Sedona, Route 66, Mount Lemmon: Why AZ is No. 1 for road trips
Arizonans live close to some of America’s best scenic drives, according to a new study.
Auto financing company Chrysler Capital ranked Arizona as the best state for road trips in 2023 for its abundance of scenic roads, including its five federally designated National Scenic Byways. The company conducted its study using data and information from TripAdvisor.
What set Arizona apart was high accolades for its scenic routes. Arizona’s scenic byways collectively received 7,024 five-star reviews from travelers on TripAdvisor, the most in the nation.
Arizona has 1,608 miles of byways, second only to Colorado, which has 2,291.
Here are the three Arizona road trips that Chrysler Capital singled out in its ranking of best scenic drives.
Red Rock Scenic Byway in Sedona
Coming in at No. 2 on Chrysler Capital’s best list, this 8-mile stretch of State Route 179 is the gateway to Sedona’s red rock country. Bell Rock Trailhead
is accessible along this route, and turning from here onto Back O’ Beyond Road will lead to the trailhead for another beloved landmark, Cathedral Rock.
Red Rock Scenic Byway is an AllAmerican Road, a title that celebrates roads with the best natural and cultural features.
Chrysler Capital ranked Red Rock Scenic Byway the second-best scenic byway in the country behind only Blue Ridge Parkway, the 469-mile road through the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia. The Red Rock Scenic Byway has about 3,600 five-star ratings from travelers, most praising the scenic beauty and the spectacular views.
Sky Island Parkway/Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway in Tucson
Sky islands are notable for their contrasts. These isolated mountain ranges surrounded by lowlands are notable for encompassing multiple microclimates and ecozones.
People who drive the 27-mile Sky Island Parkway, popularly known as the Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway, will start at the desert landscape of Tanque Verde, about 16 miles east of Tucson,
and end at the summit of Mount Lemmon, the highest point in the Catalina Mountains at more than 9,000 feet.
Mount Lemmon is popular for its scenic vistas, outdoor recreation opportunities and a cool climate year-round that’s appealing to heat-weary desert dwellers, part of the allure that attracted many of the 2,600-plus travelers who gave it five-star ratings. It came in No. 6 on the best list.
Historic Route 66
Route 66 was decommissioned from
the U.S. Highway System in 1985, but its 1,409 miles in Arizona continue to inspire nostalgia.
There are so many historic towns and attractions along the route, including the old railroad hubs of Seligman and Kingman and the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, that it shouldn’t be done in a day. Chrysler Capital recommends at least four or five days for a Route 66 getaway in Arizona. It comes in at the No. 3 longest scenic drive on the list.