The best road trip in Arizona is this cool mountain getaway

As metro Phoenix residents packed up their cars and hit the highway to escape the summer temperatures, azcentral.com readers cast their votes for our Best Road Trip in Arizona 2024 category.

Over the past three weeks, eight popular destinations went head-to-head in a competition where hundreds of readers decided which destination is the ultimate vacation destination for Arizona road trippers.

Several surprising locations were eliminated in the first round, creating a classic Final Four matchup.

The final round of voting pitted two cool mountain destinations with attractions that focused heavily on nature and the outdoors against each other in the championship round. Voting closed at midnight on Sunday, July 22.

A total of 587 votes were cast in the championship round, with Flagstaff beating out Pinetop-Lakeside as the ultimate Arizona road trip for 2024.

CNN agrees: Why They Named Flagstaff One of America’s Best Cities to Visit

What’s so special about Flagstaff?

Flagstaff is a major draw for travelers from around the world because of its milder weather compared to other parts of Arizona, thanks to its elevation of nearly 7,000 feet. High temperatures have averaged 87 to 91 degrees in the summer and 57 to 65 degrees in the winter over the past 10 years, according to the National Weather Service.

Flagstaff’s location near Humphreys Peak, Arizona’s highest point at 12,500 feet, and the Coconino National Forest makes it a great place for people who enjoy being outdoors year-round.

The hiking, mountain biking and camping opportunities are endless. Leaf peepers flock to the city in the fall to see the autumn colors. With its snowy winters, it’s a hub for winter sports resorts like Arizona Snowbowl, the ski area on Humphreys Peak; and Flagstaff Snow Park, which offers snow tubing in Fort Tuthill County Park.

Flagstaff, America’s first International Dark Sky City, is known for its excellent stargazing. It’s also home to the Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930. Although Pluto has since been demoted to a dwarf planet, Governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill this year recognizing Pluto as Arizona’s state planet.

Flagstaff has three national monuments nearby: Wupatki, which protects Ancestral Pueblo sites; Sunset Crater Volcano, site of Arizona’s most recent volcanic eruption about 1,000 years ago; and Walnut Canyon, which protects ancient cliff dwellings used by the Sinagua people from about A.D. 600 to 1400.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who has been covering travel and tourism since 2014. As The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter, his work focuses on helping readers overcome the stress of travel and get the most bang for their buck when they vacation. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

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The best road trip in Arizona is this cool mountain getaway

What’s so special about Flagstaff?

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