There are amazing day trips from Flagstaff. Whether you want to see beautiful nature, large cities, or gorgeous lakes, it's there!
Flagstaff is a very nice city in the United States. Spending time there is amazing for sure. What's also great is that you can do nice day trips from the city. Below, you can find the 25 best ones!
Table of Contents
1. Grand Canyon National Park: One of the Best Day Trips From Flagstaff if You Love Landscapes
One of the best day trips from Flagstaff is one to the Grand Canyon National Park.
This is an amazing national park with wonderful landscapes.
In the park, you find the Grand Canyon, which is a very famous place. The Grand Canyon is a canyon that got its shape because of the Colorado River.
Furthermore, the Grand Canyon is very large. It has a length of 277 miles (or 446 kilometers) and it is at most 18 miles (or 29 kilometers) wide. Moreover, the depth is at most 6093 feet (or 1857 meters), which is phenomenal.
Everywhere you look in the park, you see red rocks. This looks awesome!
What's great is that there are many viewing points in the park. These allow you to see some of the most beautiful places in the park.
Furthermore, there are lots of hiking trails at the park, which is very fun!
Also, since 1979 the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This makes your day trip to Grand Canyon National Park even more special!
Getting to Grand Canyon National Park From Flagstaff
The time it takes to reach the national park by car is about 1.5 hours. Moreover, the distance of this trip is about 80 miles (129 kilometers). This is very doable, so it's one of the perfect day trips from Flagstaff.
2. Navajo Nation: A Day Trip from Flagstaff With Many Beautiful Sights
The Navajo Nation is an American Indian territory that is very large. It lies close to the city of Flagstaff, which makes this one of the best day trips from Flagstaff!
The Navajo Nation is the largest area that still belongs to a tribe in the United States.
There are some beautiful sights in the Navajo Nation.
For example, you find here the Antelope Canyon. This is a beautiful canyon to see and you should definitely go here!
That's because it looks so unique. The rock formations have beautiful shapes, unlike any other place! This is great to see and also great to take photos of.
If you like photography, you'll also love going here! Not only are the rocks great to see, but the light coming through here is also amazing as well!
Another great thing about Navajo Nation is Monument Valley. This is a large park where you can find lots of red rock formations that are very unique!
Getting to Navajo Nation From Flagstaff
It takes about 3.5 hours to reach Navajo Nation from Flagstaff. And the distance is about 200 miles (or 321 kilometers). This makes the place a bit further than some other places on this list. But if you leave early, you can have a great day trip when you are going here!
3. Las Vegas
Las Vegas is another one of the best day trips from Flagstaff.
The city of Las Vegas is the capital of entertainment. That's because there is so much to do here.
There are lots of amazing resorts. And many of these resorts have a certain theme.
For example, there is one resort that is completely like the city of Venice in Italy. The decorations and architecture are exactly the same! There is even a gondola that you can ride.
But you don't have to stay at the resort to do the gondola ride, so you can do it as well! This is very unique to experience.
Besides that, there are lots of casinos in the city. These are fun to go to when you are in Las Vegas.
Furthermore, there are many museums with lovely art!
Also, there are wonderful restaurants and pools. These places are incredible to visit. That's because these are no regular places, it's Las Vegas after all!
Also, there are many Instagrammable places in Las Vegas. This makes it the perfect city if you want to take some great photos.
Wherever you go in Las Vegas, you'll have a lot of fun for sure!
Getting to Las Vegas From Flagstaff
The city is a bit further away than most of these day trips from Flagstaff, but it is possible to go here if you leave early.
It takes about 4 hours to reach the city of Las Vegas from Flagstaff. The total distance of this trip is about 250 miles (or 402 kilometers).
If you leave at 7 AM, you'll arrive in the city at 11 AM. This gives you plenty of time to get a good impression of the city and visit several sights.
If you want to spend more time in the city of Las Vegas, you could also stay there for a night. That way you can better experience all the highlights of Las Vegas.
4. Horseshoe Bend: A Day Trip From Flagstaff to a Famous Place
Horseshoe Bend is a unique sight of nature. You'll find here a beautiful rock formation shaped by the Colorado River. The river made the rock look like a horseshoe.
This is great to see and why it's one of the best day trips from Flagstaff!
