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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The best scenic drives near Phoenix range from a one-hour desert escape to overnight routes reaching Sedona, Tucson, the White Mountains, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and the Grand Canyon. For an easy outing, start with Bush Highway, Usery Pass Road, or the Lake Pleasant area. For the biggest change in scenery, drive north on the Beeline Highway toward the Mogollon Rim, or plan a longer trip to Oak Creek Canyon, Mount Lemmon, or the Grand Canyon.
This guide groups 18 routes by practical trip length from central Phoenix. Times are approximate and can change substantially with your starting neighborhood, traffic, stops, construction, weather, and road conditions. Several routes include gravel or unpaved sections, so check AZ511 and the relevant Forest Service or National Park Service alerts before leaving.
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How to choose among these Phoenix road trips
Near Phoenix is a deliberately broad term here. The first group works as a short metro escape or half-day outing. The second group is better suited to a full day. The final group includes routes where the driving alone can consume most of a day; an overnight is often the safer and more enjoyable plan.
Arizona can also change dramatically with elevation. The Tonto National Forest, for example, stretches from approximately 1,300 feet to 7,900 feet and includes Sonoran Desert, lakes, rivers, and the Mogollon Rim. That is why a Phoenix departure can begin among saguaros and end in pine forest or snow country.
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These are the most practical choices when you want scenery without committing to a distant destination. Some can easily expand into a half-day or full-day plan once you add a lake, trail, historic site, or meal.
1. Apache Trail Historic Road: Apache Junction to Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat
Best for: Superstition Mountain scenery, canyon walls, desert lakes, ghost-town history, and one of the Phoenix area’s classic road-trip landscapes.
The Apache Trail begins in Apache Junction and reaches Goldfield Ghost Town, Lost Dutchman State Park, Canyon Lake, and Tortilla Flat. The developed western section is paved and makes a strong half-day out-and-back. The Forest Service identifies SR 88 as the Apache Trail Historic Road Scenic Byway and notes its access to lakes and trailheads; Visit Phoenix’s scenic-drive information is useful for the route’s current access caveat.
Important status warning: Do not plan this as a continuous Apache Junction-to-Globe drive without checking current official conditions. Visit Phoenix reports that an unpaved section between milepost 214 east of Tortilla Flat and milepost 228 remains closed indefinitely. Tourism information has also described the final stretch as seasonal and weather-dependent. Unless current official notices confirm otherwise, treat the Apache Trail as an out-and-back to the open western section.
The route is a poor place to improvise with a low-clearance vehicle or to assume that a rental-car contract covers every unpaved road. Even where the western section is paved, narrow, winding mountain roads and limited services make a full tank, water, and daylight sensible.
2. Bush Highway: Mesa to Saguaro Lake and the Lower Salt River
Best for: An easy combination of saguaros, river access, desert mountains, and water.
Bush Highway, commonly identified by the Forest Service as Forest Road 204, runs from the Mesa area toward the Lower Salt River and Saguaro Lake recreation sites. It is one of the most flexible short drives from Phoenix: stop at a river access area, continue toward Saguaro Lake, or pair the road with nearby recreation sites such as Phon D Sutton or Blue Point. The Tonto National Forest scenic-drives information provides the route context.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAllow roughly two to four hours if you are including viewpoints and short stops. Because this is a recreation corridor rather than just a point-to-point drive, weekend and seasonal traffic can make the outing feel slower than the map suggests.
3. Usery Pass Road and Usery Mountain Regional Park
Best for: A short introduction to Sonoran Desert topography, close-up mountain views, and a low-commitment drive inside the metro area.
Forest Road 207, commonly called Usery Pass Road, passes through the Usery Mountain recreation area. The Forest Service describes it as a scenic route used by bicyclists and informal Sunday drivers. It works well when you have only one to three hours, want a few desert viewpoints, or do not want to spend most of the day behind the wheel.
Build in time for a trail or overlook if you want more than a windshield view. Otherwise, Usery Pass is a good choice for a quick morning or late-afternoon escape, particularly when a longer highway trip would be excessive.
4. Lake Pleasant Parkway and the Lake Pleasant reservoir area
Best for: Broad northwest desert vistas, water, an easy drive from the Phoenix area, and sunset potential.
Lake Pleasant Parkway leads toward the Lake Pleasant reservoir area, part of the region’s network of desert lakes and recreation destinations. This is better described as a practical metro-area scenic outing than as a formally designated scenic byway. Visit Arizona’s rivers and lakes guide places Lake Pleasant in the wider Phoenix-area water-and-desert landscape.
