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If you’re planning a road trip in Arizona, Route 66 is a must-see. It is more than a collection of neon signs; there are so many fun things to see and do! This original route of this iconic highway stretches from the most incredible small town collection along a journey from the Windy City to Los Angeles, passing through the heart of Arizona. Along the way, you’ll find a variety of attractions, from quirky roadside diners to stunning natural wonders like the Grand Canyon. Let’s take a look at things to do on Route 66 in Arizona.
By the time Cindy and I crossed into Arizona, Route 66 no longer felt like a highway. It felt like an old friend.
We had settled into an easy rhythm after days of driving west. Coffee came first, our cameras were never far from reach, and we kept a running list of places someone had insisted we could not miss. Every state had surprised us in some way, but Arizona seemed determined to save several of Route 66’s most memorable experiences for the final stretch.
Arizona’s portion of the Mother Road offers everything I hoped we would find when we set out to drive Route 66. There are colorful landscapes, old motor courts, giant roadside signs, historic trading posts, classic diners, and an entire town where burros walk down the middle of the street as if they own the place.
If you are planning your own Arizona Route 66 road trip, these are the stops worth adding to your itinerary.
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park was one of the first major Arizona stops on our journey, and it quickly reminded us that Route 66 is about more than neon signs and roadside diners. The landscape appears to change every few miles, moving from wide grasslands to colorful badlands and fields filled with pieces of ancient petrified wood.
The park protects one of the largest and most colorful collections of petrified wood in the world, along with fossils, archaeological sites, historic buildings, and a section of the original Route 66 corridor. A rusted 1932 Studebaker marks the place where the highway once crossed what is now national parkland.
You can drive the park’s 28-mile main road, stopping at overlooks, short trails, and historical sites along the way. The National Park Service recommends allowing time for Painted Desert Inn, Newspaper Rock, Puerco Pueblo, Blue Mesa, Jasper Forest, and the Giant Logs Trail.
Do not take pieces of petrified wood from the park. It may be tempting to pocket one small piece, but removing petrified wood is illegal and takes something away from a place that belongs to all of us. There are reputable shops outside the park where you can legally purchase a piece to take home.
Holbrook and the Wigwam Motel
Holbrook has long been one of the classic overnight stops along Arizona Route 66. Its most recognizable attraction is the Wigwam Motel, where guests sleep in concrete teepees arranged around a collection of vintage automobiles.
Built during the 1950s, the motel is one of the surviving Wigwam Villages that once appeared along American highways. The rooms are fairly simple, but this is one of those places where the experience matters more than modern luxury.
Even if you do not spend the night, it is worth stopping for a photograph and a look at the vintage cars. Please remember that it is still an operating motel, so be respectful of the guests and the property while taking pictures.
Jack Rabbit Trading Post
Long before social media and GPS, Route 66 businesses relied on a much simpler way to attract travelers: they put up enough billboards to make stopping feel inevitable.
Jack Rabbit Trading Post perfected that strategy. Travelers once saw signs for miles promising that they were getting closer to a mysterious jackrabbit. The final billboard announced, “HERE IT IS,” and generations of curious motorists pulled over to see what all the fuss was about.
The historic trading post near Joseph City has operated since 1949 and remains one of the most recognizable souvenir stops on Arizona Route 66. Inside, you will find Route 66 gifts, local items, and the kind of wonderfully kitschy souvenirs that seem completely appropriate on a Mother Road journey.
Outside, you can climb onto the enormous fiberglass jackrabbit for the required photograph. Dignity has no place on Route 66, especially when a giant rabbit is involved.
Standin’ on the Corner in Winslow
Winslow, Arizona, was already famous as a railroad town, but one line from the Eagles’ song “Take It Easy” gave the community a permanent place in popular culture. Today, Standin’ on the Corner Park celebrates that musical connection with statues, a mural, a flatbed Ford, and a very popular Route 66 photo opportunity.
You will probably have to wait your turn for the classic corner picture, but people move through fairly quickly. The bigger challenge may be getting the song out of your head afterward.
Downtown Winslow has embraced its place in Route 66 history without turning the entire community into a single joke. Take time to walk around, visit the local shops, look at the murals, and appreciate the historic buildings surrounding the famous corner.