You can see Horseshoe Bend from above. There is a lookout point where you can see both the rock formation and the river, which is great! It is a very popular place to visit!
Getting to Horseshoe Bend From Flagstaff
From Flagstaff, you can get to Horseshoe Bend in about 2 hours. When doing this trip, you cover about 130 miles (or 209 kilometers).
5. Sedona: A Perfect Day Trip From Flagstaff if You Like Desert Towns
Another one of the best day trips from Flagstaff is one to the town of Sedona.
Sedona is a lovely desert town with a surprising amount of fun things to do and see.
One of the best things to do in Sedona is visiting the Sedona Heritage Museum. This is a great museum where you can learn about the history of Sedona.
There are lots of interesting objects and you find here changing exhibitions. The exhibits all focus on one part of the town's history.
Another fun thing to see in Sedona is Bell Rock. This is a stunning rock formation that has the shape of a bell.
Furthermore, the rock of the formation has a red color, which is great to see! You find great hiking trails surrounding the Bell Rock, which is great if you love being active!
Besides that, you should definitely visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This is a chapel inside one of the rock formations of the town.
Moreover, it is a very modern building with lots of glass and metal. This is lovely to see. Also, from the chapel, you have a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape
Also, Sedona is a great place if you like shopping. There is a lovely shopping village that has a Mexican style.
And if you like hiking, there are many options!
One of the best hiking trails is the Sedona Airport Loop Trail! This trail goes through the rocky landscape of Sedona.
Along the way, you see this landscape and you see lots of wildflowers and cacti, which is awesome
Getting to Sedona From Flagstaff
The journey from Flagstaff to Sedona takes about 45 minutes. Furthermore, the distance is about 30 miles (or 48 kilometers). This is very doable for a day trip!
6. Prescott: One of the Best Day Trips From Flagstaff If You Love Nature
Another great day trip from the city of Flagstaff is one to Prescott.
Prescott is another lovely city in Arizona that you should definitely see! There is a lot to do and see in this city, which is great! Moreover, there is a lot of nature in and surrounding this city!
One of the best things to see in Prescott is the Prescott National Forest. This is a great forest with beautiful trees, making it a very relaxing place to visit.
What's great is that there are many hiking trails in this forest! So if you like to hike, this is a great place to visit!
Another fun activity in Prescott is visiting Watson Lake. This is a water reservoir that looks stunning. It is the perfect place for boating.
Besides that, you should definitely go to the Sharlot Hall Museum. This is a great museum in Prescott with many objects relating to folk art.
Getting to Prescott From Flagstaff
The drive from Flagstaff to Prescott takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. The total distance you have to cover is about 100 miles (or 161 kilometers). So it's one of the day trips from Flagstaff that's very doable!
7. Walnut Canyon
The Walnut Canyon National Monument is a very unique place to visit. You find here cliff dwellings where the Sinagua people lived.
They created rooms in the stone, which is amazing! What's even more amazing about this place is that it is almost 1000 years old, which is very old!
Besides that, there are many hiking trails next to this place, which makes it great for hiking too!
The site is open every day of the year, except during Christmas. You can enter the place from 9 AM till 5 PM, and even earlier during the summer months!
Getting to Walnut Canyon From Flagstaff
The journey from Flagstaff to Walnut Canyon takes about 15 minutes. And the distance is only about 10 miles (or 16 kilometers). This is very short, which makes it very easy to reach the canyon for a day trip! In fact, it is the closest place on this list.
8. Petrified Forest
Petrified Forest National Park is a beautiful place to visit. It is part of the Navajo Nation, but it is a great place to visit on its own.
The landscape of the Petrified Forest is amazing. There are many rock formations that you have to see!
The most iconic thing about Petrified Forest is the horizontal bands you can see on many rocks. This is wonderful to see!
What's great is that there are many hiking trails, which makes visiting this place a lovely thing to do!
Besides that, there are lots of wildflowers and there is a lot of wildlife, which is great to see
It is definitely one of the best day trips from Flagstaff!
Getting to Petrified Forest From Flagstaff
The journey from Flagstaff to the Petrified Forest takes about 1.5 hours. The total distance of this trip is about 115 miles. Thus, this makes it easy to do a day trip from Flagstaff to the Petrified Forest!