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Allow two to four hours depending on whether you stop at the reservoir, picnic, walk, or stay for sunset. It is a straightforward option for drivers who want open scenery and water without committing to a mountain pass or a remote forest road.
5. Wickenburg and the Joshua Tree Parkway Scenic Drive
Best for: Open desert, western history, and a northwest loop from Phoenix.
Wickenburg gives the drive a historic western-town component, while the Joshua Tree Parkway offers a scenic return or extension through open desert. It can work as a half-day outing or a full-day loop, depending on how long you spend in Wickenburg and how much of the parkway you drive. Visit Arizona’s multi-day itinerary includes the Phoenix-Wickenburg-Joshua Tree Parkway combination.
Do not plan around a guaranteed number of Joshua trees or a particular wildflower display. Seasonal color and bloom conditions vary, and the route’s appeal is primarily its spacious desert setting and western-road character.
Roughly two to four hours to the route
These drives are usually full-day candidates from Phoenix, especially if you plan to hike, explore a town, or take scenic side roads. They also make better overnight trips when you want to avoid returning after dark.
6. Beeline Highway: SR 87 from Mesa toward Payson
Best for: A dramatic elevation transition from saguaro desert to higher-elevation mountain country.
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SR 87 climbs north from the Phoenix area toward Payson. Along the way, the Forest Service highlights views of Mount Ord, the Mazatzal Wilderness, Diamond Mountain, Crabtree Butte, Sycamore Creek, and Red Mountain. The Forest Service route guide explains the scenic corridor, while Visit Arizona describes the northbound Phoenix-to-Payson approach as one of the state’s especially attractive highway drives.
Payson makes a natural turnaround, but the route can also be combined with a visit to Tonto Natural Bridge if you have enough daylight. The appeal is the changing landscape rather than one single overlook: saguaros gradually give way to rougher mountain terrain and, farther north, cooler forest country.
7. US 60 through Superior, Queen Creek Canyon, and Globe
Best for: Copper Country history, rugged desert mountains, and a paved alternative or complement to the Apache Trail.
US 60 crosses the East Valley toward Superior and then continues through the Queen Creek Canyon area to Globe. The Forest Service describes the route as scenic, with views toward the Superstition Wilderness and access to historic mining towns. Superior is approximately 45 miles from the Phoenix East Valley and provides a gateway toward the Apache Leap Mountains, Queen Creek Canyon, and the Salt River Canyon region.
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This is the better choice when you want the mining-town and canyon experience but do not want to rely on the Apache Trail’s unpaved or potentially closed eastern section. It is still a full-day plan once you add stops in Superior or Globe, so check fuel and return-time logistics before setting out.
8. Roosevelt Lake and the Tonto Basin loop
Best for: A longer reservoir drive that combines desert, canyon, dam, lake, and historic scenery.
A Phoenix-to-Tonto Basin and Roosevelt Lake loop can use SR 87, SR 188, and connecting roads. Major stops include Roosevelt Dam, Tonto National Monument, and Roosevelt Lake, which Visit Arizona describes as the largest lake in the Salt River chain. The National Park Service information on Tonto National Monument identifies the Apache Trail, Tonto Basin, and Globe-Superior loop as a popular Phoenix-area day-trip concept.
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This is a full-day drive, not a quick lake run. The route rewards drivers who enjoy the changing road scenery between desert valleys, canyon country, and the reservoir, but it leaves less margin for late starts, long hikes, or unexpected delays.
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Best for: Ponderosa pine, high-country views, switchbacks, historic mining-town architecture, and a pronounced desert-to-forest change.
The scenic section of AZ 89A between Prescott and Jerome climbs and descends over Mingus Mountain. Visit Phoenix’s scenic fall-drive guide highlights the switchbacks and mountain scenery, while Visit Arizona’s scenic-drive material places Prescott, Jerome, Cottonwood, and Sedona in a connected north-central Arizona touring region.
From Phoenix, this is best treated as a full-day drive or overnight route. Jerome’s hillside streets and historic character make it a destination in its own right, but the road over Mingus Mountain is the main scenic event. Slow down for the switchbacks and check weather before committing to a high-elevation return.
10. Sedona Red Rock Scenic Byway: AZ 179
Best for: Red-rock formations, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, galleries, and restaurants.
