You can make Phoenix to Grand Canyon National Park in about 4 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 230 miles on I-17 and AZ-89A, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable close to the park gates.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Phoenix
Aim to clear Phoenix before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 122 miles to Sedona.
The headline stop on this route is Red rocks of Sedona. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Sedona
Sedona sits about 122 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Oak Creek Canyon drive is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Flagstaff, the last stretch
Flagstaff sits about 151 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Grand Canyon National Park
The final 80 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Desert View Watchtower; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Red rocks of Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon drive and Desert View Watchtower, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Sedona or Flagstaff, AZ is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along I-17 and AZ-89A before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
