Landmark · 57 min east
Meteor Crater
A nearly mile-wide crater left by a meteorite 50,000 years ago, with a museum on the rim.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Day Trippin' › Arizona › From Flagstaff
Day trips from Flagstaff
Flagstaff sits under the San Francisco Peaks at nearly 7,000 feet: Sedona is under an hour down Oak Creek Canyon, the Grand Canyon's South Rim about an hour and a half, and volcanoes and cliff dwellings are just outside town. The best day trips from Flagstaff, by drive time.
66 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Flagstaff
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument 37 min northeast
- Meteor Crater 57 min east
- Montezuma Castle National Monument 59 min south
- Cathedral Rock 1 hr 5 min south
- Jerome 1 hr 31 min southwest
- Grand Canyon South Rim 1 hr 47 min northwest
- Watson Lake 1 hr 49 min southwest
- Petrified Forest National Park 2 hr 8 min east
- Tonto Natural Bridge State Park 2 hr 16 min south
- Horseshoe Bend 2 hr 42 min north
Within an hour from Flagstaff 16 spots
National monument · 59 min south
Montezuma Castle National Monument
A five-story Sinagua cliff dwelling tucked in a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee (same pass covers Tuzigoot)
National monument · 37 min northeast
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Walk lava flows and cinder fields at the foot of a volcano that erupted around 1085.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee (covers Wupatki too)
Trail · 58 min south
Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte
Easy loop around two big red rock buttes right off the highway, with as much or as little climbing as you like.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful pass
State park · 46 min south
Slide Rock State Park
Slide down a natural sandstone water chute in Oak Creek, in a historic apple orchard.
- Half day · Easy
- Swimming in summer; open year-round
- State park entrance fee (per vehicle)
Ski area · 35 min north
Arizona Snowbowl
Ski in winter; in summer and fall ride the scenic gondola up the San Francisco Peaks to an overlook near 12,000 feet.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Winter skiing; scenic gondola late spring to fall (check dates)
- Lift ticket or gondola ticket
Town · 37 min west
Williams
A Route 66 town with neon diners and shops, the gateway to the Grand Canyon.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Zoo · 40 min west
Bearizona
Drive-through wildlife park with bears, bison and wolves, plus a walk-through area.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
1 to 2 hours from Flagstaff 35 spots
Town · 1 hr 31 min southwest
Jerome
A former copper boomtown hanging off Cleopatra Hill, now full of galleries, tasting rooms and views.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- None; paid parking in some town lots
Viewpoint · 1 hr 47 min northwest
Grand Canyon South Rim
The South Rim's main viewpoints, from Mather Point to Hopi Point, along a flat rim trail and free shuttles.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee
Lake · 1 hr 49 min southwest
Watson Lake
A lake in the Granite Dells, a maze of rounded boulders great for paddling and scrambling.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- City of Prescott parking fee (free Wednesdays)
Trail · 1 hr 5 min south
Cathedral Rock
A short, steep scramble up slickrock to a saddle between Sedona's most famous red rock spires.
- 1.5-2 hrs · Hard (scrambling)
- Year-round; summer mornings only
- Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful pass
Trail · 1 hr 10 min southwest
Devil's Bridge
Walk out onto Sedona's largest natural sandstone arch for a classic photo.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful pass
Historic site · 1 hr 1 min south
Fort Verde State Historic Park
Original 1870s army post buildings with rooms set up as they were.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- State park entrance fee
Wildlife · 1 hr 11 min southwest
Sedona Wetlands Preserve
Ponds at the city water plant that draw herons, ducks and migrating birds, with red rock behind.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round; best in winter and spring
- Free
Winery · 1 hr 13 min southwest
Page Springs
Wineries along Oak Creek with tasting on the creek bank, and a state fish hatchery next door.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Tasting fees
2 to 3 hours from Flagstaff 11 spots
National park · 2 hr 8 min east
Petrified Forest National Park
Fallen logs turned to rainbow stone, Painted Desert views and old petroglyphs along a 28-mile park road.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas)
- NPS entrance fee
State park · 2 hr 16 min south
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
What may be the world's largest travertine natural bridge, with trails down to the creek below it.
- 2 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round (closed Christmas)
- State park entrance fee
Viewpoint · 2 hr 42 min north
Horseshoe Bend
A short walk to a cliff edge where the Colorado River makes a giant horseshoe 1,000 feet below.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- City of Page parking fee
Garden · 2 hr 43 min south
Desert Botanical Garden
Thousands of desert plants along garden trails in Papago Park, beautiful in spring bloom.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Canyon · 2 hr 57 min north
Antelope Canyon
A narrow slot canyon of swirling sandstone and light beams, seen on a guided Navajo tour.
- 1.5-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Guided tour ticket (Navajo Parks permit fee included)
Train · 2 hr 5 min northwest
Grand Canyon Railway
A vintage train from Williams to the Grand Canyon's South Rim and back in a day.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round (not Dec 25)
- Train ticket; NPS entrance fee added when you book
Waterfall · 2 hr 4 min south
Fossil Creek
Turquoise spring-fed pools and a waterfall in a remote canyon.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; permit needed April 1 to October 1
- Forest Service permit April 1 to October 1 (Recreation.gov); free October 2 to March 31
Museum · 2 hr 22 min south
Musical Instrument Museum
Instruments from nearly every country in the world, with headphones that play automatically as you walk up.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 86001 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.