The Red Rock Scenic Byway is the 14.5-mile AZ 179 corridor between I-17 and Sedona. It packs a great deal of scenery into a relatively short road, but the Phoenix-to-Sedona drive and the area’s popular viewpoints make this a full-day trip at minimum. An overnight in Sedona is often the more sensible choice if you want to combine the byway with trails, galleries, or a meal rather than race back to Phoenix.
A Red Rock Pass may be required when parking on National Forest land near Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. Rules, parking availability, and fees can change, so check current information before choosing a pullout. Visit Arizona’s Red Rock Scenic Byway overview is a useful starting point.
11. Oak Creek Canyon: AZ 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff
Best for: Red-rock canyon walls, creekside vegetation, autumn color, and a high-elevation contrast to Phoenix.
AZ 89A connects Sedona and Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon, with the Oak Creek Canyon Vista Overlook as a key stop. Visit Phoenix describes the scenic Sedona-to-Flagstaff stretch as approximately 25 miles, while Visit Arizona describes Oak Creek Canyon itself as a 15-mile scenic drive. The difference reflects which portion is being measured; in either case, the route is a compact but highly scenic mountain corridor rather than a long-distance highway.
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Long day or overnight routes
These drives are included because they are realistic scenic-road-trip options from Phoenix, not because they are casual afternoon outings. For most travelers, an overnight improves safety, flexibility, and the amount of time available for the destination.
12. Payson to the Mogollon Rim: AZ 260 and Forest Road 300
Best for: Rim overlooks, ponderosa forest, cooler temperatures, and wide views from the edge of the Colorado Plateau.
Drive north on the Beeline Highway to Payson, continue toward Rim Country on AZ 260, and consider the Rim Road segment known as Forest Road 300. Visit Phoenix describes a 51-mile Rim Road section, while the Forest Service identifies the Mogollon Rim as one of the major scenic features of Tonto National Forest.
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Vehicle and road-surface warning: Forest Road 300 is not interchangeable with a fully paved highway. Surface conditions, weather, and seasonal access can change. Check the Forest Service before departure and do not assume that a standard passenger car, low-clearance vehicle, or rental vehicle is appropriate simply because a navigation app displays the road.
This works best as an overnight or carefully planned full-day trip. The rim views are the reason to go, but the route has less tolerance for a late start, low fuel, poor weather, or an unplanned detour than the metro drives.
13. White Mountain Scenic Byway: AZ 260 toward Eagar
Best for: Meadows, mountain peaks, aspens, and a cooler high-country landscape.
The White Mountain Scenic Byway follows AZ 260 toward Eagar, with the route passing south of Pinetop-Lakeside near Hon-Dah. Visit Phoenix estimates the Phoenix-to-Hon-Dah distance at approximately 188 miles. That makes this a weekend or overnight route, not a casual drive for a spare afternoon.
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Because portions pass through tribal or high-country communities, verify local conditions, restrictions, and travel information before departure. The reward is a landscape that feels far removed from the Phoenix basin: open meadows, forest, seasonal color, and mountain scenery.
14. Catalina Highway to Mount Lemmon
Best for: One of southern Arizona’s clearest elevation-change drives, from Sonoran Desert toward pine forest and alpine terrain.
Catalina Highway climbs from the Tucson area toward Mount Lemmon, making it a strong Tucson extension from Phoenix rather than a nearby Phoenix outing. Official Arizona tourism material recommends the Mount Lemmon drive as part of a Phoenix-centered Arizona road trip, but the distance means you should allow a full day at minimum and consider staying in Tucson.
Snow, ice, thunderstorms, road work, and other conditions can affect access. Check current Arizona travel information and Coronado National Forest alerts before setting out. The elevation change is the attraction, so do not treat weather at the Phoenix trailhead as a reliable forecast for the summit.
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15. Saguaro National Park Cactus Forest Loop Drive
Best for: Dense saguaro forests, paved pullouts, short trails, and an easy scenic loop east of Tucson.
The park’s east district includes the 8-mile paved Cactus Forest Scenic Loop Drive, with vistas, pullouts, and trailheads. The National Park Service’s getting-around information for Saguaro National Park is the source for the loop length and vehicle restrictions.
From Phoenix, this is a full-day drive or a Tucson overnight combination. It is one of the better choices for drivers who want a concentrated cactus landscape without taking an unpaved backcountry route. Oversize-vehicle and towing restrictions apply, so check the park’s current rules if you are driving a large RV, trailer, or unusually long vehicle.
