While on our 9000 mile cross-country road trip I was looking for a few day trip ideas from Flagstaff, Arizona since we were also visiting the Grand Canyon and had some extra time. (Flagstaff to Williams is about a 40 minute drive.) There were 17 of us traveling together so we had all had very different preferences!
If you LOVE the outdoors or history – you’re in luck! There is no shortage of amazing things to do near Flagstaff! From family-friendly ideas to hard core hiking, you could spend weeks (months even!) in the general area and have plenty of adventures! Below are some great day trip ideas from Flagstaff, Arizona.
You may notice that the first few are technically in Flagstaff, but considering they are on the outskirts and require a full day to explore I added them into the list. Distances are based on Flagstaff’s location in Mapquest.
Just click each item below to jump right to its article!
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
- Wupatki National Monument
- Walnut Canyon National Monument
- Meteor Crater and Space Museum
- Homolovi State Park
- Petrified Forest / Painted Desert Visitor Center / Rainbow Forest Museum
- Tuzigoot National Monument
- Slide Rock State Park
- Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
- Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Canyon National Recreation Area
- Navajo National Monument
- MORE Day Trips from Flagstaff (NOT on map, see list below)
1. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Miles from Flagstaff: 18.9
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 30 minutes
Address: 6082 Sunset Crater Road, Flagstaff AZ, 86004
Cost: $20/vehicle $10/bike (includes Wupatki)
Family Friendly: Yes
Dog Friendly: yes, only in some areas
Handicap Friendly: yes, some areas
Camping Availability: no
If you would be stunned to learn that there are 600 volcanoes within a day’s drive of Flagstaff then I definitely recommend visiting Sunset Crater National Monument. (it’s a great place to also combine with visiting Wupatki – more info below)
Sunset Crater and Wupatki are technically IN Flagstaff, but on the outskirts. I mention them here because you would definitely want to carve out the entire day for these locations. For just one admission price you can visit both locations!
2. Wupatki National Monument
Miles from Flagstaff: 12.8
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 23 minutes
Address: 25137 N. Wupatki Loop Road, Flagstaff AZ, 86004
Cost: $20/vehicle $10/bike (includes Sunset Crater)
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: on paved road only, no trails
Handicap Friendly: yes
Camping Availability: no
Wupatki was first inhabited around 500 AD, but boomed starting around 1040 due to the eruption of Sunset Crater. Just 200 years later the site was permanently abandoned though and you can still explore its ruins today! There were over 100 rooms!
And it’s a little bit of a walk down the pathway but my kid’s favorite stop here was experiencing the geological blowhole where you can feel air escaping from an underground system!
3. Walnut Canyon National Monument
Miles from Flagstaff: 11.5
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 18 minutes
Address: 3 Walnut Canyon Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Cost: $15/each or $45 annual pass
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: yes
Handicap Friendly: visitors center yes, trails partial to no
Camping Availability: no
Take the Island Trail and explore 25 cliff dwellings! There are some of the most remarkable pueblos I’ve seen! I love how close this and the 2 previous locations are to Flagstaff which makes them great choices for regular visits if you live nearby!
4. Barringer Meteor Crater & Space Museum
Miles from Flagstaff: 43.5
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 46 minutes
Address: Interstate 40, Exit, 233, Winslow, AZ 86047
Cost: FREE (under 6 years old) $13 (ages 6-12) $22 (ages 13-59) $20 ages 60+ (Save $2/each online)
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: no BUT they offer a “Pet Ramada” kennel for $10
Handicap Friendly: yes
Camping Availability: yes
The Barringer Meteor Crater & Space Museum is near Homolovi State Park and makes a great combination day trip from Flagstaff! It is a little pricey but by far one of the coolest things we experienced on our 9000 mile road trip – so definitely worth the stop!
It’s the largest meteor crater in the United States and was once used for NASA training! The museum is phenomenal, the observation decks are stunning, and there’s a new RV park for campers. Hands down this is a must visit if you enjoy rare “natural” occurrences.
5. Homolovi State Park
Miles from Flagstaff: 63.2
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 1 hour
Address: Homolovi State Park Arizona 87, Winslow AZ
Cost: $7/vehicle $3/bike
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: yes
Handicap Friendly:
Camping Availability: yes
Homolovi State Park and the Barringer Meteor Crater are close to each other and make a great day trip combination! The museum, observatory and 5 hiking trails will give you plenty to explore for the day! There is also a Hopi cultural center about an hour away where you can continue learning more about their culture!
6. Petrified Forest/Painted Desert Visitor Center/Rainbow Forest Museum
Miles from Flagstaff: 115.5 miles
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 1 hr. 46 minutes
Address: 1 Park Rd, Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028
Cost: $25/vehicle or $45 annual pass
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: yes
Handicap Friendly: yes
Camping Availability: yes, back country permit only
You’ll need to drive through Holbrook to get to the Petrified Forest & visitor center which is famous for it’s WigWam Motel on Route 66. Just driving through town you’ll find more rock and souvenir shops that you could ever hope for!
