The drive from Phoenix to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is lined with natural areas and a few cultural sites, very much worth scheduling a little additional time to see. Here’s a description of the most prominent ones.
Bloody Basin Raod Leading into Agua Fria National Monument
Agua Fria National Monument
Badger Springs Road (exit 256) continues past the parking area to provide (high clearance vehicle) access to the Agua Fria National Monument (602-417-9200). About a mile down Badger Springs Road is a small parking area for the Badger Springs Wash Trail. This informal trail follows the seasonally dry wash down to the Agua Fria River where you can hike, scramble, and wade along the path of the river and check out some of the petroglyphs and other archaeological sites along the river.
Bloody Basin Road (exit 259) also provides access to Agua Fria National Monument and the Tonto National Forest (602-225-5200) to the east. Camping is allowed within the National Monument, so bring your sleeping bag (and pad) and your hiking boots, and you’ll find enough hiking and star gazing here to keep you busy for as long as you would like.
The road to the west leads to the old mining town of Crown King. If you want a little taste of historic Arizona and you have good shock absorbers, Crown King is for you.
Shadows of Homemade Bells at Arcosanti
Arcosanti
The road heading east from Cordes Junction (Exit 262A) leads to Arcosanti (928-632-7135), the experimental city? town? living arrangement? of an Italian-born architect by the name of Paolo Soleri. The idea behind Mr. Soleri’s project—inspired by a drive through Phoenix no doubt—is that cities take up too much space. His goal is to create a city of 5,000 people that occupies only 25 acres of land. He started building his compact town in the 1970s and has completed several buildings, a gift shop, café, and a bakery.
The General Crook Trail
Exit 285 leads to Highway 260, which is now the General George Crook National Recreation Trail. Built in 1872, this military road was used by the famous general to brutally end the Apache Wars. There is a hiking trail also called the General Crook Trail and a scenic drive that parallel each other along the old road east of Camp Verde.
Camp Verde
This town, accessible from Exit 287 is the jumping off point for some superb natural areas in the national forests surrounding it on all sides. Highway 260 heads east toward the town of Strawberry, passing close to West Clear Creek and the Fossil Creek Wilderness Area.
Fort Verde Historic Park offers glimpses into the lives of frontier soldiers who were stationed here in the lat 1800s.
Montezuma Castle
Take Exit 289 to reach Montezuma Castle (928-567-3322), a spectacular cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua Indians (not the famous Aztec leader by that name). The museum, trails, and archaeology of Montezuma Castle cost $5 for adults; kids under 16 get in free. An America the Beautiful Pass works here as well.
Montezuma Well
Montezuma Well is a unique limestone sinkhole with excellent bird watching just a few miles off the interstate at Exit 293:. There is no fee to visit Montezuma Well, which, in addition to great nature watching, has cliff dwellings and other artifacts that are interpreted by National Park Service signs. Be sure to bring your binoculars.
Beaver Creek and Highway 179 to Sedona
Take Exit 298 and follow Highway 179 to Sedona for an alternate, very scenic, and very winding long way to Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon.
Turn east on this road and continue a few miles to Beaver Creek (928-527-3600). Trails along the creek offer excellent wildlife-watching, especially bird-watching, and picnicking.
Schnebly Hill Road
Exit 320 leads to one of the most beautiful scenic drives in America—Schnebly Hill Road to Sedona. However, a high clearance vehicle is recommended beyond the first four miles.
Fort Tuthill and Pine Mountain Amphitheater
Tall Pines at Fort Tuthill County Park
Fort Tuthill County Park (928-774-3464) lies just off the highway at Exit 337A. It has plenty of picnic areas, shady spots under tall ponderosa pines, and some camping facilities. The Park hosts the annual county fair, rodeos, horse races on the 4th of July, and other events. This is also the entrance to Flagstaff’s premiere outdoor music venue, Pine Mountain Amphitheater (928-774-0899), which hosts the annual bluegrass festival and other concerts throughout the summer.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff is Arizona’s third largest metropolitan area. It’s a distant third with only about 100,000 people in/around the city, but it is big enough to have some interesting historic sites, shopping, and unique attractions. See the Flagstaff Attractions Post.
Museum of Northern Arizona
The Museum of Northern Arizona (928-774-5213) is located at Mile 218.3 on Highway 180 on the outskirts of town. It was created in 1928 as a repository for a huge collection of American artifacts from the region’s many ruins. Today, the MNA is as much a natural history museum as an anthropological one.
The San Francisco Peaks Near Flagstaff, Arizona
Peakview Day Use Area
This small, but well-maintained facility on the east side of Highway 180 at mile 221.9 has a picnic table, outhouse, and hiking trail. The main attraction here is a great view of the San Francisco Peaks.
Arizona Snowbowl
This paved road at mile 223 winds a half-dozen miles and over 1,000 vertical feet up to the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area (928-779-1951) . Views from the Ski Lodge parking lot are outstanding, and a ride on the ski lift to the top of the slopes provides even more spectacular views, and a close-up look at thousand-year-old bristlecone pines, and Arizona’s only tundra vegetation. The ski lift runs during the summer (weather permitting) as well as winter.
Lava River Cave
Lava River Cave (Mile 230.1) is a three mile side trip down the slightly bumpy and dusty Forest Road 245, and a mile south on Forest Road 171. Unless the weather is very wet, both roads are okay for passenger cars. You’ll need flashlights—this natural cave is completely undeveloped.
Nordic Ski Center
Bring your skis. The Flagstaff Nordic Center (928-220-0550) (mile 232.1) has over 25 miles (40km) of groomed cross-country trails that, during the summer, are used for events like the Flagstaff Marathon.
Kendrick Park Watchable Wildlife Trail
Two loop trails lead away from this developed trailhead at mile 235.6. One is a ¼ mile wheelchair accessible trail, and the other is a four feet wide naturally surfaced trail that is 1.5 miles long. For more information, visit the Coconino National Forest website.
Slate Mountain Trail
A well maintained gravel road at Mile 242.4 leads to the Slate Mountain Trail. This moderate, 2.4 mile trail gently spirals to the top of Slate Mountain (elevation 8,215) where you will have superb views of the Painted Desert and San Francisco Peaks. The Coconino National Forest has installed interpretive signs along the trail to help you identify plants and animals.
Red Mountain Geological Area
Red Mountain Geologic Area
The Red Mountain trailhead lies about ¼ mile down the good, but slightly bumpy road at mile 247. The 1.5 mile-long trail takes you inside an unusual volcanic crater.
Valle, Arizona
This “town” at Mile 265 and the junction with Highway 64 has a gas station, hotel, a weird campground, and a museum featuring vintage airplanes.
Red Butte Trail
Red Butte is the prominent red-colored hill just east of the highway. A trail leads to the top which has some spectacular views…just turn off Highway 64 at mile 224 onto Forest Road 320 and follow the signs.
Tusayan
The main attractions in Tusayan are the Imax Theater, which presents a film on the Grand Canyon, and the Tusayan airport which provides helicopter flights over the Canyon.
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