Itinerary: Phoenix, AZ to Yosemite (via Flagstaff & Las Vegas)
Red Route (900 miles): Phoenix, AZ to Yosemite (via Flagstaff & Las Vegas)
This multi-day route originates in the lively Phoenix, AZ metro area before traveling north to the mountain town of Flagstaff. (Taking time for a side trip to Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim, only 80 miles northwest, is highly recommended.) Continue west along Route 66 and north over Hoover Dam to world-famous Las Vegas. Other stops along this route include Bakersfield, Fresno, and Oakhurst before arriving at Yosemite National Park’s South Entrance near Wawona.
Explore Phoenix & Flagstaff
Start off in Phoenix, Arizona’s capital city, flush with art, history, and Native American cultural museums. Take a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West or get back in harmony with nature at the Desert Botanical Garden. On your way north to Flagstaff, detour to see the famous red rocks of Sedona, an arty town with incredible natural beauty all around.
Flagstaff is a great place to break your journey. This railway whistle-stop with Route 66 heritage has a pleasantly walkable downtown full of student-thronged brewpubs and coffee shops, busy eateries, and historical hotels. Catch a star show at Lowell Observatory or learn more about the indigenous peoples and history of the Colorado Plateau at the Museum of Northern Arizona. The museum is right on the way to Grand Canyon National Park.
Route 66: America’s Mother Road
Make your first stop west of Flagstaff in the railway town of Williams, which has authentic Route 66′ era motels, diners, antiques shops, and more. Williams is also the jumping-off point for historical train tours up to the Grand Canyon that are fun for the whole family. Otherwise, keep motoring west on I-40 to Seligman, another quirky Route 66 town.
From Seligman, you can follow the longest uninterrupted stretch of Route 66 that still exists, passing Peach Springs and the Hualapai Tribal Nation, which offers tours of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Otherwise, if you’re in a hurry, take I-40 west all the way to Kingman, an Old West mining town with a Route 66 museum down by the railroad tracks.
Over Hoover Dam to Las Vegas
From Kingman, it’s a 70-mile straight shot northwest on US 93 over Hoover Dam, once the world’s biggest. It was built during the Great Depression. Stop to tour the dam’s massive underground turbines or walk atop the art-deco beauty, which straddles the Arizona/Nevada state line. Kayaking and motorized float trips on the mighty Colorado River launch below the dam.
The glittering neon lights of Las Vegas are less than an hour’s drive from Hoover Dam. With its casino hotels and the world-famous Strip, Las Vegas also happens to be a great base camp for adventures in the desert. Go rock climbing or horseback riding in Red Rock Canyon, then hike to sculpted sandstone formations in the Valley of Fire.
The Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevada Foothills
It’s a full day’s drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite National Park. Start by following I-15 south over the California state line. From the dusty desert pit stop of Baker, CA, you can have fun detouring south into the Mojave National Preserve or north to Death Valley National Park.
Otherwise, keep driving south on I-15.The Route 66 and railway town of Barstow is the last outpost of civilization before driving across the Mojave Desert to Bakersfield. Follow California’s historic Route 99 north through the agricultural Central Valley to Fresno, then Highway 41 up through the Sierra Nevada foothills. You’ll pass the small towns of Oakhurst and Fish Camp before reaching Yosemite National Park’s South Entrance near Wawona.
