Total length - 210 miles
Along the Mother Road in Arizona, classic roadside Americana meets colorful desert landscapes, ancient pueblos, charming small towns, and some of the darkest skies in America. The eastern half of Arizona’s Route 66 takes you from the petrified logs of Petrified Forest National Park to the pine-covered peaks of Flagstaff. There are plenty of quirky stops, unforgettable hikes, and delicious local eateries along the way. Whether you’re driving the entire route or exploring this section over a long weekend, you’ll quickly discover Arizona’s Route 66 is about much more than nostalgia. It’s one of the Southwest’s greatest road trips.
Petrified Forest National Park: Where Route 66 Meets Ancient Arizona
Petrified Forest National Park to Holbrook: 25 miles, 30 minutes
One of the biggest surprises along Arizona’s part of Route 66 is that it runs through a national park. The Mother Road takes you to the wildly colorful Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park preserving a stretch of Route 66’s original alignment. While it takes just 45 to 60 minutes to drive the park’s 28-mile scenic road, give yourself at least a half day to enjoy this geological wonder more than 200 million years old in the making. The park is home to the world’s largest and most colorful concentration of petrified wood, along with fossils dating back to the Late Triassic Period, more than 13,000 years of human history, and trails ranging from paved easy walks to longer backcountry hikes.
After stopping at the Painted Desert Visitor Center, head to Tiponi Point. Looking across layers of reds, pinks and purples, it’s easy to see how the Painted Desert got its name. Just a mile away, Tawa Point offers another spectacular perspective. If time allows, stop at the historic Painted Desert Inn. Originally built in the 1920s, it’s now a museum and bookstore, with an ice cream parlor open during the summer.
Pintado Point, the highest paved overlook, delivers one of the park’s best panoramic views. Almost six 6 miles from the north entrance, don’t miss the Route 66 Pullout. Alongside a weathered 1932 Studebaker, you’ll see the original Route 66 roadbed and old telephone poles, a reminder of travelers who crossed this desertscape long before Interstate 40.
Farther south, at Newspaper Rock, history is etched into the boulders. There are more than 650 petroglyphs carved by ancestral Puebloans between 650 and 2,000 years ago. My favorite detour was Blue Mesa Trail. The 1-mile loop is a walk back in time in the heart of Petrified Forest badlands where blue-gray hills with white layers and scattered petrified logs create one of the park’s most photogenic landscapes.
When I stopped at the visitor center and asked a ranger what I shouldn’t miss, he said without hesitation, “hike the Crystal Forest Trail.” As you walk the easy 0.8-mile paved trail, imagine the desert once looked like present-day Costa Rica. Around 220 million years ago, towering trees fell into ancient river systems where floods buried them beneath layers of sediment. Silica-rich groundwater slowly transformed the wood to quartz, and millions of years of erosion revealed the brilliantly colored petrified logs scattered along the landscape. It’s the park’s grand finale before you drive the last 8 miles to the south entrance of the park and head to Holbrook, a town once declared “too tough for women and children.”
Where to stay:
Winslow: More than a Corner
Holbrook to Winslow: 33 miles, 35 minutes
If you’ve ever sung along to the Eagles’ hit "Take It Easy," you probably thought about standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. Standin’ on the Corner Park is one of Route 66’s most recognizable photo stops. Go beyond the corner and do an overnight stay. I’ve traveled extensively in Arizona, and after spending a night, Winslow ranks up there as one of my favorite small towns in the state.
After you snap your photo at the legendary corner, grab lunch at the family-owned Shorty’s Olde Town Grill, less than a half block away. The Vasquez family’s ranching roots show throughout the menu, from their signature birria tacos to the Shorty’s Tacos made with locally raised wagyu beef, seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with lettuce, cheese and pickled onions, with just enough habanero to add a little kick. Shorty’s is in a building dating back to 1910 and still features an original post office mailbox in the back corner. After lunch, wander around town and make a stop at Old Trails Museum. It’s free to visit this small museum filled with artifacts on Winslow’s railroad history, Route 66’s boom years, and the back story on the Eagles’ lyrics that helped put the town back on travelers’ maps.
