Tucson Road Trips are our recommendations for the most interesting scenic back roads, ghost towns, destinations, and attractions suitable for a 2-3 day mini-vacation from Tucson.
With three days, these are fairly leisurely round-trip drives with lots of interesting stops along the way. Some involve driving on unpaved roads, but except after a recent hard rain, most are passable in a standard sedan, and none require four-wheel drive.
These 2-3 day getaways are especially interesting if you plan ahead and arrange to visit places that have special events during your journey, such as historical re-enactments, guided tours, concerts, and annual festivals. Check our Events Calendar for upcoming events all over Southern Arizona.
All of our recommended road trips, except Aravaipa Canyon, have decent dining & lodging somewhere along the way. Aravaipa Canyon is a Nature Conservancy Preserve. With a BLM permit, you can hike and camp in the 10-mile long canyon wilderness. On any given day, only 50 people are permitted. You can take your horse. You can’t take your dog.