24 Easy Day Trips from Scottsdale Less Than 3 Hours Away (And Totally Worth It)
It’s easy to think Scottsdale is all golf courses, spa days, and endless sun, but step outside city limits, and you’ll find an entirely different side of Arizona.
During my van life years across the Southwest, the Phoenix area became a regular base. It was comfortable, sunny, and close enough to some of the most underrated places in the state. I started venturing out on day trips when I needed a break from the crowds and heat, and I was surprised how many incredible spots were just a short drive away.
These are the best day trips from Scottsdale, all less than three hours and organized by distance. From quiet mountain towns to scenic desert drives and lakes, you’d never expect in the middle of Arizona.
Easy Day Trips from Scottsdale: Less than 1 Hour
1. Papago Park
Distance: 3 miles / ~10 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to Papago Park: Year-round
Home to the famous Hole-in-the-Rock formation, Papago Park is where Phoenix and Scottsdale locals go when they want some nature without leaving the city. The red sandstone buttes look like something out of a Road Runner cartoon.
Hike the short path to Hole-in-the-Rock just before sunset, and you’ll get why people always come back. The views hit differently when the desert turns orange and purple. Beyond that, the park is loaded with easy walking trails, picnic areas, and shady palms circling the fishing lagoons. You can also swing by the nearby Phoenix Zoo if you’re tagging along with kids.
2. Desert Botanical Garden
Distance: 15 miles / ~15 minutes
Type: Educational
Best Time to Go: Fall for desert blooms
This garden hosts over 50,000 plant displays, making it one of the largest collections of desert flora in the world. If you’ve ever wanted to see just how weird and wild desert plants can get, this is the place.
Wander through trails lined with cactus spires, massive agaves, and blooming wildflowers. Sculptural art installations rotate through the space, and their seasonal night events light everything up like a mirage.
3. McDowell Mountains
Distance: 10 miles / ~20 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to McDowell Mountains: Fall for cooler hiking temps
The McDowell Mountains form Scottsdale’s rugged backdrop, spread across 30,000 acres of preserved desert. Gateway Trailhead is one of the main access points and connects to a massive network of paths with varied difficulty. You can stay mellow with loops like Lost Dog Wash or go all in with climbs to Tom’s Thumb.
Mountain bikers flock here for the smooth desert singletrack. Hikers chasing sunrise or late afternoon light will catch the silhouette of saguaros extending for miles.
4. White Tank Mountain Regional Park
Distance: 50 miles / ~55 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Winter for petroglyph hikes
White Tank is the largest regional park in Maricopa County, with over 30,000 acres of rocky peaks and desert valleys. Waterfall Trail is the standout here, even when it’s dry. It passes petroglyph-covered boulders carved by the Hohokam people over a thousand years ago.
The terrain is ideal for trail running and horseback riding. If you’re into stargazing, this is one of the darker corners of the metro area.
5. Taliesin West
Distance: 14 miles / ~20 minutes
Type: Artistic
Best Time to Go: Winter for afternoon light tours
Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and desert studio were meant to blend architecture with the surrounding McDowell foothills. Tours of Taliesin West take you through rooms Wright actually lived and worked in. His experimental use of local stone and angles gives the whole place a geometric flow.
Expect a lot of glass, deep shadows, and unexpected symmetry. If you’re into architecture, this is non-negotiable. Even if you’re not, I found it incredibly interesting.
6. Cave Creek & Carefree
Distance: 35 miles / ~27.3 minutes
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go: Spring for town festivals
Once mining towns, Cave Creek and Carefree have grown into desert outposts with just enough edge to keep things interesting. They still feel like the Old West, but now there are art galleries next to biker bars.
In Carefree, check out the massive sundial and wander the town center. Cave Creek leans louder, with live music spots and saloons full of memorabilia. Stop by on a Saturday, and there’s probably a car show, rodeo, or art fair in full swing.
7. South Mountain Park
Distance: 16.2 miles / ~30 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Winter for long hikes
At more than 16,000 acres, South Mountain is one of the largest municipal parks in the country. From its peaks, you get a sweeping view of the entire Valley.
Take the drive up to Dobbins Lookout for a wide-angle view, or go on trails like Mormon Loop. The desert here is especially photogenic, thanks to jagged rock piles and loads of barrel cactus. There are over 50 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
8. Superstition Mountains / Lost Dutchman State Park
Distance: 40 miles / ~45 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Spring for wildflower blooms
The Superstitions are the source of Arizona’s most famous legends, especially the one about a hidden gold mine lost in the peaks. Even without the myths, the place is magnetically beautiful.
