7 Best National Parks Near Phoenix, Arizona - The National Parks Experience

One of the gateways to the Southwest, bustling Phoenix is in the middle of southern Arizona and offers access to several of America’s greatest national parks.

As the most populous city in Arizona—America’s largest state capital—Phoenix has plenty to offer on its own, too. From its famous golf courses to numerous historic and cultural sites, you can easily spend several days in and around the city.

However, as vibrant and fascinating as the city may be, many people visit Phoenix because of its fantastic location. It’s hard to ignore the beautiful landscapes and natural diversity surrounding the city.

In Phoenix, you’re just a drive away from several spectacular national parks and monuments.

Bajada Scenic Loop in Saguaro National Park, Arizona

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Top 7 Closest National Parks to Phoenix

In this post, you’ll find a detailed list of all national parks near Phoenix, as well as a brief overview of some recommended national monuments.

The following Phoenix national parks are ranked by distance, from the furthest to the closest national parks to Phoenix. I’ve included an estimated driving time from the city for each park as well.

It’s also worth noting that you can group many parks together to create a road trip to more than just one park. You don’t need to visit each park separately on day or weekend trips.

There are possibilities for a few truly epic extended road trips to the Southwestern national parks from Phoenix, whether in Arizona, Utah or southern California.

Check the map at the end of this post for a visual overview of the locations of the parks, in relation to Phoenix.

7. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Phoenix to Mesa Verde National Park: 420 miles (7 h) northeast

Cliff Palace cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

The very first U.S. national park established to protect cultural sites rather than natural features, Mesa Verde National Park is home to one of America’s greatest collections of Native American archaeological sites.

This UNESCO World Heritage-listed park is home to nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites. No fewer than 600 of those are Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, including some of the most famous and best preserved in the United States.

An well-rounded visit to Mesa Verde National Park involves scenic loop drives around mesa tops, hikes to petroglyph-covered rock walls, and a cliff dwelling tour.

On Mesa Verde’s two loop drives—the 6-mile Mesa Top Loop Road and 6-mile Cliff Palace Loop Road—you can see numerous pit houses, surface dwellings, and cliff dwellings, as well as enjoy views from scenic overlooks.

Balcony House, A Day in Mesa Verde National Park

The number one highlight of a day in Mesa Verde National Park, however, is a guided ranger tour of one of the spectacular Native American cliff dwellings. You can take a guided tour of Balcony House, Cliff Palace, Square Tower House, and Long House.

Although not the closest national park to Phoenix by any means, this is still a place worth visiting if you’re heading northeast from the city.

Mesa Verde is often combined with other parks in the Four Corners area, especially Petrified Forest (see below), Monument Valley, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

More About Mesa Verde National Park

6. Death Valley National Park, California

Phoenix to Death Valley National Park: 420 miles (6 h 45 min) northwest

Death Valley National Park, Phoenix National Parks

Located more than 400 miles from Phoenix, Death Valley National Park may not be your first choice when looking for national parks to visit from Phoenix.

However, this is a fantastic destination on a one-way road trip from Phoenix to, for example, Los Angeles. It’s often combined with nearby Joshua Tree National Park (see below).

What sets Death Valley apart from all other contiguous U.S. national parks is its sheer size. Encompassing more than 3,422,000 acres, 93% of which is officially designated wilderness, this is the largest national park outside of Alaska.

Additionally, that’s not the only superlative related to Death Valley National Park. Besides its enormity, this is a park of more extremes.

It is home to the lowest point in North America—Badwater Basin—while also offering views of the highest peak in the contiguous United States—Mount Whitney.

Situated within the Mojave Desert, it is both the driest and hottest place on the continent. Total annual rainfall averages 2 inches and summer temperatures peak at 120°F or more.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley, California

Although its name may sound ominous, Death Valley is actually very much alive. Its diverse landscapes thrive with life, from coyotes, kangaroo rats and bighorn sheep to tarantulas, rattlesnakes, roadrunners and countless other birds.