9. Tonto National Forest: A Great Day Trip from Flagstaff If You Like Forests
For another day trip, you should go to the Tonto National Forest.
The Tonto National Forest is a beautiful place and one of the few national forests of the state of Arizona.
You find here beautiful landscapes with beautiful nature. It's very impressive to see.
What's great is that there are many hiking trails here. So if you like being active, this is a great place to visit!
Getting to the Tonto National Forest From Flagstaff
The journey from Flagstaff to the Tonto National Forest takes about 3 hours. Furthermore, the distance between the two places is about 150 miles (or 241 kilometers).
This is a bit more than a lot of the day trips from Flagstaff on this list. But if you leave early, you'll have a wonderful time in the forest and you can see everything!
10. Winslow
Another great city in Arizona is Winslow. This city makes for one of the best Flagstaff day trips. That's because there are many things to do in the city!
One of the best things to do in Winslow is to visit Homolovi State Park. This is a beautiful state park with lots of great places for hiking. So if you like that, you should definitely go here!
Another great thing in Winslow is the Old Trails Museum. Here you find great historical artifacts that are very interesting! This is the perfect place to learn about the history of the area!
What's great is that the museum is free to visit. But the museum accepts donations.
Getting to Winslow From Flagstaff
It takes about 1 hour to reach Winslow from Flagstaff. The total distance of this route is about 60 miles (or 97 kilometers).
What's great is that Winslow is close to the Petrified Forest National Park. This is another great day trip from Flagstaff, but you can also combine the two!
11. Kaibab National Forest
Kaibab National Forest is another beautiful forest near the city of Flagstaff. It is one of the most beautiful day trips from Flagstaff with regards to nature.
You can see here lots of beautiful trees of a large variety.
Besides that, there is a lot of wildlife in this national forest. For example, you find here deer, elk, bison, and more!
Getting to Kaibab National Forest From Flagstaff
Kaibab National Forest is very close to the city of Flagstaff. It takes only 40 minutes to reach it. The total distance is about 35 miles (or 56 kilometers).
12. Montezuma Castle National Monument: One of the Most Impressive Day Trips From Flagstaff
At Montezuma Castle National Monument you can see dwellings from the Sinagua people. These dwellings are still in a very good state, which is amazing given the fact that they are very old.
The structure in the rocks is between 600 and 900 years old.
What's great is that there are 5 stories and 20 rooms in the rock. This makes it a very impressive sight to see!
Getting to Montezuma Castle National Monument From Flagstaff
The drive from Flagstaff to Montezuma Castle National Monument takes about 1 hour. During this trip, you'll cover a distance of about 55 miles (or 89 kilometers). This makes it very doable for a day trip from Flagstaff!
13. Phoenix: A Large City That’s Perfect for a Day Trip From Flagstaff
Phoenix is the largest city and capital of the state of Arizona.
There are lots of great things to do in this city!
One of the best things to do in Phoenix is to visit the Desert Botanical Garden. Here you find thousands of plants that live in the desert. This includes many taxa and cacti. This is beautiful to see!
Another great place to visit while you are in Phoenix is the Phoenix Art Museum.
At this museum, you find lots of artworks from all over the world. You find here works from Asia, Europe, South America, and the United States.
Also, there is a great collection of modern and contemporary, photography, and fashion.
Furthermore, there are many temporary exhibitions throughout the year. This means you can often find new art here when you are visiting!
Besides that, you should definitely visit Camelback Mountain. This is a mountain that you find in the city of Phoenix. It is a great place for hiking. And from the top, you have a wonderful view of the city of Phoenix!
Another great museum in Phoenix is the Heard Museum. This museum focuses on American Indian art. Furthermore, you can learn here about the American Indian people, which is interesting!
If you are looking for a relaxing place while you are in Phoenix, go to the Japanese Friendship Garden.
This is a Japanese garden with beautiful Japanese plants, a pond, a tea garden, and a tea house! The Japanese garden is also one of the reasons why this is one of the best day trips from Flagstaff!
Getting to Phoenix From Flagstaff
It is easy to reach the city of Phoenix for a day trip. It takes bout 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach the city of Phoenix, which is great for a day trip! The total distance of this trip is about 150 miles (or 241 kilometers).