16. Saguaro National Park Bajada Loop Drive
Best for: A quieter graded-dirt desert loop, foothill scenery, picnic areas, and access to trails in the Tucson Mountain District.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The Bajada Loop Drive is a 6-mile unpaved, graded dirt loop. It is a different experience from the paved Cactus Forest Loop: slower, more intimate, and more dependent on current surface conditions. The NPS provides route and vehicle-size information on its Saguaro National Park transportation page.
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Consider pairing it with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for a full Tucson-area day. Confirm that your vehicle is permitted and suitable, especially after rain. A graded dirt road is not a guarantee of good conditions for every car or every season.
17. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: Ajo Mountain Drive
Best for: Organ-pipe cacti, saguaros, desert washes, mountain foothills, and dramatic Sonoran Desert photography.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is approximately 2.5 hours south of Phoenix before the additional local driving. The NPS describes Ajo Mountain Drive as a 21-mile one-way gravel-and-asphalt route that takes approximately one to two hours. It is normally passable for vehicles and RVs under 25 feet, but that description should not be read as a guarantee under every weather or road condition. See the NPS driving information for Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
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18. Grand Canyon South Rim: Desert View Drive
Best for: The largest-scale scenery on this list, repeated canyon overlooks, and Colorado River views.
The National Park Service places Phoenix approximately 231 miles from the South Rim. Once at Grand Canyon Village, Desert View Drive provides a 23-mile private-vehicle route to Desert View, with developed viewpoints, picnic areas, and pullouts. The NPS Desert View Drive guide details the route.
The South Rim is reachable as a very long day trip, but an overnight is strongly recommended. Plan Grand Canyon South Rim lodging or stay in a nearby gateway community so that the drive itself does not consume the time and energy you need for the overlooks. Check current park conditions, seasonal access, and weather before leaving Phoenix.
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Quick selection guide
| If you want… | Start with… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The shortest metro escape | Usery Pass Road, Bush Highway, or Lake Pleasant | These provide desert scenery with relatively little commitment from central Phoenix. |
| Water and desert in one outing | Bush Highway, Saguaro Lake, the developed Apache Trail, or Roosevelt Lake | Each combines Sonoran Desert terrain with a reservoir or river setting. |
| Red rocks | AZ 179 through Sedona or Oak Creek Canyon | These routes put red-rock formations, canyon walls, and high-country scenery at the center of the trip. |
| Forest and elevation change | Beeline Highway, the Mogollon Rim, Prescott-Jerome, White Mountain Scenic Byway, or Mount Lemmon | They move from low desert into pine forest, mountain, meadow, or alpine environments. |
| Cactus photography | Ajo Mountain Drive or either Saguaro National Park loop | These routes offer concentrated cactus landscapes, with different pavement and vehicle considerations. |
| Historic-road character | Apache Trail, US 60 through Superior and Globe, Prescott-Jerome, or Wickenburg | Mining, western, ghost-town, and historic-town settings add a destination beyond the scenery. |
| A major destination | Grand Canyon South Rim and Desert View Drive | It delivers the largest scenery but deserves an overnight whenever possible. |
Vehicle planning: paved does not always mean easy
For a normal passenger car, the most straightforward choices are Bush Highway, Usery Pass Road, Lake Pleasant, the Beeline Highway, US 60, AZ 179 through Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and the Cactus Forest Loop at Saguaro National Park. That does not eliminate weather, traffic, parking, or closure concerns.
Give extra scrutiny to the Apache Trail, Forest Road 300, the Saguaro National Park Bajada Loop, and Organ Pipe’s Ajo Mountain Drive. These include unpaved, gravel, or graded-dirt sections, and suitability depends on the current surface, vehicle clearance, tire condition, weather, and any restrictions imposed by a rental company. If you are flying into Phoenix and want to include dirt or remote routes, compare a Phoenix rental SUV only after confirming the agency’s permitted-road rules; a larger vehicle is not automatically a better choice for every narrow or rough road.
Do not select a route solely because a navigation app offers it as the shortest connection. A road may be seasonally closed, rougher than its map symbol suggests, unsuitable for a trailer, or impossible after a flash flood. For Forest Road 300 and other forest roads, check the relevant Forest Service office. For national parks and monuments, check the NPS road and alert pages.
What to check before every Phoenix scenic drive
- Check live road conditions. Use AZ511 for Arizona highway incidents, closures, and conditions. A tourism page can explain why a route is scenic, but it is not a substitute for a live closure check.
- Check the land manager. Tonto National Forest roads, Coronado National Forest roads, Saguaro National Park loops, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and Grand Canyon National Park can each have separate alerts, rules, and seasonal limitations.