Breakfast at Brown Mug Café
One of our first Winslow stops was Brown Mug Café, the kind of local restaurant I always hope to find on a road trip. Nobody is trying to reinvent breakfast or turn it into a carefully staged social media production. They are serving generous portions, keeping the coffee hot, and greeting customers like neighbors.
Those are often the restaurants I remember most because they feel authentic. Brown Mug Café knows exactly what it is, and it does not need neon gimmicks or an enormous roadside statue to convince people to stop.
After days of eating on the road, there was something comforting about settling into a local café for a straightforward breakfast. Route 66 may be famous for its attractions, but its small diners and the people working inside them are what give the road its heart.
La Posada Hotel
La Posada Hotel is one of Winslow’s architectural treasures. Designed by celebrated architect Mary Colter, the hotel opened in 1930 as one of the grand Fred Harvey hotels serving passengers traveling on the Santa Fe Railway.
The building was nearly lost after passenger rail travel declined, but an extensive restoration brought it back to life. Today, visitors can stay overnight, dine at the Turquoise Room, walk through the gardens, and explore public spaces filled with art and Southwestern details.
Even if you are not staying at La Posada, make time to walk through the hotel. This is not a place to race through for a photograph. Slow down and look at the architecture, artwork, gardens, and small details that help tell its story.
Staying at Earl’s Motor Court
While La Posada represents the elegance of early railroad travel, Earl’s Motor Court gave us a different kind of Winslow experience. Staying in a motor court felt perfectly appropriate while driving Route 66, especially after spending our days visiting historic motels, diners, gas stations, and trading posts.
Old motor courts were designed for road travelers who wanted to park near their rooms, carry in their bags, and get back on the highway the next morning. That simplicity became part of the Route 66 experience, and staying in one connected us to the generations of travelers who made the same journey before us.
There is something satisfying about ending a Route 66 day at a place that belongs to the road’s history. Modern chain hotels may offer predictable conveniences, but a vintage motor court gives you a story.
Meteor Crater
Located west of Winslow, Meteor Crater is an optional detour for travelers interested in geology and space. The crater was created approximately 50,000 years ago when a meteorite struck the Arizona desert, leaving behind a massive impact site nearly a mile across.
The attraction includes observation areas, exhibits, and information about the meteorite and its impact. This is a ticketed attraction rather than a quick roadside pull-off, so allow enough time to make the admission price worthwhile.
Meteor Crater was not the emotional center of our Arizona journey, but it is a popular stop for families, science lovers, and anyone fascinated by the idea of standing beside evidence of an ancient collision from space.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff offers a different Arizona landscape, trading open desert for tall ponderosa pines and cooler mountain air. Historic Route 66 passes through the city, where old motels, neon signs, diners, murals, and roadside buildings still reflect its Mother Road history.
This is one of the larger communities along Arizona Route 66, making it a practical place to refuel, eat, shop, or spend the night. Downtown Flagstaff also has locally owned restaurants, breweries, galleries, and historic architecture, giving visitors plenty to explore beyond the highway.
Because Flagstaff sits at a higher elevation, its weather can be considerably cooler than other Arizona Route 66 communities. Pack layers and check road conditions if you are traveling outside the summer season.
Williams
Williams combines Route 66 nostalgia with a walkable downtown filled with shops, restaurants, vintage signs, and historic buildings. The town was the final Route 66 community bypassed by Interstate 40, holding on until October 1984.
Today, that history is part of Williams’ identity. Route 66 runs through the center of town, making it easy to park and explore on foot instead of viewing everything through the car window.
Williams can become busy during the peak travel season, so reserve lodging early if you plan to stay overnight. Even if you are only passing through, allow enough time to browse the shops, look for surviving neon, and enjoy one of Arizona’s liveliest Route 66 downtowns.
Seligman
Seligman played an important role in preserving historic Route 66 after the highway was removed from the federal highway system. Local barber Angel Delgadillo helped organize the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, leading an effort to have the old road recognized as a historic highway.
That preservation work helped spark renewed interest in Route 66 across the country. Seligman does not mark the beginning of the highway, but many people consider it the birthplace of the modern Route 66 preservation movement.
One of the town’s best-known stops is Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In, opened by Angel’s brother Juan in 1953. The Snow Cap is known for burgers, ice cream, colorful decorations, and jokes that may begin before you even receive your food.
