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Phoenix to Saguaro National Park East road trip: best stops

The drive from Phoenix to Saguaro National Park East takes about 2 hr (southeast of Phoenix), by real roads from ZIP 85004. Along the way we found 50 stops within a short detour: 11 coffee shops, 6 ice cream and treats, 18 places to eat and 2 viewpoints.

The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Phoenix) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.

Plan this trip All day trips from Phoenix

Where you are going: Saguaro National Park East 2 hr from Phoenix

Saguaro National Park East

Photo: dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0

National park

Saguaro National Park East

Drive the paved 8-mile Cactus Forest Loop through thick stands of giant saguaros below the Rincon Mountains, with pull-offs and short walks on the way.

  • 2-3 hrs
  • Best October to April; summer mornings only
  • NPS entrance fee (per vehicle, 7 days, covers both districts) or America the Beautiful pass
  • Confirm fees and hours before you go

Heads-up: The park takes cards only, no cash. Loop drive hours differ between NPS pages, and long rigs (40 ft combined, or wider than 8.5 ft) are not allowed on the loop.

Official site

Map of the stops between Phoenix and Saguaro National Park East

Open the interactive map

First third Middle third Last third Saguaro National Park East

First stretch 2 stops

  1. Charleston's Restaurant · Chandler
    About 14 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  2. Casey House Viewpoint · Guadalupe
    About 16 min into the drive · detour about 11 min

Middle of the drive 9 stops

  1. Dutch Bros. Coffee Coffee shop · Casa Grande
    About 43 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th 05:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-23:00; Su 05:00-22:00
  2. BoSa Donuts Donut counter-service · Casa Grande
    About 43 min into the drive · detour about 11 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 04:00-22:00 Website
  3. Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ Restaurant · Arizola
    About 43 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  4. Iron Skillet Quick bite · Toltec
    About 48 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  5. The Lookout Viewpoint · Arizona City
    About 48 min into the drive · detour about 13 min
  6. Subway Sandwich place · Wymola
    About 1 hr 4 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  7. Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch Attraction · Picacho
    About 1 hr 5 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  8. Dutch Bros. Coffee Coffee shop · Marana
    About 1 hr 17 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
  9. Panda Express Chinese counter-service · Marana
    About 1 hr 17 min into the drive · detour about 2 min

Last stretch 15 stops

  1. Dairy Queen Ice cream counter-service · Marana
    About 1 hr 25 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  2. Starbucks Coffee shop · Tortolita
    About 1 hr 26 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: 04:30-20:30
  3. Boba Cucue Coffee shop · Tortolita
    About 1 hr 26 min into the drive · detour about 3 min
  4. Screamery Ice cream · Marana
    About 1 hr 26 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th,Su 12:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-22:00 Website
  5. Filiberto's Mexican counter-service · Tortolita
    About 1 hr 26 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  6. Rio Grande Steel Sided Caboose 01433 Historic site · Tucson
    About 1 hr 32 min into the drive · detour about 3 min Website
  7. Gadsden-Pacific Division Toy Train Operating Museum Museum · Tucson
    About 1 hr 32 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Sep-May Su 13:00-17:00 Website
  8. See's Candies Candy shop · Tucson
    About 1 hr 33 min into the drive · detour about 14 min
  9. Tanna's Botannas Factory / Bodega Candy shop · Tucson
    About 1 hr 34 min into the drive · detour about 8 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 16:30-21:30 Website
  10. HeeMee Coffee + Bakery on Congress Coffee shop · Tucson
    About 1 hr 37 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Tu-Fr 08:00-17:00; Sa-Su 09:00-17:00 Website
  11. Tucson Museum of Art Museum · Tucson
    About 1 hr 37 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Th-Su 10:00-17:00 Website
  12. Tucson Children's Museum Museum · Tucson
    About 1 hr 37 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: May Mo[-1]-Sep Mo[1] Mo-Su 09:00-17:00; Sep Tu[1]-May Su[-1] 09:00-17:00; Nov Th[4] off, Dec 25 off, easter off Website
  13. Scented Leaf Tea House - Congress Coffee shop · Tucson
    About 1 hr 38 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  14. Hub Ice Cream Ice cream · Tucson
    About 1 hr 38 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
  15. A10 Thunderbolt Historic site · Littletown
    About 1 hr 46 min into the drive · detour about 3 min

Questions about the drive from Phoenix to Saguaro National Park East

How long is the drive from Phoenix to Saguaro National Park East?

About 2 hr by road, heading southeast from the middle of ZIP 85004. Traffic and weather change that.

What are the best stops on the way from Phoenix to Saguaro National Park East?

Good ones to start with: Charleston's (Chandler), Casey House (Guadalupe), Dutch Bros. Coffee (Casa Grande), BoSa Donuts (Casa Grande) and Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ (Arizola). The page lists 26 in all, in driving order.

Where can I get coffee or a bakery stop between Phoenix and Saguaro National Park East?

Dutch Bros. Coffee in Casa Grande, Dutch Bros. Coffee in Marana, Starbucks in Tortolita and Boba Cucue in Tortolita. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.

Where can I eat on the way to Saguaro National Park East?

Charleston's in Chandler, Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ in Arizola, Iron Skillet in Toltec and Subway in Wymola.

Are there viewpoints or quick sights on the way?

Casey House in Guadalupe, The Lookout in Arizona City, Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch in Picacho and Rio Grande Steel Sided Caboose 01433 in Tucson.

More about Phoenix and Saguaro National Park East

Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.

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