When visiting Death Valley National Park from Phoenix, make sure to spend a night or two in the park. Its night skies are among the greatest in the United States.

Daytime activities include scenic exploring historic sites like Harmony Borax Works, exploring sand dunes, hiking and enjoying panoramic views from places such as Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View.

More About Death Valley National Park

5. Zion National Park, Utah

Phoenix to Zion National Park: 385 miles (6 h 30 min) north

Zion Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah - National Parks near Phoenix

One of the most visited national parks in the USA, Zion National Park in southwestern Utah features sensational canyon landscapes, lush riparian scenery, and a wide array of outdoor activities.

The park is about 6.5 hours north of Phoenix, a long day drive that can be split up with visits to national monuments on the way.

The route also allows you to detour through Grand Canyon National Park—both parks are popular combination for national park road trips.

The bustling gateway town of Springdale has all kinds of facilities, accommodations and services, while two adjacent campgrounds just past the South Entrance offers a convenient spot to set up camp for a day or two.

Virgin River and the Watchman, Zion National Park, Utah

Adrenaline junkies will find sanctuary—”Zion” is a biblical term for a place of refuge—at various places in the park. Alternatively, more low-key attractions like hanging gardens, weeping rocks and shimmering ponds are popular spots among families and day visitors.

If you like hiking, you’ll find a few world-class trails in Zion National Park. The most famous ones are, undoubtedly, Angels Landing and Observation Point, both providing jaw-dropping views of Zion Canyon.

Additionally, Zion National Park is the nearest Utah national park to Phoenix. From here, the rest of the “Mighty 5” parks in Utah, including Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, are “just” down the road.

More About Zion National Park

4. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Phoenix to Grand Canyon National Park: 225 miles (3 h 45 min) north

Viewpoint in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona - Closest National Parks to Phoenix

The ultimate destination for many people leaving Phoenix on a national park road trip, Grand Canyon National Park is as spectacular as you think it is.

Nothing can prepare you for your first view of the Grand Canyon. No matter how many pictures you’ve seen or documentaries you’ve watched, the immense scale of this place needs to be seen in 3D, not on paper or a screen.

The Grand Canyon is spectacular, its dimensions are mind-boggling. Really, it’s almost impossible to grasp the sheer size of this thing.

This is a canyon that’s 277 river miles long, 18 miles wide at its widest point, and a mile deep.

Hiking the Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon National Park near Phoenix

Often considered to be one of the Wonders of the World, Grand Canyon National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which indicates its incredibly significance to the world and humankind.

I recommend spending at least two days and two nights here. There’s plenty to see and do at the Grand Canyon, from canyon hikes to scenic drives and even bird watching.

Although this is the furthest Arizona national park from Phoenix, you can still get there in under 4 hours. In other words, it’s close enough to Phoenix that, if you leave at 8 am, you can be there at noon.

More About Grand Canyon National Park

3. Joshua Tree National Park, California

Phoenix to Joshua Tree National Park: 225 miles (3 h 15 min) west

Cholla Cactus Garden, Joshua Tree National Park

One of the greatest national parks near Phoenix is Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. The drive is just over 3 hours, making it one of the closest parks to Phoenix.

As the meeting point of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, Joshua Tree National Park comprises diverse landscapes, home to abundant wildlife and offering a wide range of outdoor recreation opportunities.

The northern part of the park is in the Mojave Desert, where its most famous scenery is found. It also has the vast majority of the park’s campgrounds.

Set up camp at a campground like Jumbo Rocks, one of our favorite national park campgrounds of all time, and explore epic desert landscapes dotted with Joshua trees and featuring huge boulder fields.

Jumbo Rocks Campground morning, Joshua Tree National Park near Phoenix

Joshua Tree’s southern area is part of the lower-lying and much hotter Colorado Desert. There, cacti and ocotillo plants dot bone-dry, rocky hills. In spring, wildflowers carpet the desert floor, turning the otherwise monotone desert into a colorful spectacle.

