Places within 2 hours of Phoenix

Under 1 hour from Phoenix 3 places

Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0

State park · 46 min east

Lost Dutchman State Park

Trails at the foot of the Superstition Mountains, gold with wildflowers in a good spring.

• 2-3 hrs
• Fall to spring
• State park entrance fee

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Photo: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0

National monument · 53 min southeast

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

See the four-story adobe Great House that Ancestral Sonoran Desert People built about 700 years ago, now under a large protective roof.

• 1-2 hrs
• Best October to April; open year-round
• Free

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Photo: Lar (primary) User:Lar (secondary), Public domain

Landmark · 33 min northeast

Taliesin West

Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and studio in the desert foothills, seen on a guided tour.

• 1.5-2 hrs
• Year-round
• Tour ticket

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1 to 2 hours from Phoenix 51 places

Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0

National monument · 1 hr 25 min north

Montezuma Castle National Monument

A five-story Sinagua cliff dwelling tucked in a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek.

• 1 hr
• Year-round
• NPS entrance fee (same pass covers Tuzigoot)

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Photo: ksblack99, Public domain

State park · 1 hr 47 min northeast

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
• Year-round (closed Christmas)
• State park entrance fee

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Photo: Seasider53, CC BY 4.0

Town · 1 hr 47 min north

Jerome

A former copper boomtown hanging off Cleopatra Hill, now full of galleries, tasting rooms and views.

• Half day
• Year-round
• None; paid parking in some town lots

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Photo: Keyany, CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic site · 1 hr 47 min southeast

Mission San Xavier del Bac

A white mission church from the late 1700s, still in use, with a richly painted and carved interior; people call it the White Dove of the Desert.

• 1-2 hrs
• Year-round
• Free (donations welcome)

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Photo: Benjamin Cody, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lake · 1 hr 38 min north

Watson Lake

A lake in the Granite Dells, a maze of rounded boulders great for paddling and scrambling.

• 2-3 hrs
• Year-round
• City of Prescott parking fee (free Wednesdays)

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Photo: M.Fitzsimmons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Zoo · 1 hr 44 min southeast

Reid Park Zoo

A friendly, easy-to-walk city zoo with elephants, giraffes and big cats, a good fit for families with young kids.

• 2-3 hrs
• Year-round; summer mornings only
• Admission

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More 1 to 2 hours from Phoenix, by type

History

Arcosanti (1 hr 5 min), Vulture City (1 hr 20 min), Fort Verde State Historic Park (1 hr 22 min), Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site (1 hr 34 min), Sharlot Hall Museum (1 hr 38 min), Verde Canyon Railroad (1 hr 43 min), Chapel of the Holy Cross (1 hr 46 min), Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (1 hr 47 min) and 6 more

Hikes

Picacho Peak State Park (1 hr 8 min), Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte (1 hr 39 min), Dead Horse Ranch State Park (1 hr 43 min), Cathedral Rock (1 hr 45 min), Catalina State Park (1 hr 45 min), Thumb Butte (1 hr 47 min), Red Rock State Park (1 hr 55 min), Fay Canyon (1 hr 56 min) and 3 more

Mountains & views

Montezuma Well (1 hr 33 min), Tohono Chul (1 hr 36 min), Saguaro National Park West (1 hr 42 min), Tuzigoot National Monument (1 hr 43 min), Gates Pass Scenic Overlook (1 hr 46 min), Sabino Canyon Recreation Area (1 hr 51 min), Airport Mesa (1 hr 51 min), Saguaro National Park East (2 hr)

Small towns

Wickenburg (1 hr 6 min), Downtown Prescott and Whiskey Row (1 hr 37 min), Old Town Cottonwood (1 hr 37 min), Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village (1 hr 48 min), Quartzsite (1 hr 49 min)

Beaches & lakes

Hassayampa River Preserve (1 hr 1 min), Crescent Moon Picnic Site (1 hr 55 min)

Wildlife

Sweetwater Wetlands (1 hr 33 min), Sedona Wetlands Preserve (1 hr 46 min)

Scenic drives

Schnebly Hill Road (1 hr 48 min), Oak Creek Canyon (1 hr 55 min)

Food & wine

Page Springs (1 hr 41 min)