14. Williams
Williams is a great city in the state of Arizona. You can find here lots of great things to do, so it's worth exploring for sure!
One of the best things to do is going to the Bearizona Wildlife Park. Here you can see wildlife from your car.
Another great thing in the city of Williams is Kaibab Lake. This is a beautiful lake that is great for boating!
Getting to Williams from Flagstaff
Williams lies close to Flagstaff. This means that you only need to drive about 35 minutes to reach Williams from Flagstaff. Moreover, the distance of this trip is about 33 miles (or 53 kilometers).
18. Scottsdale: A Small City That’s a Fun Day Trip From Flagstaff
Another one of the best day trips from Flagstaff is one to the city of Scottsdale.
Scottsdale lies next to the city of Phoenix, so you could also visit both in one day! That way you have an even more amazing day trip from Flagstaff!
The city of Scottsdale is small, but it is very fun to visit, as there is a lot to do!
One of the best things you can do when you are in Scottsdale is exploring its old town. This is where you find most of the city's activity.
Moreover, there are very pretty buildings with lovely architecture, which is great!
Another one of the best things to do in Scottsdale is going to the Scottsdale Xeriscape Garden.
This is a place where you can find lots of beautiful plants and flowers. And there are walking paths, which is very convenient.
Furthermore, you should go to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. This is a lovely museum in Scottsdale with great art of the contemporary genre. This can range from paintings to design to architecture.
Furthermore, there are often temporary exhibitions, which is great!
If you like shopping, Scottsdale is also the place for you! That's because you find here Scottsdale Fashion Square. You won't find a larger shopping mall in the state of Arizona!
Another highlight of the city of Scottsdale is Taliesin West. This is a famous house that has very unique architecture.
Frank Llyod Wright designed the building and lived there himself.
What's great about this building is that it features a lot of elements of the desert.
Getting to Scottsdale From Flagstaff
You can reach the city of Scottsdale from Flagstaff within 2.5 hours. The total distance between the two places is about 160 miles (or 257 kilometers).
15. Cottonwood
Cottonwood is a very charming city. It makes for one of the best day trips from Flagstaff.
When you are here, you should definitely see the old town of Cottonwood. There are a lot of historic houses and other buildings here. Furthermore, there are lots of shops and restaurants here.
Also, the Tuzigoot National Monument is very interesting to see. This is a pueblo that the Sinagua people built. Nowadays, it is a ruin.
Furthermore, a beautiful place in Cottonwood is Dead Horse Ranch State Park. This is a great park with lots of places for hiking. If you are looking for a good hiking place, then go here!
Getting to Cottonwood From Flagstaff
From Flagstaff, you can reach Cottonwood in a bit more than 1 hour. The total distance between the two places is about 50 miles (or 80 kilometers).
18. Jerome
Jerome makes for another one of the best day trips from Flagstaff. This town is great to visit!
One of the best things to do here is going to Jerome State Historic Park. Here you can see the Douglas Mansion and you can learn here about mining, which is great!
Besides that, Jerome is famous for its local wineries.
Getting to Jerome From Flagstaff
The journey from Flagstaff to Jerome takes about 1.5 hours. Moreover, the distance is about 70 miles (or 112 kilometers)
16. Holbrook: A Day Trip from Flagstaff With Historical Sites
The next place on this list is Holbrook. Holbrook is a small city that is one of the best Flagstaff day trips too! The city has a lovely atmosphere and there are great things to do.
You should definitely go to the center when you are in Holbrook. Here you can see lovely historical sites.
Besides that, it is close to the Petrified Forest National Park. It is easy to combine a visit to both of them.
Getting to Holbrook From Flagstaff
From Flagstaff, you can reach the city of Holbrook in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The distance of this trip is about 90 miles (or 145 kilometers), which is very doable for a day trip!
19. Lake Powell: A Beautiful Lake That’s Perfect as a Day Trip From Flagstaff
Lake Powell is a reservoir that is lovely to visit.
It is a very popular destination with tourists, and about 2 million people visit it each year.
Besides the water, you find here lots of natural sights. For example, you find here lots of beautiful rock formations.