Seligman is playful, photogenic, and proud of its Mother Road connection. Give yourself time to walk around instead of treating it as another quick picture from the car.
Kingman
Kingman is another important stop for understanding Arizona Route 66. The Arizona Route 66 Museum, located inside the historic Powerhouse building, follows the evolution of travel through the region, from early pathways and westward migration to the rise of automobile tourism.
The city is also a sensible place to prepare before driving the older stretch of Route 66 toward Oatman. Fill your gas tank, check your water supply, and make sure you are comfortable with narrow roads and sharp curves before continuing.
Kingman has several classic roadside restaurants, museums, murals, and historic buildings. It deserves more than a quick gas stop, especially if you want to understand how transportation shaped the communities along the Mother Road.
Driving Sitgreaves Pass
The drive between Kingman and Oatman is one of the most beautiful and nerve-racking sections of historic Route 66. The road climbs into the Black Mountains through steep grades, narrow lanes, switchbacks, and sharp curves before crossing Sitgreaves Pass.
The views are spectacular, but this is not the place to hurry or become distracted by your phone. Pull into designated areas if you want to take pictures, let faster drivers pass when it is safe, and keep your attention on the road.
Large recreational vehicles and drivers uncomfortable with mountain roads may want to research alternative approaches to Oatman. Route 66 is supposed to be an adventure, but it does not need to become a white-knuckle test of your driving skills.
Oatman and Its Famous Burros
Oatman may be the only Route 66 town where the local welcoming committee walks into the street, blocks traffic, and starts investigating whether you have snacks.
The town began as a mining community, but its best-known residents today are the burros roaming through town. They are descendants of the animals once used by miners to carry supplies and work in the surrounding mountains.
The burros may appear friendly and accustomed to people, but they are still wild animals. They can push, nip, kick, and become surprisingly determined when they think food is involved. Follow local instructions, supervise children carefully, and never feed them from your vehicle.
If feeding is permitted during your visit, purchase the approved food sold in town rather than bringing carrots, bread, or snacks from home. Be especially cautious around mothers with young burros. Babies may wear stickers warning visitors not to feed them because they still depend on their mothers.
The shopkeepers know these animals and are quick to warn visitors when a burro is becoming too assertive. We were even told that a water bottle could help discourage one that got a little too close, which tells you something about the negotiations taking place on Oatman’s main street.
Burros aside, Oatman is filled with wooden boardwalks, old storefronts, gift shops, mining history, and staged Wild West entertainment. The daily performances use loud blanks, so prepare children, veterans, people with sensory sensitivities, and animals before the show begins. Visit Arizona recommends checking the current performance schedule before arriving.
Oatman is touristy, strange, crowded, and unlike anywhere else we stopped. Naturally, I loved it.
Where to Eat Along Arizona Route 66
Some of the most memorable meals along Route 66 come from small diners rather than expensive restaurants. Brown Mug Café in Winslow gave us a classic local breakfast, while the Turquoise Room at La Posada offers a more refined experience rooted in the flavors and history of the Southwest.
Farther west, Delgadillo’s Snow Cap in Seligman is known as much for its jokes and personality as its burgers and ice cream. Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner in Kingman offers another colorful dose of classic diner nostalgia.
Do not feel pressured to eat every meal at a famous attraction. Some of the best road trip conversations happen at the counter of a small restaurant you found because you were hungry, curious, and willing to stop.
Where to Stay Along Arizona Route 66
Arizona offers several opportunities to replace a predictable chain hotel with a place connected to Route 66 history. The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, La Posada in Winslow, and the many vintage motor courts scattered along the highway turn an overnight stay into part of the trip.
Historic lodging often comes with quirks. Rooms may be smaller, electrical outlets may be limited, and amenities may differ from those at a modern hotel. Read recent reviews, ask about accessibility needs, and decide whether the history and atmosphere matter more to you than having every modern convenience.
Reserve popular properties well in advance, especially during summer, major Route 66 events, and the highway’s centennial celebrations. The most distinctive rooms tend to disappear first.
Tips for Driving Route 66 in Arizona
Arizona’s Route 66 attractions can look close together on a map, but distances across the state add up quickly. Avoid planning so many stops that you spend the entire day racing the clock and watching the scenery through your windshield.
Keep the gas tank filled and carry plenty of drinking water, especially when traveling through the western part of the state. Cell service may be unreliable in remote areas, so downloading maps before leaving is a good idea.