With multiple peaceful gardens, La Posada Hotel is truly an oasis in the high desert and walkable to Winslow’s famous corner. Opened by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railway in 1930, La Posada was designed by legendary architect Mary Colter and was considered one of the Southwest’s finest railroad hotels. After decades of decline and a remarkable restoration, it’s once again a centerpiece of Winslow. I stayed in room 120, decked out in Southwest décor with a vibrant yellow-tiled bathroom and its own patio space. That room is across from the hotel’s photo wall of famous guests including Amelia Earhart, John Wayne, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
Rather than a big dinner, I settled into the Martini Lounge at the Turquoise Room inside the hotel. The stuffed squash blossoms live up to bartender Casey’s description as “a taste of heaven,” and the Route 66 Margarita is a fun nod to the Mother Road’s centennial.
Instead of rushing off early the next morning, leisurely ease into the day, like I did. Wander the halls of the historic hotel, watch some trains go by from the back porch, and stop in the Affeldt Mion Museum housed in the 1930 train depot. The highlight is "Diyogí Tsoh: The Big Rug." Woven between 1932 and 1937 by master weaver Julia Bah Joe and her small team, the 250-pound intricate textile became the most famous Navajo rug in America.
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Meteor Crater: Arizona’s Impact Zone
Winslow to Meteor Crater: 26 miles, 30 minutes
About 20 miles west of Winslow, take a detour to see one of the best-preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. Nearly 50,000 years ago, a meteorite slammed into Earth at an estimated 26,000 miles per hour. Thanks to Northeast Arizona’s arid climate, Meteor Crater, also known as Barringer Crater, remains remarkably well preserved. It was once thought to be a volcanic site before scientists proved it was created by a meteorite impact.
Standing on the rim gives you a true sense of its enormous scale. The crater is nearly a mile wide and more than 550 feet deep today. Four viewing areas offer different perspectives of the crater and surrounding high desert. Make sure to have layers as the site is notoriously windy.
Meteor Crater plays a cool role in space exploration too. During the 1960s, Apollo astronauts trained here to prepare for their lunar mission. It’s still a geological training site for astronauts, including those in NASA’s Artemis program. Your admission includes the Discovery Center and Space Museum, so plan extra time to explore the exhibits. If you want to walk the edge with experts, guided tours are available.
If you’re traveling with dinosaur lovers, make one more stop before heading to Flagstaff. About 15 minutes from Meteor Crater, Meteor City blends Route 66 nostalgia with roadside Americana. Wander through its western town, see oddities, marvel at the miniature Palisades Amusement Park, and drive through a collection of more than 30 dinosaurs for a “dino-mite” drive-through experience.
Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments: Lava, Pueblos and Sunset
Meteor Crater to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument: 50 miles, 1 hour
Take a detour just north of Flagstaff to do one of Arizona’s most scenic drives connecting Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki national monuments. I’ve driven the 35-mile route twice, and both times the experience felt completely different. For the best experience, plan your visit for late afternoon, staying through sunset.
Sunset Crater is the youngest volcano in the San Francisco Volcanic Field on the Colorado Plateau. It erupted around 1085 C.E. The scenic drive winds by the cinder cone through lava fields and ponderosa pine forests before opening to sweeping views of the Painted Desert. Make a quick stop at A’a Trail for an easy 0.2-mile walk through jagged basaltic lava rock.
As the forest gives way to the high desert, in one of my favorite national monuments, ancient pueblos rise from the landscape. Wupatki National Monument preserves villages where farmers and traders built communities centuries ago. The largest, Wupatki Pueblo, once served as a bustling cultural and trading center.
If you get to Wupatki Pueblo before sunset, walk the half-mile trail through the largest free-standing pueblo in northern Arizona. While parts of the site are under restoration, there’s still plenty to explore among its more than 100 rooms. On my second visit, I had the entire pueblo to myself as the setting sun drenched the red sandstone in golden light. It was one of those unforgettable road trip moments.
High desert sunsets linger, painting the sky in layers of pink, orange, and gold. From Wupatki Pueblo, allow about an hour to drive to Flagstaff. As daylight fades, keep an eye out for elk, deer and other wildlife.
