This Scenic 83.85 Mile Highway In Arizona Is One Of America’s Most Beautiful Drives
I’ve always considered myself a pretty decent driver, but I quickly realized my skills were mostly limited to navigating a fast-food drive-thru. That all changed when I hit this legendary stretch of road that winds through the heart of Arizona.
Honestly, my hands were glued to the steering wheel while my jaw was somewhere near the floor mats because the views are just that ridiculous. You’ve got everything from towering red rocks to lush canyon curves that make you feel like you’re starring in a car commercial, minus the professional stunt driver budget.
It’s easily one of the most stunning stretches in Arizona, and if you haven’t experienced this beauty for yourself, you’re missing out on the ultimate road trip brag.
The Ascent Up Mingus Mountain
Starting near Prescott, the highway twists and turns upward through a series of hairpin curves that demand your full attention and reward you with views that make every careful turn worth it.
The elevation gain here is significant, reaching over 7,000 feet, and the landscape transforms quickly from desert scrub to cool, shaded forest. Juniper and pinyon pine trees line the road, and on clear days, you can see for what feels like forever across the Verde Valley below.
I remember gripping the steering wheel with a grin on my face, completely caught off guard by how quickly the scenery changed. Driving this stretch in the morning, when the light hits the valley at a low angle, turns the whole experience into something you will talk about long after you get home.
Few roads announce themselves as boldly as the climb up Mingus Mountain, where SR 89A begins its dramatic personality shift from quiet valley road to full-on mountain adventure.
Jerome: The Town That Refused To Quit
Clinging to the steep slopes of Cleopatra Hill like it has no intention of going anywhere, Jerome is one of the most fascinating stops along SR 89A. This former copper mining town was nearly abandoned by the mid-20th century, but artists and creative types moved in and turned it into a thriving arts community that now draws visitors from all over the country.
Walking the narrow streets here feels like stepping into a living museum, with Victorian-era buildings housing galleries, quirky shops, and cozy cafes. The views from Jerome are absolutely stunning, stretching across the Verde Valley in a wide, colorful panorama that photography simply cannot do justice.
Jerome was once called the wickedest town in the West, and while it has cleaned up its reputation considerably, it still carries an edgy, independent spirit that makes it unlike any other place in Arizona. Plan to spend at least an hour or two here because leaving quickly is harder than it sounds.
Cottonwood And The Verde Valley Floor
After the winding descent from Mingus Mountain, SR 89A levels out and rolls through the Verde Valley, passing through the towns of Clarkdale and Cottonwood. This stretch offers a calmer, more relaxed driving experience, and it gives you a chance to catch your breath and appreciate the wide-open beauty of the valley floor.
The Verde River runs through this area, supporting a surprisingly lush riparian corridor filled with cottonwood trees, herons, and other wildlife that you would not expect to find in the middle of Arizona. Cottonwood itself is a friendly, walkable town with good restaurants and a charming old town district worth a short stop.
I found this part of the drive to be a perfect reset between the mountain drama of Mingus and the red rock spectacle waiting ahead in Sedona. The valley has a quiet, agricultural character that feels genuinely off the beaten path, even though it sits right along one of Arizona’s most popular scenic routes.
Sedona’s Red Rock Welcome
Nothing quite prepares you for the moment SR 89A delivers you into Sedona. One minute you are driving through ordinary high desert terrain, and the next, towering red sandstone formations rise up on all sides like the earth decided to show off.
Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and dozens of other formations create a skyline so dramatic it looks almost unreal.
Sedona sits at about 4,350 feet in elevation and enjoys a mild climate that makes it appealing to visit almost any time of year. The town itself is full of art galleries, spa retreats, hiking trailheads, and restaurants with outdoor seating that frames those incredible red rock views perfectly.
I spent an afternoon just driving slowly through Sedona, stopping at every pullout and overlook I could find, and I still felt like I had not seen enough. The light changes constantly here throughout the day, turning the rocks from deep orange to glowing pink, and every shift makes the scenery feel brand new all over again.
Oak Creek Canyon: Nature’s Masterpiece
Oak Creek Canyon is the undisputed highlight of the entire SR 89A experience, and that is saying a lot given everything else this road has already shown you. This 12-mile gorge cuts through the Mogollon Rim and features walls of layered red and orange sandstone rising hundreds of feet above a clear, rushing creek below.
The combination of the canyon walls, the dense forest of oak, pine, and sycamore trees, and the sparkling water of Oak Creek creates a sensory experience that is hard to match anywhere in the Southwest. The road through the canyon is narrow in places and includes sharp curves, so slower driving is both required and completely welcome here.
I pulled over at the Brins Mesa overlook on my visit and just stood there for a few minutes, listening to the wind move through the trees. Oak Creek Canyon has been compared to a smaller Grand Canyon, and while it has its own distinct character, the sense of awe it produces is absolutely in that same league.
Slide Rock State Park: A Natural Playground
Tucked inside Oak Creek Canyon along SR 89A, Slide Rock State Park is one of those places that makes you feel like a kid again the moment you see it. The park is built around a stretch of Oak Creek where the smooth, sloping sandstone riverbed creates natural water slides that have been entertaining visitors for generations.
On warm days, families line up to take turns sliding down the rock chutes and splashing into the cool pools below. The water is refreshing, the setting inside the canyon is stunning, and the whole scene has an energy that is equal parts playful and peaceful.
The park also preserves a historic apple orchard dating back to the early 1900s, which adds a lovely layer of history to what might otherwise be just a swimming hole. Visiting on a weekday rather than a weekend makes a noticeable difference in crowd levels, so if your schedule allows for flexibility, take advantage of it for a more relaxed experience.
Flagstaff: The Cool, Forested Finish Line
By the time SR 89A delivers you into Flagstaff, you have traveled through five distinct landscapes and experienced more variety in a single drive than most road trips offer in several days. Flagstaff sits at 6,909 feet in elevation, making it one of the coolest cities in Arizona, and the surrounding ponderosa pine forests give it a completely different feel from anywhere else along the route.
The city has a lively downtown with excellent restaurants, independent bookstores, and a genuine college town energy thanks to Northern Arizona University. The San Francisco Peaks, including Humphreys Peak which is the highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet, loom dramatically over the city and are visible from almost everywhere.
Flagstaff also serves as a gateway to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, which is about 80 miles north, making it a smart base for anyone planning to extend their Arizona adventure. Finishing SR 89A here feels satisfying in the way that only a truly great road trip can, where the destination matches the journey mile for mile.
The Wilson Mountain Overlook Stretch
Few stretches of pavement in the American Southwest carry as much drama as the winding section of 89A that hugs the canyon walls beneath Wilson Mountain. The road narrows here, clinging to the cliffside while the canyon opens up in both directions like a grand theater built entirely by nature.
Wilson Mountain itself towers above at over 6,000 feet, casting long shadows across the creek below during the late afternoon hours. Pulling into one of the small roadside pullouts here gives you a moment to just breathe it all in.
Photographers especially love this stretch for its layered depth and ever-changing light. Even on an ordinary day, the scenery feels almost impossibly cinematic from one curve to the next.
The contrast between the red rock walls, the pockets of green below, and the wide Arizona sky makes every quick stop feel worth it. It is the kind of place where you end up taking far more photos than you planned because the view keeps shifting in subtle ways.
By the time you get back in the car, the drive somehow feels even more impressive than it did a few minutes earlier.