Summer heat can be dangerous, even during quick roadside stops. Wear sunscreen, carry more water than you think you will need, and never leave children or animals inside a parked vehicle.
Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, although the Navajo Nation does. That difference can affect reservations and tour times, so confirm the local time when your plans take you into or near tribal lands.
Most importantly, leave some room for the unplanned stops. Route 66 has a way of placing an irresistible sign, unusual building, local character, or enormous fiberglass animal directly in your path.
Why Arizona Route 66 Is Worth the Drive
Arizona gave us nearly everything we hoped to find on Route 66. We explored a national park filled with ancient landscapes, climbed onto an enormous jackrabbit, stood on a famous corner, slept in a motor court, drove through the Black Mountains, and negotiated personal boundaries with burros.
Those attractions were memorable, but the people tied everything together. Restaurant servers, shopkeepers, hotel employees, guides, and fellow travelers helped turn a fast eight-day drive into a collection of stories we will be telling for years.
You can find Route 66 history in museums and restored buildings, but you also find it across diner counters, beneath faded signs, and in conversations with people committed to keeping the Mother Road alive. Arizona understands that combination better than almost anywhere else on the route.
Final Thoughts on Things to Do on Route 66 in Arizona
Congratulations! You have successfully planned your Route 66 Grand Canyon adventure in Arizona. By following the tips and recommendations in this article, you will have an unforgettable experience exploring the Mother Road and one of the most iconic natural wonders of the world.
Remember to pack appropriately for the weather and terrain, and bring plenty of water and snacks for the road. Take your time and enjoy the journey, stopping at the many attractions and landmarks along the way.
Here are some final reminders and suggestions to make the most of your trip:
- Make reservations for lodging and activities in advance, especially during peak season.
- Check the weather forecast and road conditions before setting out on your journey.
- Bring a camera to capture the stunning scenery and memories of your adventure.
- Try the local cuisine, such as Navajo tacos, green chili stew, and prickly pear cactus juice.
- Respect the natural environment and cultural heritage of the places you visit.
We hope this guide has helped plan your Route 66 Grand Canyon adventure in Arizona. Safe travels along this historic road and enjoy the ride!
Frequently Asked Questions About Things to Do on Route 66 in Arizona
What are some must-see attractions along Route 66 in Arizona?
Arizona is home to some of the most iconic Route 66 attractions, including the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest National Park, and the Wigwam Motel. Other popular stops include the Hackberry General Store, the Route 66 Museum in Kingman, and the historic town of Winslow. Don’t forget to stop at the famous Standin’ on the Corner Park and take a picture!
What is the best route to take from Arizona to California on Route 66?
The best route to take from Arizona to California on Route 66 depends on your preferences and interests. One option is to take the classic Route 66 path through the Mojave Desert and past the iconic Roy’s Motel and Cafe. Another option is to take the more scenic and less-traveled Oatman Highway route, which passes through the historic mining town of Oatman and provides stunning views of the Black Mountains.
How do I get directions for Route 66 in Arizona?
There are many resources available for getting directions for Route 66 in Arizona. One option is to use a GPS device or smartphone app that includes Route 66 as a navigational option. Another option is to use a printed map or guidebook specifically designed for Route 66 travelers. You can also ask locals or stop at visitor centers for recommendations and directions.
What are some popular stops in Williams, Arizona, along Route 66?
Williams, Arizona, is a popular stop along Route 66 and is known for its charming downtown area and historic Route 66 attractions. Popular stops include the Grand Canyon Railway and the Red Garter Bed and Bakery. Don’t forget to stop at the historic Sultana Bar and take a picture with the iconic Route 66 sign!
What major cities does Route 66 pass through in the US?
Route 66 passes through many major cities in the US, including Chicago, St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles. It also passes through many smaller towns and communities that offer unique Route 66 experiences and attractions.
Is it worth driving Route 66 in Arizona, and what are the highlights?
Driving Route 66 in Arizona is definitely worth it and offers a unique and memorable travel experience. Highlights include the stunning natural beauty of the Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest National Park, the historic Route 66 attractions and towns, and the opportunity to experience classic Americana culture and nostalgia. Don’t forget to try some classic Route 66 cuisine, such as pie at the Snow Cap Drive-In or a burger at Delgadillo’s Snow Cap!