Also, there are many hiking trails here.
The lake is great to visit as a day trip from Flagstaff!
Getting to Lake Powell From Flagstaff
From Flagstaff, it takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach Lake Powell. In total, you'll cover a distance of about 135 miles (or 217 kilometers).
17. Sunset Crater: Day Trip From Flagstaff to a High Cone From a Volcano
The Sunset Crater is another wonderful piece of nature that you should see! It makes for one of the best day trips from Flagstaff.
Sunset Crater is a high cone from a volcano. The cone formed about 1000 years old.
This is remarkable to see!
Getting to Sunset Crater from Flagstaff
Sunset Crater is close to the city of Flagstaff. You can get there by car within 30 minutes. And the trip has a distance of about 20 miles (or 32 kilometers).
20. Show Low
Show Low is a small city in the state of Arizona.
You find here beautiful nature.
A great example of this is the Fool Hollow Lake. This is a stunning lake that is great for boating! Furthermore, you can do water sports here!
There are great museums here and you find here beautiful parks.
Getting to Show Low From Flagstaff
The trip from Flagstaff to Show Low takes about 2 hours by car. And the distance between the places is about 140 miles 225 kilometers.
21. Tucson: A Perfect Day Trip From Flagstaff to a Large City
One of the best cities to visit is Tucson. This is a large city with plenty of great things to do and see.
For example, you find here the Saguaro National Park. This is a great park where you can find lots of cacti that are very pretty. Moreover, it is great to go walking here while seeing the beautiful plants.
Another great thing in Tucson is visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
This is a great museum with lots of features. For example, you find here a zoo, botanical garden, a museum focused on natural history, and more. So, it is a great place to visit when you are going to Tucson.
Getting to Tucson From Flagstaff
Tucson is a bit further away from Flagstaff. You can get there by car in about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Moreover, the distance between the two places is about 250 miles (or 402 kilometers).
22. Camp Verde: A Day Trip From Flagstaff to A Lovely Town
Camp Verde is a lovely small town with great things to do and see.
For example, at the Fort Verde State Historic Park, you can learn about history. There are exhibits and there are re-enactments of historic events.
Getting to Camp Verde From Flagstaff
You can reach Camp Verde in about 1 hour from the city of Flagstaff. Furthermore, the total distance of this trip is about 55 miles (or 89 kilometers).
23. Bullhead City
Bullhead City is a great city on the Colorado River. It is close to Las Vegas.
Going here is one of the best Flagstaff day trips you can do!
Getting to Bullhead City From Flagstaff
You can reach Bullhead City from Flagstaff in 2 hours and 45 minutes. The journey has a distance of about 180 miles (or 290 kilometers).
24. Albuquerque: One of the Day Trips From Flagstaff With Many Things to Do
Albuquerque is a great city that you find in the state of New Mexico. This is the largest city in New Mexico. And there are lots of great things to do and see in this city.
When you are in Albuquerque, you should definitely take the Sandia Peak Tramway. This is an aerial tramway that leads you to Sandia Peak.
From there, you have a wonderful view of the city, which is great! Also, the view during the ride of the tramway is amazing!
Also, I recommend going to the Petroglyph National Monument. This is a very interesting place where you can see prehistoric art.
Besides that, the Albuquerque Museum is a great museum in the city that is worth visiting! You find here lots of exhibits that allow you to learn about the city!
Besides that, you should definitely go to ABQ BioPark. This is a zoo with lots of beautiful animals.
For example, you find here gorillas, elephants, polar bears, and more!
Moreover, the Botanic Garden of ABQ BioPark is great too! Here you find a lot of beautiful plants. And there are walking paths that make walking here very convenient.
When you are in Albuquerque you should also go to the Isleta Amphitheater. Many events take place here that are great to attend. When you happen to visit the city during such an event, you should definitely see it!
In short, it is one of the best day trips from Flagstaff!
Getting to Albuquerque From Flagstaff
Albuquerque is a bit further away from Flagstaff. It takes about 4.5 hours to get there and the distance is about 320 miles (or 515 kilometers).
Because of that I recommend staying there for 2 days or more. That way you can better experience the city and see the highlights!
Save this post to Pinterest if you like it!
Blog comments (0)