There are actually multiple visitor’s centers and entrances in this area so make sure you research the information you need from each individual location. For more details visit: Petrified Forest National Park and the Rainbow Forest Museum.
My favorite trail here (but be forewarned it can get stifling hot and is extremely steep going down!) is the Blue Mesa Trail. This vintage car on Route 66 is also an especially cool stop to drive by too.
7. Tuzigoot National Monument
Miles from Flagstaff: 68
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 1 hr 17 minutes
Address: 25 Tuzigoot Rd, Clarkdale, AZ 86324
Cost: $10/each (includes Montezuma)
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: yes
Handicap Friendly: visitors center-yes, trails-partial
Camping Availability: no
Tuzigoot is about 40 minutes from Montezuma and one admission covers both places. These ancient pueblos are found at the top of a hilltop and were built by the Sinagua people. The ruins were discovered and excavated in the 1930s.
8. Slide Rock State Park
Miles from Flagstaff: 22.8
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 36 minutes
Address: 6871 N. Highway 89A Sedona, AZ 86336
Cost: $10-20/vehicle depending on season
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: yes but not in swim area
Handicap Friendly: bathrooms-yes, watering hole-no
Camping Availability: no
One of the coolest (no pun intended!) things we’ve done in Arizona is enjoy the date at Slide Rock State Park! This 80 foot 2-4 wide canyon slot is about a half a mile long with plenty of room for everyone! Just a heads up though that it is **HOT** on the rocks so bring water shoes and plenty of water! There is not a lot of shade in the swim area.
It’s one of the best places for families to swim near Flagstaff! Originally a homestead with 43 acres of apples, this unique location is now one of the most exciting places in the state for kids to take a swim! You can still see the historic cabins too!
9. Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Miles from Flagstaff: 86.7
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 1 hr 44 min
Address: Nf-583A, Pine, AZ 85544
Cost: FREE (ages 0-6), $4 (ages 7-13) $7 (ages 14+)
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: parking lot and view points only, no trails allowed
Handicap Friendly: lodge is accessible
Camping Availability: lodge only
Tonto Natural Bridge is acclaimed to be the largest natural travertine formation in the world! In fact the longest one is 400 feet! From multiple rock bridges, a waterfall, trails, and even a lodge to stay at – this top rated state park is a must visit!
10. Montezuma Castle/Montezuma Well National Monument
Miles from Flagstaff: 55
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 57 minutes
Address: Montezuma Castle Rd, Camp Verde, AZ
Cost: $10/each (includes both + Tuzigoot National Monument)
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: yes
Handicap Friendly: visitors center-yes, trails-partial
Camping Availability: no
This 20 room home nestled in a limestone cliff was established as a national monument in 1906. About 4 miles north of the exit for Montezuma Castle you can explore Montezuma well, a 1000 year old irrigation ditch that’s really quite beautiful!
11. Navajo Bridge (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area)
Miles from Flagstaff: 123.3
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 2 hours 5 minutes
Address: US Hwy 89a, Marble Canyon, AZ 86036 (also accessible by boat)
Cost: $30/vehicle or $15/individual (into Glen Canyon)
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: yes except at archaeological sites
Handicap Friendly: yes although some water-based facilities require assistance (docks, boat launches, etc)
Camping Availability: yes
With over a million acres to explore, the Glen Canyon Recreational Area also borders Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, and the Navajo Nation.
There are 5 marinas, 4 campgrounds, 2 airports, and many other recreational use options. Lake Powell alone has almost 2000 miles of shoreline.
See also:
Horseshoe Bend
Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Glen Canyon Dam & Carl Hayden Visitor Center
12. Navajo National Monument/Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
(Navajor National Monument info:)
Miles from Flagstaff: 138.5
Driving Distance from Flagstaff: 2 hr 19 min
Address: AZ-564, Shonto, AZ 86054
Cost: FREE
Family Friendly: yes
Dog Friendly: only in parking lot & campground, no trails
Handicap Friendly: yes but not all trails
Camping Availability: yes
Found within the Navajo Nation territory, there are 3 stunning cliff dwellings that can be viewed. Take the (free) 3-5 hour guided tour to view the ruins or hike the smaller self-guided trails to view them from a distance.
About an hour north of the cliff dwellings you can find the famous scenic views of Monument Valley and Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park ($20/vehicle admission) and visitors center. You can also hire tour guides to explore various areas that are otherwise inaccessible.
See also:
Antelope Canyon
Canyon de Chelly
Other Fantastic Day Trips from Flagstaff, Arizona:
Dead Horse Ranch State Park (1 hr SW)
Jerome State Historic Park + Mine Museum, Prescott National Forest (1.5 hrs SW)
Red Rock State Park & Oak Creek Village (1 hr SW)
Bearizonia & the Grand Canyon Railway (40 min W)
Grand Canyon National Park (1.5 hr NW)
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