Day Trippin' › Arizona › From Tucson › Cathedral Rock
The drive from Tucson to Cathedral Rock takes about 3 hr 20 min (north of Tucson), by real roads from ZIP 85701. Along the way we found 55 stops within a short detour: 12 coffee shops, 1 bakeries, 9 ice cream and treats and 18 places to eat.
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 Tucson) 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.
Photo: Terrydarc, CC BY-SA 3.0
Trail
A short, steep scramble up slickrock to a saddle between Sedona's most famous red rock spires.
Heads-up: When the free Sedona Shuttle runs (usually Thursday to Sunday) the trailhead lot is closed to cars, so ride the shuttle. Not for anyone uneasy with heights.
First third Middle third Last third Cathedral Rock
About 3 hr 20 min by road, heading north from the middle of ZIP 85701. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Starbucks (Marana), Nico's Mexican Food (Marana), R&R Pizza Express (Marana), Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch (Picacho) and Picacho Peak State Park Visitor Center (Wymola). The page lists 25 in all, in driving order.
Starbucks in Marana, Dutch Bros. Coffee in Casa Grande, The Nosh Cafe in Phoenix and Thanks A Latte in Guadalupe. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Nico's Mexican Food in Marana, R&R Pizza Express in Marana, Iron Skillet in Toltec and Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ in Arizola.
Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch in Picacho, Picacho Peak State Park Visitor Center in Wymola, Axe Adventures in Tempe and Oscar Roberts House in Phoenix.
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.