Few roads hold as much history and nostalgia as the Mother Road: Route 66. The iconic 2,448-mile (3,940-kilometer) ribbon of pavement winds through some of America’s most beloved towns and scenery. And as it crosses Arizona, it intersects a plethora of enticing state parks and monuments, national parks, and remote landscapes. Let’s dig in.
This story was created in partnership with Visit Arizona.
Photo credits clockwise: Images 1 and 3 – Courtesy of the Arizona Office of Tourism. Credit: Dan Shewmaker, Image 2 – Whitney James
History Stands Still: Astonishing Archaeological Sites
Homolovi State Park
Located just outside the legendary Winslow, Arizona, Homolovi State Park is home to over 300 ancestral Puebloan and Hopi archaeological sites. In fact, Homolovi is Hopi for “Place of the Little Hills”—the original name for the town made famous by The Eagles’ hit song Take It Easy. Today, visitors can travel back in time to when the Hopi populated four major pueblos in the area—one of which held 1,200 rooms. Choose from a number of short hiking trails that take you past the ancient sites and petroglyphs, and within sight of plenty of wildlife. That night, consider camping at Homolovi or staying in a classic hotel in nearby Winslow.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Right outside of Flagstaff, Walnut Canyon National Monument stands out among Arizona’s archaeological sites for its beyond-unique construction. Composed of cliff dwellings carved into the limestone by the Northern Sinagua people, it provides visitors both a sensational hiking opportunity and history lesson. Start with a browse through the visitor’s center. Then, contemplate what it would have been like to live here on the one-mile (.7-kilometer) Island Trail. Over 700 stairs guide you down to a path that travels right past the ancient dwellings. Prefer less footwork? The paved Rim Trail offers panoramic views of the canyon below without all the hard work.
Wupatki National Monument
Just off Route 66, 30 miles north of Flagstaff, road-trippers will find the uniquely photogenic and mesmerizing Wupatki National Monument. Here, over 2,700 ancestral Puebloan and Sinagua cultural sites are preserved in the grasslands against a stark blue sky. Don’t miss the .7-mile (1.13-kilometer) Wupatki Pueblo Trail, which meanders past a 100-plus-room pueblo, a ceremonial ball court, and more. Afterward, we recommend heading to neighboring Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, just 18 miles (29 kilometers) to the south.
Photo credits clockwise: Images 1 and 2 – Courtesy of the Arizona Office of Tourism. Credit: Dan Shewmaker, Image 3 – Whitney James
Volcanoes and Meteors: Geologic Wonders
Petrified Forest National Park
One of two national parks along Route 66 in Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park boasts sprawling vistas, immense solitude, and, of course, its namesake deposits of petrified wood. Its boundaries contain one of the world’s largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified logs. Remarkably, these ancient trees turned to stone over the span of 200 million years—and some are over 200 feet long! Spend an entire day here exploring the landscape and considering the incredible scope of time found right alongside the Mother Road.
Meteor Crater Natural Landmark
For anyone with an interest in astronomy, turn south for Meteor Crater Natural Landmark. Only 20 minutes off Route 66 outside of Winslow, this gigantic 50,000-year-old meteor impression is a sight to behold. Also known as Barringer Crater, it is one of the best-preserved meteor impact sites on Earth. You can imagine what it would have been like to be present during impact (and perhaps a bit thankful not to have been). Stretch your legs along the rim and then browse the museum before continuing on your drive.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Just 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Flagstaff, you’ll discover the beautiful Sunset Crater Volcano—one of the youngest volcanoes in the continental United States. Take it all in on the one-mile (1.6-kilometer) loop Lava Flow Trail. The combination of lava flows, cinder fields, and ponderosa pines offers a truly one-of-a-kind hike. Or, summit the Lenox Crater Trail. Only 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometers) round trip, it leads you to the top of a nearby cinder cone for the best angles of Sunset Crater itself. Don’t forget to save time to visit neighboring Wupatki National Monument, just to the north!
Photo credits: Courtesy of the Arizona Office of Tourism. Credit: Dan Shewmaker
Ultimate Off-the-Grid Hiking and Camping
Hualapai Mountain Park
Along the western edge of Arizona’s Route 66 lies a mountainous outdoor playground: Hualapai Mountain Park. Located just 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of Kingman–an iconic Mother Road stopover–it makes for a rugged and exciting natural resource for restless road-trippers. Eleven miles (17.7 kilometers) of diverse trails for hiking and mountain biking await. Visitors can either aim high along Hualapai Peak Trail or meander along a number of other routes past historic mines and geologic oddities. Then, spend the night at Hualapai Mountain Resort, where their restaurant serves up three meals a day.
Painted Desert
On the other side of the state–just above Petrified Forest National Park–lies Arizona’s storied Painted Desert. This huge swath of land includes dramatic mesas, weathered buttes, and watercolored hills. Wondering what creates their unique striations? It wasn’t Georgia O’Keeffe, but rather layers of pink, orange, and purple mineral deposits. While you could spend a full day or even two fully immersing yourself in the movie-scene-like landscape here, we recommend starting at the Painted Desert Visitor Center. From there, the 1.2-mile (1.9-kilometer) Tawa Trail guides you through the high desert grasslands to Tawa Point for panoramic views.
Photo credits: Courtesy of the Arizona Office of Tourism. Credit: Dan Shewmaker
The Crown Jewel of Route 66: Grand Canyon National Park
One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Grand Canyon National Park is among the most recognizable natural landmarks on earth. Plus, it is only one hour north of Route 66! From Williams, head to the Grand Canyon National Visitor Center. Nearby Mather Point provides jaw-dropping (and somewhat vertigo-inducing) looks 5,000-feet (1,524-meters) to the Colorado River below—a scene that took nearly two billion years to form.
The common thread of time and history that ties many of Arizona’s Route 66 highlights together is palpable. And now, celebrating her centennial birthday, the Mother Road is only a blip in our shared heritage here on planet earth—a special one that will continue to allow modern travelers to see these incredible sights in person for generations to come.
