Must Visit Arizona Small Towns To Put On Your Travel List
With less out of state travel due to the pandemic, I have been exploring much more of my home state and around my community. The state of Arizona has so much to offer and so many unique places to visit, there is truly something for everyone! I have created a list of must visit Arizona small towns to help you explore Arizona even more! If you are from another state or country and looking to add Arizona to your travel list, you may have heard about Scottsdale and most likely the Grand Canyon, but there is so much more to see! Whether you live in Arizona and are looking to explore more or would like to visit Arizona, this post is for you!
Here are some great small towns in Arizona you should visit (some you may not know about)!
Sedona
1.5 hours North of Phoenix
Now this place you may have heard of or been to, but it is a must visit in Arizona so it had to be mentioned!
Sedona is famous for their beautiful Red Rock scenery. This is such a beautiful town to visit just for the scenery alone, but there is so much to do there as well! My favorite part of Sedona is the numerous trails and hikes there are to explore, many leading to beautiful look out points, caves, rock arches and formations. Sedona is home to Slide Rock State Park that has natural water slides that are available all year round. There are many outdoorsy tours in the area including off roading and even hot air baloon rides. They have a vibrant art community with many art shops and galleries. Sedona has great food options and if you love wine, there are many wineries in Sedona and the surrounding area. Sedona is also said to have an energy vortex, so many people visit to meditate and tap into the vortex.
If you want to know more, I have a post about things to do in Sedona with many options and suggestions. See that post HERE.
If you are a Wino and want to know about wineries in the area you’ll want to read this POST about the wine trail in the area.
Bisbee
3.5 hours South of Phoenix
Bisbee is an old mining town with an eclectic feel. This cute little artsy town is lined with old buildings, antique shops, local restaurants, bars and saloons. It has become one of my favorite places to go with my husband for date nights, and also a place where I take my friends when they are visiting.
This town is famous for the numerous stairs found throughout the city. They host the annual Bisbee 1,000 Stair Climb where people from all over come to run or walk a 4.5 mile outdoor course with 9 stair cases (over 1,000 steps) and windy roads. Bisbee is also home to one of the nation’s oldest ballfields Warren Ballpark, Arizona’s first golf course Turquoise Valley, and the state’s first community library the Copper Queen.
You can tour an old mine shaft, explore and walk around, go antique shopping and eat great food! There are also so many places to take pictures with great backgrounds (do it for the gram)! I am thinking about writing an in depth blog post about Bisbee and what there is to do. Let me know in the comments if you’d like that!
Flagstaff
2 hours North of Phoenix
Flagstaff is a beautiful mountain town that is about an hour drive to the Grand Canyon. It is home to the highest peak in Arizona, Humphreys Peak and has a beautiful downtown area. There are so many national parks in the surrounding area and there is so much outdoorsy things to do here.
Flagstaff gets snow every year (yes Arizona does get snow)! Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort is located here and it is a great place to snowboard or ski during the winter. If that’s too much, there are great places to sled and play in the snow as well! During the warmer months, you can take the ski lift up the peak for scenic views! There are also many trails to explore, a ropes course that is so much fun, and so much more! I love coming here for a little winter getaway or for cooler weather in other months.
Tombstone
3 hours South of Phoenix
Tombstone is “The Town Too Tough To Die”! It is reminiscent of the Wild Wild West and was home to famous cowboys including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday when it was a booming mining town. The famous OK Corral shooting happened in this town (although the shooting did not actually occur at the corral). There are reenactments of the gun fight on the weekends which are really fun to watch!
This is a great place to visit to learn about the Wild West, see and eat in places of history including Big Nose Kate’s Saloon and the Crystal Palace. You can tour the famous Bird Cage Theater which is said to be very haunted, take some old time photos and even see the World’s Largest Rose Bush (Guinness Book of World Record holder) at the Rose Tree Museum!
Sonoita/Elgin
2.5 hours South of Phoenix
Arizona is home to wine country. One of the the meccas of wineries in Arizona is Sonoita/Elgin. This area is home to over 15 wineries, a meadery and a brewery. It is a great place to go with friends and hop around to the wineries, do tastings and enjoy the scenic desert views (don’t drink and drive, have a designated driver or take a winery hopping tour). Copper Brothel Brewery is a great place to eat as well as grab some craft beer, or there are a few other restaurants to choose from including a steak house, café, and Mexican food. The wineries are open most days of the week, and get really busy on weekends. This is a great day trip from Tucson (50 minute drive)!
Jerome
2 hours North of Phoenix
Jerome is another old Arizona mining town that is believed to be very haunted. Jerome reminds me much of Bisbee, Arizona since they are both nestled up along a hill. There are many shops, restaurants and wineries to visit. You can even stay in the Jerome Grand Hotel which Ghost Hunters have been to because it is said to be very haunted. The hotel used to be an insane asylumn, and honestly I have been inside and there is definitely a different feeling inside! This is a short drive from Sedona, if you are in that area its a great place to add!
Honorable Mentions
Lake Havasu
3 hours North West of Phoenix
Lake Havasu is home to the London Bridge that was relocated from England! It is a great place for hiking trails and water spots because of its big lake. This place is a hot spot for Spring Break festivities. I haven’t visited since I was little so I don’t have many photos. I’ll have to visit again soon to give more suggestions of things to do!
Prescott
2 hours North of Phoenix
Prescott is a beautiful central Arizona town. They have a historic downtown area that is known for its bars and music venues. There are museums to visit, trails to explore and an abundance of bird species in this town.
Greer
4 hours East of Phoenix
Greer is an extremely small town that is worth mentioning for their fishing and beautiful cabins to stay in. I loved coming here as a kid for a little mountain getaway and fishing fun!
I haven’t visited any of the honorable mention towns since I was younger so I don’t have many photos. I’ll have to visit these again soon to give more suggestions of things to do!
Hope this helps!
I hope this must visit small towns in Arizona list gives you some inspiration to explore more of Arizona! Hoping this post made you aware of more towns in Arizona or at least taught you some interesting facts about Arizona! Let me know in the comments if you’d like me to go into more detail with separate posts for any of the towns mentioned!