- Confirm the road surface. Ask whether a segment is paved, gravel, graded dirt, or rough forest road. Recheck after rain, snow, wildfire, or a major storm.
- Start with fuel and water. Remote desert and forest routes have fewer services than the Phoenix metro area. Carry substantially more water than you expect to consume, especially on Organ Pipe and other exposed desert drives.
- Respect flash flooding. Never drive through a flooded wash or assume shallow-looking water is safe. Water levels and road conditions can change quickly during storms.
- Leave daylight for the return. A drive that is comfortable in the morning can become stressful after sunset when fatigue, wildlife, weather, or an unexpected closure reduces your options.
- Check restrictions for large vehicles. Saguaro National Park has vehicle-size and towing restrictions on its loop drives, and Ajo Mountain Drive has a stated normal limit of vehicles and RVs under 25 feet. Verify current rules if you are towing or driving an RV.
A simple offline planning backup
Official alerts should always come first, but a paper reference can be useful when planning several remote desert or forest routes. The Arizona Atlas and Gazetteer is a practical option for comparing roads, topography, recreation sites, and alternate approaches away from the metro area. The Benchmark Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas is an alternative if you want a recreation-oriented physical map. Neither replaces AZ511, Forest Service notices, or NPS alerts; use them as planning references rather than proof that a remote road is open.
Best ways to combine the drives
- East Valley desert-and-water day: Combine Usery Pass Road with Bush Highway and Saguaro Lake. Add the developed western Apache Trail only after checking SR 88 conditions.
- Mining-country day: Use US 60 through Superior and Globe when you want a paved route with canyon and mining-town character and do not want to depend on the Apache Trail’s eastern section.
- High-country weekend: Pair the Beeline Highway with Payson and the Mogollon Rim, but treat Forest Road 300 as a separate road-surface decision.
- Red-rock weekend: Base yourself in Sedona and drive AZ 179, then use AZ 89A through Oak Creek Canyon toward Flagstaff if conditions and time allow.
- Tucson cactus trip: Combine Mount Lemmon with one Saguaro National Park district, or pair a Saguaro loop with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
- Long desert destination: Give Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument an overnight when possible rather than trying to compress the monument, Ajo Mountain Drive, and the Phoenix return into an exhausting schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the entire Apache Trail open from Apache Junction to Globe?
Do not assume it is. The route has an unpaved eastern section with an indefinite closure reported between mileposts 214 and 228 east of Tortilla Flat, and other portions may be seasonal or weather-dependent. Check current SR 88 information before departure and plan the developed western section as an out-and-back unless official notices confirm a through-route.
Which scenic drives near Phoenix include dirt roads?
The Apache Trail has an unpaved eastern section, Forest Road 300 along the Mogollon Rim is a forest road rather than a fully paved highway, Saguaro National Park’s Bajada Loop is a 6-mile graded-dirt route, and Organ Pipe’s Ajo Mountain Drive combines gravel and asphalt. Conditions and vehicle suitability vary, so check official alerts and rental restrictions.
Can I drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon South Rim and back in one day?
It is technically possible as a very long day, but an overnight is strongly recommended. Phoenix is approximately 231 miles from the South Rim before you spend time on Desert View Drive, at overlooks, or in Grand Canyon Village.
What is the best scenic drive near Phoenix for forest and cooler temperatures?
For a manageable elevation transition, take the Beeline Highway toward Payson. For a larger high-country experience, continue toward the Mogollon Rim. Prescott to Jerome over Mingus Mountain, the White Mountain Scenic Byway, and Mount Lemmon also provide strong desert-to-forest contrasts, but the latter routes are better suited to full-day or overnight trips.
Do I need a Red Rock Pass for the Sedona drives?
A Red Rock Pass may be required when parking on National Forest land near Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. Requirements and parking rules can change, so verify current information before using a particular trailhead or pullout.
The Bottom Line
For the easiest Phoenix-area scenic drive, choose Bush Highway, Usery Pass Road, or Lake Pleasant. Choose the developed Apache Trail or US 60 for desert scenery with historic character, AZ 179 or Oak Creek Canyon for red rocks, and the Beeline Highway for a fast transition into mountain country. The Mogollon Rim, White Mountains, Tucson-area routes, Organ Pipe, and the Grand Canyon are worthwhile expansions of the idea of near Phoenix—but plan them as long days or overnight trips, and verify every closure, road surface, and weather hazard before you go.
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