Arizona is not only famous for the majestic Grand Canyon or charming Sedona, but also a paradise of stunning winding mountain roads. If you are a driving enthusiast and love exploring magnificent natural landscapes, don’t miss the opportunity to conquer these routes. Let’s explore the most beautiful mountain roads in Arizona, where you can fully enjoy the unspoiled and majestic beauty of this land.
Sedona is located at an altitude of over 1300 meters above sea level, about 185 km from Phoenix, equivalent to a 2-hour drive. However, in my experience, combining a visit to Sedona and the Grand Canyon is the optimal choice, with Flagstaff as an ideal stopover. This city has a dreamy beauty with fog and white snow, surrounded by vast pine forests. From Flagstaff, it only takes about 45 minutes to reach Sedona and about 1.5 hours to reach the Grand Canyon. Traveling from Phoenix to each location separately will take significantly longer.
Sedona: Art Town and Red Rock Scenic Byways
Sedona is named after Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly, the wife of the city’s first postmaster. It is famous for its fiery red sandstone mountains and lush green pine forests. Not only does Sedona boast stunning scenery, but it is also a vibrant cultural and artistic center, hosting film festivals and art exhibitions annually. The city center is home to numerous art galleries and other art forms such as ceramics and sculpture. Sedona has also been the backdrop for many famous movies, including “The Strawberry Roan” (1948) starring Gene Autry.
Aerial view of Sedona
To fully explore Sedona, I recommend visiting the Visitor Information @ Sedona Chamber of Commerce. This visitor center, run by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, is located right on the main street, near the roundabout leading to the famous Highway 179. Here, you can find countless leaflets and brochures introducing tourism in Sedona and the surrounding areas, including tours, addresses of restaurants, cafes, hotels, attractions, and art galleries.
Tourists at the Sedona Visitor Information Center
The staff at the center will enthusiastically answer all your questions about traveling in Sedona. During my trip, I received a detailed map guiding scenic routes, helping me explore Sedona’s most famous landmarks in the shortest amount of time. This map was truly helpful, allowing me to discover small roads at the foot of the red sandstone mountains and admire the magnificent mountain scenery.
Sedona visitor map
Without this map, you might just wander around the downtown area or go straight to famous attractions without experiencing the real “Scenic Roads”. The map marks the best viewpoints, allowing me to witness the red sandstone layers and the sandstone veins flowing down like asphalt, a magnificent spectacle of nature.
Highway 179 and 89A: Stunning “Scenic Road” Routes
Speaking of “Scenic Road”, we cannot fail to mention the famous Highway 179, the road that runs through the iconic red sandstone mountains of Sedona. Although this route does not have many viewpoints, if you have limited time, this is an ideal choice to admire many beautiful landscapes. You will feel like you are driving around at the foot of the mountains, admiring the red sandstone layers up close.
However, in my personal opinion, the most beautiful road is Highway 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona. This route has a winding, winding section, with cliffs on one side and a deep abyss on the other, reminiscent of Ngoan Muc Pass in Vietnam. The scenery here is picturesque, with overlapping sandstone mountains, vast pine forests covered with white snow, murmuring streams flowing along the road, and lovely little wooden houses. Don’t forget to visit beautiful Oak Creek, a famous resort area with rows of resorts next to each other.
Scenic and winding Highway 89A
Downtown Sedona is quite small, you can easily walk around visiting souvenir and art shops in about 2 hours. This area is full of restaurants and cafes, catering to all your dining needs. In particular, there is a coffee shop with a “modest facade” but hiding a large patio with stunning views of the mountains. If it weren’t for the lingering aroma of Starbucks coffee, I might have missed the small sign “with Sedona’s best red rock view” and not discovered this wonderful spot.
Patio with red rock views at a cafe in Sedona
If you want to enjoy an American-style breakfast, visit HP Breakfast. I chose a Simply Complete Meal for about $12.5, which was delicious and filling, providing enough energy to climb the red rocks.
Breakfast meal at HP Breakfast restaurant
Conclusion
Arizona is not only a destination for majestic natural wonders, but also a place for you to experience stunning winding mountain roads. From Sedona with its fiery red sandstone mountains to Highway 89A with its magnificent scenery, each road offers unforgettable experiences. Plan your trip and explore the most beautiful mountain roads in Arizona!