams, amazing hot air balloon rides, and a K1 Speed Go Kart Track. There really is a lot to do in Scottsdale!
Note: Once you get to Scottsdale, you’re in the perfect place to view the amazing Arizona sunsets, which are viewable until you get to the southernmost part of Arizona. Eat dinner outdoors and stay close to the windows. You don’t want to miss even one of them. They’re even more amazing during the summer monsoons!
9. Globe, Arizona: As you’re passing through, make sure to stop at the Pickle Barrel Trading Post for unique gifts and antiques, and drive down the Salt River Canyon for some beautiful scenery.
10. Casa Grande: Just outside of Casa Grande in Stanfield you can tour the Shamrock Farms Dairy Facility! Here are some tips for going on the Shamrock Farms tour.
11. Mt. Lemmon, Arizona: Just northeast of Tucson, you’ll find Mt. Lemmon–a skiing, sledding, rock climbing haven. Averaging 30 degrees cooler than Tucson, it’s the place to be when the temperature rises. As you can see, my oldest son has been enjoying Mt. Lemmon for quite a while now. Don’t skip the Cookie Cabin for pizza and homemade cookies at the top of Mt. Lemmon. During the winter there is usually a wait, but they’re worth it!
12. Sabino Canyon in Tucson, Arizona: At the base of Mt. Lemmon is a beautiful hiking spot. A bus tour leaves every 30 minutes from the base, or you can hike Sabino Canyon youself–plan for about 4 hours round trip.
13. Tucson, Arizona: Depending on the season, Tucson has different things to offer! If you’re driving through in the Spring, look up the local rodeos! Spring and fall offer the Gem Shows, and if the weather isn’t too hot or too cold, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is *the* place to see! Local blogger Desert Chica has more than 20 fun Tucson activities for you, and Tucsontopia always has great ideas for where to eat and play in Tucson.
14. Texas Canyon in the Dragoon Mountains is another great rock climbing spot just outside of Tucson. It’s beautiful to drive through, and you should definitely stop at the Old Benson Ice Cream Stop on your way through!
15. Tombstone, Arizona: Don’t let your road trip end without a visit to the O.K. Corral, Good Enough Mine Tour, or Big Nose Kate’s Saloon for lunch! Be sure to let your little ones know that the gun fight is just pretend–it gets pretty loud pretty quick.
16. Bisbee, Arizona: Tons of adult fun with the Bisbee Brewing Company, a real live Ghost Tour (with or without a pub crawl), and if you’re there in October, the Bisbee 1000 is something to check off your bucket list!
Those look like amazing places to see. I would love to visit there again.
What a great time to see this post! I’m in the midst of planning our spring trip to AZ, this information is so helpful. Can’t wait to see the Grand Canyon for the first time.
What a fun list! There are definitely some stops we need to make on our next road trip.
You are forgetting my #1 AZ favorite: Lake Havasu City, AZ!! Home of the London Bridge, this city is an absolutely beautiful destination.
I love Mt. Lemmon….always go when I go home to Arizona….also check out Oracle and Peppersauce.
Don,t forget Crowns King in the Bradshaw Mountains.And of course Cave Creek north of Phoenix
Tombstone is one of my favorite places to visit in Arizona! Being from Minnesota, I have family there and have visited about 10 times. I still love Tombstone and Jerome. I make a point to drive through the mountains and see Jerome every time I’ve gone! You have great photos!
How many days was this trip?
Daniella, This wasn’t a trip we took–just suggestions of where to go!
Just a heads up – Blazin M Ranch isn’t in Jerome, it’s in Cottonwood (which is really up and coming – especially Old Town Cottonwood!). If you’re visiting Jerome, you DEFINITELY have to “stop by” (plan on at least 1+ hours) the Gold King Mine Ghost Town.
My wife and I go up to Cottonwood every year and a have to go place is Blazing M Ranch. If I left the valley ( Phoenix) I would love in the Cottonwood area
How long would you say this trip takes? How many nights should i plan on sleeping in a hotel? Money wise, what is about the cost of gas?
Mackenzie, I’m not sure about all these–we didn’t take the trip, but just mapped the route for you. :)
Great list! I’d also like to add two “must see” natural AZ wonders- Tonto Natural Bridge (near Pine) and Kartchner Caverns (near Benson). The little river valley under the bridge is a fun, energetic hike while the cavern has a smooth walkway all the way through it. Both are amazing day trips from Phx.
Don’t forget Boyce Thompson Arboretum… Beautiful
Hi Becca !
You did not include Prescott, the old capitol of AZ, with one of the biggest rodeo in the west, some magnificent boulders, Whisky Row, Thumb butte…
Nope, I didn’t :) This wasn’t a comprehesive list of everything in AZ, just a few things we picked.
My 2 cents worth: Arizona university towns with diverse activities including sports, arts, and lectures make it well worth a visit to NAU in Flagstaff, Tempe’s ASU, and UA in Tucson. University activities are virtually non-stop year round attractions. And a big bonus is all the cafe life around the universities, especially Mill Avenue in Tempe, provides a great excuse to visit these college towns. Also regarding Flagstaff, I’d also mention the Lowell Observatory which is a must see attraction there.
I loved the Apache Trail and lost Dutchman story. Sitting in ghost mining town and watching sun go down over the mountain was magical.
These are all great places to see & Arizona is full of places East to West
& Norrh to South!!
One of my favorite places is Northeast
Monument Valley & Canyon de Shey
You will not be dissappointed!!
I wanted to thank you for explaining some things you can do in Arizona. I didn’t know that Route 66 is in Arizona. Maybe it could be fun to see what the route looks like throughout the day.
You missed Jerome The old mining town It’s cool. Up by cottonwood.