Lost Dutchman State Park is the best entry point. Trails like Siphon Draw lead into steep volcanic rock terrain that feels totally removed from the city. Hikers chasing views can scramble all the way to Flatiron. There are also shorter loops through fields of poppies when the season hits.
9. Saguaro Lake & Salt River
Distance: 31.1 miles / ~50 minutes
Type: Wildlife
Best Time to Go: Summer for tubing
Saguaro Lake was created by damming the Salt River, where locals escape the heat. Framed by desert cliffs and dotted with towering cacti, it is one of the most unexpected scenic escapes just outside the Phoenix metro area.
One of the real highlights of the area is catching sight of the wild horses that roam the banks of the Salt River. They’re often spotted wading through the water or grazing in the brush, sometimes just steps from the road.
Rent a kayak or take a boat cruise to float through red canyon walls. On weekends, the lower Salt River turns into a tubing freeway, with groups floating for miles.
Best Day Trips from Scottsdale: Less than 2 Hours
10. Coconino National Forest
Distance: 140 miles / 2 hours 15 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to Coconino: Summer for cool high-elevation air
Covering nearly two million acres, Coconino National Forest is one of the most diverse in the country, ranging from red rock canyons to alpine meadows. It’s where Arizonans go when they need to cool off.
North of Sedona and Flagstaff, this area has endless hiking trails, hidden lakes, and places to camp under the stars. You can go on the West Fork Trail for a shaded walk along a stream or head up to the Mogollon Rim for pine forest views that stretch forever.
11. Watson Lake, Prescott
Distance: 109 miles / 1 hour 40 minutes
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go to Prescott: Fall for town events and colors
Prescott is where Arizona starts to feel less like a desert and more like a mountain town. It’s 5,300 feet up and home to Arizona’s oldest rodeo. Start in Courthouse Plaza, where you’ll find historic saloons next to antique shops and indie bookstores.
Just outside of town, Watson Lake sits within the dramatic granite formations of the Granite Dells, with ancient, sculpted boulders that frame this bright-blue reservoir. You can also hike around Thumb Butte for a view of the whole area.
12. Camp Verde
Distance: 100 miles / 1 hour 40 minutes
Type: Historical & Cultural
Best Time to Go to Camp Verde: Spring for Verde Valley fests
Camp Verde was once a frontier military site; now, it’s a low-key town along the Verde River in central Arizona, tucked between Sedona and the Verde Valley wine region. Fort Verde State Historic Park preserves what’s left of an 1800s outpost used during the Apache Wars. It’s also home to Montezuma Castle National Monument, one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the country.
The area also offers easy access to outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking the Verde River, and exploring nearby state parks. You can tour the original buildings, walk the grounds, and hear historical stories. Beyond the fort, there’s a growing local focus on sustainable farming and wine production.
13. Montezuma Castle National Monument
Distance: 103 miles / 1 hour 45 minutes
Type: Historical & Cultural
Best Time to Go: Fall for shaded walks
This cliffside dwelling was built into a limestone wall by the Sinagua people over 800 years ago. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with Montezuma or castles.
The monument is compact and easy to visit. A paved loop takes you right beneath the towering ruins. There’s also a shaded creek nearby and an adjacent site at Montezuma Well that’s worth checking if you’re already up here. It’s not really an all-day thing, but it’s a worthwhile stop if you’re already on an Arizona road trip.
14. Cottonwood
Distance: 107 miles / 1 hour 50 minutes
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go to Cottonwood: Spring for Verde Valley wine events
Cottonwood started as a Prohibition-era smuggling stop and has since grown into a hub for Verde Valley wineries and river activities.
Main Street is lined with tasting rooms and vintage shops to sip your wine from. There’s river access for kayaking or just sitting with your feet in the water. Dead Horse Ranch State Park sits nearby and adds outdoor activities into the mix.
15. Biosphere 2
Distance: 111 miles / 2 hours
Type: Educational
Best Time to Go to Biosphere 2: Winter for indoor comfort
Biosphere 2 was once home to a crew of scientists who locked themselves inside for two years to study self-sustained living. It’s still one of the most ambitious experiments in environmental science.
Today, you can take a guided tour through different biomes inside the massive greenhouse structure. Exhibits explain both the original mission and how current researchers use the space. For anyone even mildly curious about climate, sustainability, or off-world living, it’s worth the drive.
16. Apache Trail / Goldfield Ghost Town
Distance: 45 miles / ~1 hour
Type: Historical & Cultural
Best Time to Go: Winter for scenic driving
The Apache Trail was one of Arizona’s first scenic byways, originally used by stagecoaches. It winds through canyons and past lakes, with Goldfield Ghost Town sitting right near the start.
