Jerome & Prescott Day Trip from Phoenix
A mining town clinging to a mountainside, then Victorian Prescott
A one-day drive from Phoenix to Jerome & Prescott — 226 mi round trip, about 4h 31m driving, with stops and timings worked out.
A mining town clinging to a mountainside, then Victorian Prescott. It's a day out of Phoenix: 226 mi of driving in total, about 4h 31m behind the wheel, and the rest of the day on your feet.
The plan below is paced so the driving doesn't eat the day: leave after breakfast, be back for the evening. Every stop can be swapped for one of three alternatives if it isn't your kind of thing.
Your days
You climb a cliffside copper town, lunch at the summit with valley views, and coast home through the desert by evening.
Detour east from I-17 near Camp Verde to this alcove-nested ruin before heading up to Jerome.
Arrive in Jerome mid-morning and start with the town's mining history.
Walk up the hillside to the hotel at the town's highest point for a noon-hour lunch.
After lunch, explore the heart of the old town on foot, drifting through galleries and back lanes.
- I-17 has long grades — check gas and brakes before the descent from Jerome
- Jerome's Main Street parking is limited; arrive before mid-morning on weekends
- Montezuma Castle has a modest entry fee, no reservation needed for walk-up visits
- No low-emission zones on this route; it's a straightforward interstate drive
- Tuzigoot National Monument+9 mi
A hilltop Sinagua pueblo ruin overlooking the Verde River, an easy walk with valley views.
- Out of Africa Wildlife Park+12 mi
A popular drive-up wildlife park near Camp Verde, good if time allows an extra stop.
- Page Springs Cellars+16 mi
Verde Valley wine tasting room in a scenic creekside setting, a relaxed detour off the highway.
This route was drafted with AI. Please double-check roads, opening hours and local conditions before you go.
Questions, answered
- How far is Sedona from Phoenix?
- About two hours by car, roughly 190 km up I-17 and then east. It is the single most popular day trip from the city, which means the trailhead car parks fill by mid-morning at weekends: arriving before eight makes the difference between parking and circling.
- Can you visit the Grand Canyon in a day from Phoenix?
- The South Rim is about three and a half hours each way, so it is a long day: eleven or twelve hours door to door with only two or three hours at the rim. It works if the drive is part of the plan; it is far better as an overnight in Flagstaff or Tusayan.
- When is the best time for day trips from Phoenix?
- October to April. Winter is the region's high season for a reason: clear, dry days in the low twenties. From June to September, restrict yourself to the high country: Flagstaff, the Mogollon Rim, or to water, and start at dawn.
- Which of these works in summer?
- The high-elevation ones: Flagstaff at 2,100 m and the Mogollon Rim are usually fifteen to twenty degrees cooler than the valley. Canyon Lake works too if you're on the water rather than beside it. Saguaro country and the low desert are for the cooler months.
Worth reading first
Other routes you might like
Sedona Day Trip from Phoenix
Red sandstone buttes, creekside trails and the drive up Oak Creek Canyon
1 day · 234 mi
Flagstaff Day Trip from Phoenix
Ponderosa pine at 2,100 m — the valley's escape from summer
1 day · 295 mi
Montezuma Castle & Verde Valley Day Trip from Phoenix
A cliff dwelling in a limestone alcove, plus Verde Valley wine
1 day · 183 mi