In Flagstaff, settle into one of the city’s classic Route 66 motels, or do what I did and book a room at the retro-futuristic Americana Motor Hotel. The colorful property embraces its roadside Route 66 roots and Flagstaff’s lunar legacy with a playful twist in the décor. My room even came with a working disco ball.
Lowell Observatory: See Galaxies Far, Far Away
Wupatki National Monument to Lowell Observatory: 32 miles, 45 minutes
Stargazing is a must along Arizona’s stretch of Route 66, especially since Flagstaff is the world’s first International Dark Sky City. The city’s connection to space runs deep. Every astronaut who has walked on the moon trained in Flagstaff and in the surrounding volcanic landscape.
No visit is complete without an evening at Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930. After dark, the observatory comes alive with telescope viewing during nightly star parties. Reserve your tickets in advance, especially during summer and holiday weekends, to guarantee a nighttime visit.
On my last visit (yes, I’ve been several times!), I arrived a little after 8 p.m., just as the stars began filling the sky. From the telescope viewing deck, I got an incredible look at the moon in first quarter phase. Seeing its craters and rugged surface in remarkable detail was the perfect way to end a day exploring northern Arizona. Sometimes the best views along Route 66 aren’t found on the road at all, but overhead.
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Walnut Canyon National Monument: Hike Back in Time
Flagstaff to Walnut Canyon National Monument: 6 miles, 10 minutes
Start your next morning at Walnut Canyon National Monument when the visitor center opens at 9 a.m. By late morning, especially in summer, Island Trail gets hotter and noticeably busier.
Island Trail is only 0.9 miles, but don’t underestimate it. Starting at 6,700 feet in elevation, the trail descends 273 steps before looping past preserved cliff dwellings tucked beneath towering limestone ledges. As you walk through the ancient community, you pass rooms built centuries ago by ancestral Puebloan people. Archaeologists believe many of the rooms you pass were used to store food, water and tools, while others provided shelter. When you finish the one-way loop, you climb back up the main staircase for a total of 736 steps.
After my recent hike, I asked a ranger about the connection between Walnut Canyon and Wupatki. He explained that when Sunset Crater Volcano erupted, many people relocated, leading to the growth of communities throughout the region, including in Walnut Canyon. Fed by spring snowmelt and summer monsoons, Walnut Creek sustained the community in the otherwise rugged landscape.
Before heading back to Route 66, take a few minutes to walk at least part of the easy Rim Trail or simply stroll to the canyon overlook. It’s one of the monument’s best views and requires very little effort before you head to downtown Flagstaff, just 15 minutes away.
Flagstaff: Historic Route 66 and a Great Basecamp
Flagstaff has 14 miles of the original Route 66, so there’s plenty to explore before heading west. Before or after hiking at Walnut Canyon, fuel up with breakfast at MartAnne’s Burrito Palace, where the award-winning chilaquiles are a favorite. After your hike, grab a latte at MIX Flagstaff in the Old Town Shops near Heritage Square before wandering the historic downtown.
At just under 7,000 feet, Flagstaff is the highest city along the Mother Road. Admire its historic architecture, stop by the restored train station, snap a photo of the colorful Mother Myth mural, and check out several beautifully restored vintage motor lodges. When lunchtime rolls around, head to Diablo Burger, where locally raised Arizona beef has garnered national recognition and multiple “Best Burger in Arizona” honors.
One night in Flagstaff isn’t enough. If you can, stay a little longer. Ride the scenic gondola at Arizona Snowbowl for sweeping views of northern Arizona, then visit the Museum of Northern Arizona to better understand the region’s geology, wildlife, and tribes. You can easily do both in a half day. Flagstaff makes an excellent basecamp for Grand Canyon National Park, with the South Rim only 90 minutes away. Plus, extra time gives you ample opportunities to sample Flagstaff’s thriving culinary scene from craft breweries to innovative farm-to-table restaurants.
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Roughly halfway across Arizona’s stretch of Route 66, Flagstaff marks the transition from high desert adventure to classic Mother Road nostalgia. As you continue west, the neon lights of Williams, quirky charm of Seligman, and rich Route 66 history of Kingman await, each ready for you to write the next chapter of your Arizona road trip.