Dolan Springs, AZ Road Trips

For purposes of this article, North (Arizona) is taken to be everything in the state north of Interstate highway 40 (following the historic Route 66), west of (and including) Winslow and east of Kingman. The region also extends southward along I-17 from Flagstaff toward Phoenix, to include attractions within 20 miles or so of the highway north of Greater Phoenix. This definition is arbitrary, as region definitions for this state vary. This is a geographically diverse area that contains not only the famous Grand Canyon but also some mountainous country near Flagstaff and lesser canyon/mesa terrain to the east and west. Part of Navajo Nation falls within this region. There are a number of national parks and monuments here, many of them either clustered around Flagstaff or within Navajo Nation. Flagstaff makes a good base of operations from which to explore these attractions, most of which do not feature lodging themselves. The northernmost part of this region is separated from the rest of it by the Grand Canyon and is known as the "Arizona Strip" - no relation to the "Strip" in Las Vegas, although that city isn't far away as the crow flies. Getting to the Arizona Strip from elsewhere in northern Arizona can be tricky owing to the obvious logistical difficulties imposed by the Canyon, and as a result, it has acquired a cultural identity that in many regards has more to do with southern Utah than with the rest of Arizona.

Flagstaff and Sedona are the only towns in this region large enough to have significant nightlife. Visitors to the region should note that alcoholic beverages are prohibited within Navajo Nation.

Regional airports with air service: Flagstaff, connecting to Phoenix. Page, with service from Las Vegas and Phoenix - with Contour Airlines. Prescott, connecting with Los Angeles and Denver with United Airlines. Air service to Bullhead City and the Grand Canyon airport in Tusayan has existed in the past. Amtrak rolls through the region on the Southwest Chief, Amtrak's main line through the southwestern United States, runs east-west through the region, with a major and well-centralized stop in Flagstaff as well as smaller stations in Winslow, Williams and Kingman (daily departure; Chicago - Kansas City - Albuquerque - Flagstaff - Los Angeles). Primary access into northern Arizona is by road. Interstate 17 (I-17) is a north-south intra-state route, connecting Flagstaff and Phoenix (and can be a complete zoo on the weekends as Phoenicians get out of town). Interstate 40 (I-40) is an east-west cross-state route, coming from California across the Colorado River, connecting Kingman, Ash Fork, Williams, Flagstaff, Winslow, and Holbrook; continuing into New Mexico, heading to Albuquerque. Historic Route 66 follows the route of I-40 along this region's southern edge, with points of interest along the way and reasonably good roads leading north and south. I-17 connects Flagstaff and Phoenix (and can be a complete zoo on the weekends as Phoenicians get out of town). Access from the north is distinctly limited by the daunting terrain of the Grand Canyon. US Highway 89 and 89A (ALT 89) enter from Utah north of the Grand Canyon.