6 Best Arizona Road Trip

This action-packed state has plenty of parks and forests for your next outdoor adventure. You could even go on a ghost hunt while exploring the Wild West – there is something for everyone in Arizona.

Not sure where to start? We’ve found six of the best American road trips to show off Arizona and its natural beauty, including famous hotspots like the Grand Canyon, Route 66 and the city of Tucson. So, get ready to experience the best the Copper State has to offer with Hertz car rental.

Tucson to Grand Canyon: Awesome Arizona

691 miles, 7 days, 9 stops

Jump in your rental car and drive around Arizona, taking in the most stunning sights – from the twinkling lights of downtown Tucson all the way to the mile-high walls of the Grand Canyon. With seven days to explore, you’ll have plenty of time to take in your surroundings, try out some activities like hiking or biking and capture each of these picture-worthy stops.

From Tucson and the San Xavier del Bac Mission, the oldest standing European structure in Arizona, you’ll find out about the Catholic Mission and the Tohono O’odham – the Native American people of the Sonoran Desert who built this monumental structure.

Then, you’ll head through various national parks, including Saguaro and Tonto National Forest. You won’t want to miss the Montezuma Castle National Monument, a 20-room structure over five stories high, built by the Sinagua civilization. Finally, head on down to the Grand Canyon and Prescott National Park to round off this trip.

Plan an Awesome Arizona road trip

Phoenix to Nevada: Canyons of Arizona & Nevada

984 miles, 14 days, 13 stops

Arizona and Nevada have some of the most impressive national parks in the USA. So, that’s why we’ve planned this road trip to see as many natural landmarks as possible over 14 days. Prepare to be amazed!

Start your adventure in Arizona with a day hike over the hump of Camelback Mountain, near Phoenix. Stop here for the night or make your way to Tucson for a guided tour of Sabino Canyon.

Your next stop is Goldfield Ghost Town, near the aptly named Superstition Mountains. This town was at the heart of the gold rush in 1892 but has since been abandoned. Spend some time exploring this slice of living history, before continuing to Arizona’s other iconic sights, including Red Rock State Park, the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon.

While the Arizona leg of your road trip ends here, there are still a few more stops to see in Nevada – so head across the border for a tour of the Valley of Fire, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.

Explore the Canyons of Arizona and Nevada

Illinois to California: Getting Your Kicks

2062 miles, 14 days, 14 stops

Although Route 66 is no longer a recognized highway, it’s still a popular road trip route due to its incredible history and the sights you’ll see as you drive the width of the US – through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and on to California.

Starting out at the Cahokia Mounds Historic Site in Illinois, you’ll pass through some amazing stops like Tulsa Zoo and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. From Texas and New Mexico, the road trip continues to Arizona for a stop at the Sunset Crater Volcano, which erupted over a thousand years ago over a once-inhabited area. It now has plenty of hiking trails around it, where you can see native elk, mountain lions and coyotes.

From here, drive over to the Grand Canyon and the Kingman Historic Powerhouse. The latter represents a very important part of Route 66’s history. There are plenty of visitor centers and museums to view on this trip, but the Route 66 museum is our favorite.

Get your kicks on Route 66

California to Arizona: Ghost Towns of the West

1346 miles, 10 days, 12 stops

Looking for a California to Arizona road trip? This spooky route takes you to various ghost towns and abandoned sites across the West. Some have been developed into living history museums, while others are truly abandoned with local tour guides filling in the gaps.

In California, you’ll start out at Bodie, an eerie gold mining town abandoned within 50 years of its establishment. From here, you’ll pass through more gold rush ghost towns before heading into Nevada for a trip to the Neon Museum. Visit day or night for a tour of the museum’s abandoned neon signs, discarded by casinos, bars and hotels over the years.

From Nevada, you’ll head back to California and see the empty Griffith Park Zoo that closed down and moved in 1966 – if you’re feeling brave, you can even enter the former enclosures.

Your road trip ends in Arizona, where you can see the abandoned Christmas town of Santa Claus in the middle of the Mojave desert. Once a popular festive resort, now all that remains are a few disheveled red-and-white buildings and broken signs from Christmas past.

Visit the Ghost Towns of the West

Arizona to Oregon: Into the Valleys

1764 miles, 14 days, 12 stops

When talking about canyons, valleys and national parks, where better to start than the Grand Canyon? This Arizona to Oregon road trip is designed to showcase some of the most amazing sights along the West Coast.

Take a walk over the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass viewing platform 2,000 feet stretching over the river. You can also head to the North or South Rim and use one of the lookout points to snap the perfect photo for Instagram.

From Arizona, you’ll head straight to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, before crossing into Nevada’s wilderness – the Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area. Continue on to Death Valley and Yosemite National Park in California for a hike past waterfalls, glaciers and giant sequoia forests.

Then it’s on to Oregon for the final part of your tour, which sees you explore America’s deepest lake – Crater Lake – and end your trip at the breathtaking Rocky Butte viewpoint overlooking Mount Hood.

Drive Into the Valleys with Hertz

Nevada to Nevada: The Grand Circle

1390 miles, 10 days, 13 stops

If you’re interested in visiting Arizona’s neighboring states, then this circular road trip around Nevada, Utah and Arizona might be the perfect route for you.

It’s easy to think of deserts as sandy wastelands where you can’t see anything for miles. Here on the Grand Circle road trip, you’ll discover that there are other types of desert – just don’t forget to take water with you.

From Nevada and the opening stop at Springs Preserve, you’ll dive straight into Utah’s beautiful national parks – Zion and Bryce Canyon. Set up base in the central town of Torrey for a day or two exploring local sights, like the Thousand Lake Mountain or Capitol Reef National Park.

Then, it’s time to head into Arizona via the Lees Ferry – the Colorado River’s starting point through the Grand Canyon. You can visit the original 1872 ferry launch ramp and learn about the people who tried to survive in this inhospitable place. Nearby, check out the extraordinary Meteor Crater dating back 50,000 years ago, before looking to the stars at Lowell Observatory.

Follow the Grand Circle

Whether you love an outdoor adventure, snapping photos of impressive natural landscapes or just experiencing something new, there’s nothing quite like a road trip to Arizona.

Reserve your Arizona car rental with Hertz today and start planning your ideal route using the American Road Trip Planner. You’ll be amazed at what you can discover.