Northern Arizona Travel Guide: Grand Canyon to Painted Desert (Part 1)

The Northern Arizona Travel Guide is a resource for those planning a road trip in the region. It is especially useful for trips originating in Las Vegas or Phoenix, or for those traveling on I-40. All the popular attractions are included, such as Oak Creek Canyon, historic Route 66, the Painted Desert, Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Hoover Dam, Lake Powell, Prescott and Sedona, Arizona. Many less famous destinations are also included. Details include descriptions, links to many references, and suggested visit times. Also, review our recommended travel itineraries.   NEW! Grand Canyon Skywalk   For easiest use, scroll map to top.

Using the Interactive Map

Place your mouse pointer on any item number (in purple) on the map. A brief description will appear. Click on the number for a link to detailed information below. Detailed Highway Map of Arizona in separate window

Northern Arizona Pull-Down Menu Hoover Dam / Northwestern Arizona Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon Flagstaff Area / I-40 East Grand Canyon - South Rim Northeast Arizona Grand Canyon - North Rim Utah National Park Loop Travel Itineraries

Lake Powell Travel Guide | Paria Canyon Guide | Las Vegas Area Guide | Grand Canyon Guide

Northern Arizona Destinations

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Map Items 1-5 Below      <Map Items 6-10>   |   <Map Items 11-16>   |   Travel Itineraries

(1) Hoover Dam -

All Las Vegas visitors taking the Northern Arizona tour will get a glimpse of spectacular Hoover Dam, located about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Highway US-93 crosses the top of the dam into Arizona. (A bypass bridge is currently under construction.) The dam's visitor center/museum offers an Exhibit Gallery featuring the history of the dam and the natural history of the area, Theater One with an informational film, and an observation deck with a panoramic view of the dam. A self-guided tour into the heart of the dam is available. There are also street-level displays. Visit time: up to a few hours.

• Information/Tours: Hoover Dam (Bureau of Reclamation)

(2) The Old West Town of Oatman -

The town of Oatman started as a gold-mining camp in 1915. After the gold ran out, it served travelers on Route 66 and became a backwater after the freeways were built. Today, visitors can still visit the largely authentic town and sample a bit of the old west as well as a piece of Route 66. The are several old-fashioned hotels including the Oatman Hotel (a favorite of Clark Gable) and various craft and other retail shops. Tame mules wander the main street, and can be fed by visitors. There are daily staged gunfights and other events. Directions: From Kingman, west one exit on I-40, then west on Route 66. Visit time: a few hours up to an overnight stay.

• Oatman Chamber of Commerce
• Where to stay in Oatman
• Guide to Route 66, Seligman to Topock

(3) Old Route 66 -

Route 66 between Kingman and Seligman is one of the longest remaining stretches of the fabled highway. ere is a chance to see a few of the remaining businesses and places that still exist from the old days. The Hualapai Nation (see 3a below) offers recreational opportunities in the western end of the Grand Canyon and has a resort and headquarters in the town of Peach Springs. West of Seligman, cave tours have been offered at Grand Canyon Caverns for nearly 75 years. Visit time: a few hours; a day or more to visit Grand Canyon here.

• Hualapai Nation (Grand Canyon West)
• Grand Canyon Caverns
• Guide to Route 66, Seligman to Topock

(3a) Hualapai Reservation - Grand Canyon Skywalk -

The Hualapai Nation offers recreational opportunities in the western end of the Grand Canyon, including the only auto road to the bottom of the canyon. The tribe has a resort and headquarters in the town of Peach Springs. The nation's tourist center, Grand Canyon West, offers several recreational activity packages. The highlight is the newly opened Grand Canyon Skywalk, a unique horseshoe-shaped structure which extends 70 feet beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon. Its glass-bottomed pathway allows visitors an opportunity to peer thousands of feet straight down into the Grand Canyon for a very unique perspective. Activities and admission to the Skywalk are fee-based. Visit time: a day or more to visit Grand Canyon here. Better road access from Kingman.

• Grand Canyon West - Grand Canyon Skywalk Guide
• Grand Canyon Skywalk
• Hualapai Nation (Grand Canyon West)
• Grand Canyon Skywalk - official site

(4) Prescott - Sedona Loop -

The loop offers a wide variety of scenery and activities. Prescott, the old territorial capitol of Arizona offers outdoor recreation, history, and culture. Tuzigoot National Monument protects the remnants of a Sinaguan Pueblo dating to 1000 A.D. The Verde Canyon Railroad tours a spectacular canyon. The historic mining town of Jerome sits in a unique locale on Cleopatra Hill. Also, there are three Arizona state parks along the way. Directions: leave I-40 at Ash Fork, go south on Arizona-89 to Prescott, go east on Arizona-89a to Sedona. Visit time: a few hours if just driving through; a few days to fully enjoy each site.

• Sedona & Oak Creek Travel Guide - Prescott, Arizona
• Sedona & Oak Creek Travel Guide - Verde Valley & Jerome, Arizona
• Tuzigoot National Monument
• Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce (includes accommodations and more)
• Jerome Chamber of Commerce (includes accommodations and more)
• Visit Prescott (ArizonaGuide, includes accommodations and more)
• Verde Canyon Scenic Railroad
• Visit Sedona (Chamber of Commerce, includes accommodations and more)
• Arizona State Parks
  (Jerome Historic, Dead Horse Ranch, Red Rock)

(5) Sedona - Oak Creek Canyon -

Sedona, Arizona, is the gateway to spectacular scenery and outdoor recreation in Oak Creek Canyon and the surrounding Red Rock Country of Arizona's Mogollon Rim. The town also offers world-class resorts, shopping, arts and crafts, varied cuisine, cultural events, "new age energy vortexes", and more. Oak Creek Canyon offers great scenic hiking, fishing, and access to wilderness areas. One highlight is Slide Rock State Park, a natural water park right in Oak Creek. Four wheel drive tours are also very popular. Visitor centers can be found in downtown Sedona and the village of Oak Creek. Directions: from Flagstaff, south on Arizona-89a; from Phoenix, north on I-17, west on Arizona-179. Visit time: can drive through in half a day, can easily spend a week in the area.

• Sedona & Oak Creek Travel Guide - Sedona, Arizona
• Sedona & Oak Creek Travel Guide - Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona
• Oak Creek Canyon - Slide Rock State Park
• Beyond the Pavement - Schnebly Hill Road
• West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon
• Visit Sedona (Chamber of Commerce, includes tours, accommodations)
• Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village
• Oak Creek Canyon - Red Rock Country (National Forest Service, includes camping, hiking trails)
• Forest Service Fees (Red Rock Passes)
• Slide Rock State Park

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