Best scenic drives in Arizona
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Best scenic drives in Arizona
There’s no shortage of scenic drives to take in the United States. According to the National Scenic Byway Foundation, there are 184 designated byway routes with beautiful vistas, as well as historic and cultural sites across the country. That means, no matter where you are in the U.S., a stunning drive isn’t too far away.
Some drives have reached celebrity status, one of the most well known being Historic Route 66, which stretches from downtown Chicago to Santa Monica Pier in California. For nearly 100 years, travelers have been hitting the 2,448-mile road that has more than 250 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Other famous drives include the Pacific Coast Highway in California, which hugs 650 miles of the state’s coast; the Natchez Trace Parkway, a historic 444-mile route from Tennessee to Alabama and Mississippi; and the highest fully paved road in North America, Colorado’s Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway, which sits at a cool 14,264 feet at its peak.
Of course, there are plenty more drives that may not be as famous but are just as alluring. The Highland Scenic Highway in West Virginia gives riders a picturesque view through the Monongahela National Forest. Make a pit stop in the Cranberry Glades for an unusual site: bogs full of carnivorous plants. Further north, the Kancamagus Scenic Byway in New Hampshire is a particularly beautiful drive as the leaves turn in the fall and won’t take you too long to drive—it’s on the shorter side at only 34.5 miles long.
For those looking to take to the open road, Stacker compiled a list of the best scenic drives in Arizona using data from Tripadvisor as of March 2024. Note that Tripadvisor ranks attractions using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a drive with a 5/5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4/5.
Once you locate the closest scenic drive near you, gather your favorite passengers, turn on an epic playlist, and take in the beauty that Arizona has to offer.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and are not of the specific drives listed.
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#30. Bonita Canyon Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (4 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#29. Bull Basin Road
– Rating: 4.5/5 (5 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#28. Beale Wagon Road Historic Trail
– Rating: 4/5 (8 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#27. Ghost Town Trails
– Rating: 4.5/5 (15 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#26. Puerto Blanco Scenic Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#25. Coronado Trail – National Scenic Byway
– Rating: 5/5 (16 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#24. Highway 89A Sedona
– Rating: 4.5/5 (13 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#23. Swansea Ghost Town
– Rating: 4/5 (23 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#22. Coronado Trail
– Rating: 5/5 (29 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#21. Hohokam Road
– Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#20. Historic Road – US Route 89A
– Rating: 4.5/5 (73 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#19. Parker Dam
– Rating: 4/5 (63 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#18. Walnut Canyon Drive
– Rating: 4/5 (65 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#17. White House Overlook
– Rating: 4.5/5 (95 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#16. North Rim Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (147 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#15. Point Imperial Drive
– Rating: 5/5 (114 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#14. Arizona Route 89A
– Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#13. Vermillion Cliffs Scenic Highway
– Rating: 4.5/5 (192 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#12. Hermit Road
– Rating: 4.5/5 (180 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#11. South Rim Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (346 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#10. Cape Royal Drive
– Rating: 5/5 (221 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#9. Salt River Canyon Scenic Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (281 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#8. Cactus Forest Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (228 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#7. East Rim Drive
– Rating: 5/5 (334 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#6. Schnebly Hill Road
– Rating: 4.5/5 (688 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#5. Sitgreaves Pass
– Rating: 4.5/5 (412 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#4. Oak Creek Vista Overlook
– Rating: 4.5/5 (559 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#3. Apache Trail Scenic Drive
– Rating: 4.5/5 (648 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#2. Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway
– Rating: 5/5 (3,253 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
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#1. Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR 179)
– Rating: 5/5 (4,285 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Sheeka Sanahori, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