The drive from one part to the other is fantastic, clearly showing how one type of desert slowly transforms into another.

From boulders and rugged mountain summits to abandoned gold mines, palm oases and those strange-looking trees—they’re actually a type of yucca and not a tree at all—Joshua Tree National Park can keep you busy for days.

More About Joshua Tree National Park

2. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Phoenix to Petrified Forest National Park: 215 miles (3 h 45 min) northeast

Petrified wood in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona national parks near Phoenix

Red-colored badlands, blue-banded rock formations, historic Route 66, Native American sites and fossilized trees make up the remarkably varied landscape of Petrified Forest National Park.

Located less than 4 hours to the northeast of Phoenix, this is one of America’s most underrated national parks.

Named for its huge density of petrified logs, this is one of the world’s best places to see fossils from the Late Triassic, which was basically the dawn of the dinosaurs. Petrified Forest National Park allows you to walk where dinosaurs roamed and to stand where ancient forests fell.

You’ll explore an ancient river system that would’ve put every other river in the world today to shame.

These arid landscapes may seem desolate and empty, but a closer look reveals an age-old geological and natural experiment that’s still ongoing to this day.

Blue Mesa, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

There is only one road through this fascinating national park near Phoenix, conveniently leading you past all its major attractions.

Absolute Petrified Forest National Park highlights are the Crystal Forest and Long Logs Trails, the Blue Mesa and Puerco Pueblo. Although there are no campgrounds or lodges in the park, you can go backcountry camping in the Painted Desert wilderness.

More About Petrified Forest National Park

1. Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Phoenix to Saguaro National Park: 105 miles (1 h 45 min) southeast

Saguaro cactus in Saguaro National Park, Arizona - Top National Parks Near Phoenix

By far the nearest national park to Phoenix—more than half the distance of number two—Saguaro National Park is less than 2 hours south.

This beautiful desert park is made up of two separate districts, the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) and Rincon Mountain District (RMD), respectively on the west and east side of Tucson. Both are worth exploring.

Created primarily to protect a single plant species, Saguaro National Park is home to huge forests of tree-like saguaro cacti, America’s tallest and most iconic cactus species.

These large, branching cacti, reaching heights of more than 40 feet, dominate and characterize the region. Saguaro National Park protects this unique and vulnerable landscape, and its fauna and flora, from the ever-encroaching suburban expansion around Tucson.

Petroglyphs in Saguaro National Park, Arizona

In addition to vast number of saguaros, other Saguaro National Park attractions include Native American rock art, a 19th-century homestead, and a surprisingly variety of wildlife, including roadrunners, coyotes, gila monsters, snakes and javelina (also known as collared peccary, a wild boar-like omnivore).

Both districts in Saguaro National Park have their own scenic drive. The unpaved Bajada Loop Drive circles through the saguaro-dotted TCM, while the Cactus Forest Loop Drive allows cyclists and motorists to explore the RMD.

Several hiking trails offer visitors the chance to see these “sentinels of the desert” from up close.

More About Saguaro National Park

Phoenix National Parks Map

This map offers you a visual overview of all the national parks closest to Phoenix described above.

National Monuments Near Phoenix

In addition to all these awesome national parks near Phoenix, there are even more national monuments to explore. Arizona is chock-full of National Park Service sites, many of which preserve Native American heritage.

Here’s a selection of several of the most spectacular ones.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument – 55 miles (1 h) southeast
Montezuma Castle National Monument – 95 miles (1 h 45 min) north
Tonto National Monument – 110 miles (2 h) east
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument – 130 miles (2 h 15 min) southwest
Walnut Canyon National Monument – 155 miles (2 h 45 min) north
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument – 165 miles (3 h) north
Wupatki National Monument – 175 miles (3 h 15 min) north

These are just a handful of the many National Park Service sites near Phoenix. You can find a full overview, as well as a map, here on the NPS website.

Top 7 Closest National Parks to Phoenix, Arizona