Goldfield is a re-created Old West mining town, complete with saloons, shootout shows, and an underground mine tour. Beyond that, drive the trail east toward Canyon Lake or Tortilla Flat, with jagged desert scenery around every turn. Sections of the road are unpaved, so check conditions before you go all in.
17. Sedona
Distance: 127 miles / 1 hour 45 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to Sedona: Spring for red rock hikes
Sedona gets around 3 million visitors a year, and those red rock formations really do wow you in the face visually the moment you pull into town.
Hiking is the main draw, with trails like Devil’s Bridge, Cathedral Rock, and Bell Rock as some of the best hikes in Sedona. If you’re not hiking, jeep tours bounce through the rocks, and there are art galleries scattered around the uptown area. Energy vortexes are also a thing here, so you won’t pass the day without seeing the occasional lone meditator on a rock.
18. Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Distance: 91.1 miles / 1 hour 50 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Fall for hiking comfort
Tonto Natural Bridge is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world, rising 183 feet over a pine-shaded canyon. It’s also one of the most unexpected landscapes this close to Scottsdale.
You can view the bridge from above or take steep trails down into the gorge. There are multiple viewpoints and short hikes to get misted from the spring-fed stream running beneath. It’s a cool pocket of green surrounded by high desert, and it feels way farther from the city than it actually is.
19. Jerome
Distance: 120 miles / 2 hours
Type: Historical & Cultural
Best Time to Go to Jerome: Fall for ghost tours and crisp evenings
Built on the side of Cleopatra Hill, Jerome was once one of Arizona’s richest mining towns. Now, it leans into its reputation as a haunted artist hideout. Population under 500. Elevation over 5,000.
Explore crumbling staircases and buildings in a downtown area packed with art studios, antique shops, and bars. The Jerome State Historic Park tells the mining story, while ghost stories make it seem like the whole town is haunted.
Scottsdale Day Trips: Around or Less than 3 Hours
20. Payson & Mogollon Rim
Distance: 123 miles / 2 hours 10 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Summer for cool pine forests
The Mogollon Rim cuts across the state like a giant ledge, separating the desert from Arizona’s high country. Payson is the main gateway as a go-to escape from the heat.
Once you reach town, head straight for Rim Road or explore Tonto Natural Bridge. From the top of the rim, the view extends for miles across forested cliffs and valleys. Hiking and swimming options are everywhere. You’ve got spots like Woods Canyon Lake for kayaking and Horton Creek Trail for a shaded hike with a stream. This part of Arizona feels like a different state entirely.
21. Saguaro National Park
Distance: 125 miles / ~2 hours
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to Saguaro: Winter for desert hikes
Saguaro National Park is split into two halves on either side of Tucson and holds the highest concentration of giant saguaros in the world. Some stand over 40 feet tall and live longer than most people.
Drive the Cactus Forest Loop on the east side for easy access and pull-off points, or head west for quieter backcountry trails. Both sections offer short hikes like Valley View and Signal Hill, where petroglyphs are carved into rocks. You’ll want to time it for golden hour when the shadows get long, and the backlit cactus arms glow orange.
22. Walnut Canyon National Monument
Distance: 161 miles / 2 hours 20 minutes
Type: Historical & Cultural
Best Time to Go to Walnut Canyon: Fall for easy walking weather
Walnut Canyon is lined with ancient cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people more than 700 years ago. You will get so close you can walk right past them.
The Island Trail is the highlight and winds down a steep staircase to a loop path that hugs the canyon wall. Dozens of small rooms are carved into the limestone, and you can peer inside most of them. The monument isn’t huge, so if you’re already headed toward Flagstaff, this is a great stop that rarely gets too busy.
23. Flagstaff
Distance: 154 miles / 2 hours 30 minutes
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go to Flagstaff: Summer for cool temps and events
Flagstaff sits at 7,000 feet and is surrounded by ponderosa pines, lava tubes, and the tallest mountain in Arizona. It’s one of the few places in the state where you can walk down Main Street and then ski later that same day.
The historic downtown is full of breweries and hipster coffee shops. Lowell Observatory is open for daytime and nighttime visits and still conducts real research. If you’re feeling active, the Arizona Snowbowl offers lifts year-round, and trails like Inner Basin take you deep into aspen groves.
Catherine, a seasoned travel writer, has lived in 4 different states and explored 36 states and 28 national parks. After spending two years embracing van life, she's now dedicated to sharing her vast knowledge of day trips across America. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.
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