The fastest way to drive from Phoenix to Albuquerque is straight east on I-40 — 419 miles (674 km) in roughly six and a half hours, mostly across open desert. It works, but it doesn’t reward you for making the effort.
The scenic alternative covers 568 miles (914 km) across two days and climbs from the Sonoran Desert through the pine-forested peaks of eastern Arizona before descending into New Mexico’s volcanic heartland. The route passes through five distinct landscapes, three national forest zones, and one of the most geologically unusual monuments in the American Southwest. The extra distance is not padding — every mile earns its place.
This guide follows the route exactly as mapped in our downloadable two-day road trip map, with overnight in Grants, New Mexico.
Route at a Glance
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total distance | 568 miles (914 km) |
| Total driving time | Approx. 11 hours 28 minutes |
| Trip structure | 2 days — overnight in Grants, NM |
| Day 1 driving | 381 miles (613 km) — approx. 8 hours |
| Day 2 driving | 189 miles (304 km) — approx. 3.5 hours |
| Time zone crossing | Arizona (MST, no DST) → New Mexico (MT, observes DST) |
| Estimated fuel cost | Approx. $131 at current average prices |
| Direct I-40 alternative | 419 miles (674 km) — approx. 6 hours 32 minutes |
🗺 Download the map: Our printable two-day road trip map includes turn-by-turn directions for every segment, exact distances between each stop, a time zone alert, and the Day 1 and Day 2 breakdown. Keep it open in a second tab or print it before you leave — cell coverage disappears in the White Mountains and around El Malpais.
Day 1 — Phoenix to Grants, NM (381 miles / 613 km)
Day 1 is the longer and more varied of the two days. You begin in the Sonoran Desert, gain over 6,000 feet of elevation through the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, cross into New Mexico, and end the day on the edge of one of the largest volcanic fields in the American Southwest. Expect around eight hours of driving, excluding stops.
Note on time zones: Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time. When you cross into New Mexico — which does — you may gain or lose an hour depending on the time of year. Check your phone’s clock at the state line and adjust any reservations or dinner plans accordingly.
Stop 1 — Apache Trail
38 miles (61 km) from central Phoenix — approx. 47 minutes
Apache Trail (AZ-88) is the route’s most dramatic opener: a narrow, winding road that clings to canyon walls above a chain of desert lakes, with sheer cliff drops on one side and steep ridgelines on the other. The road is paved as far as Tortilla Flat and turns to unpaved gravel east of that point. Drive carefully — the drop-offs are genuine and the curves are tight.
Before hitting the trail, make a stop at Goldfield Ghost Town, a reconstructed 1890s mining settlement near Apache Junction. The defunct gold mine that once drove the town into existence is still the centrepiece, alongside working blacksmiths, gold panning demonstrations, and regular Old West gunfight shows. It reads like a theme park but it’s rooted in real history — a worthwhile 45-minute stop before the road gets serious.
From there, Canyon Lake is the first of the Apache Lake chain you’ll encounter. Non-motorised and motorised watercraft are both welcome — if you’re travelling in spring, the combination of desert wildflowers on the surrounding hillsides and the deep blue of the lake makes for excellent photography. There are no overnight options along the trail itself; the nearest hotels are in Apache Junction (before the trail) or Globe (after it).
The trail is open year-round but check for flash flood warnings before departing — the canyon funnels water rapidly during monsoon season (July to September) and after heavy winter rain. There is no entrance fee for most of the route.
Stop 2 — Globe to Show Low via US-60
70 miles (113 km) — approx. 1 hour 35 minutes
After Apache Trail deposits you near Globe, pick up US-60 heading north and east. This stretch is consistently underrated. The road crosses the Queen Creek Old Tunnel — a narrow, single-lane railway tunnel converted for vehicle use that bursts out into the open canyon beyond — and then climbs steadily from the desert floor into the beginnings of the mountain country.
Just outside Globe, the Besh-Ba-Gowan Archaeological Park preserves a 700-year-old Salado Culture pueblo — one of the best-preserved sites of its kind in Arizona. The scale of the ruin is easy to underestimate from the car park; walk the site before moving on.
Continuing northeast, the Tonto National Forest surrounds the road as the terrain shifts from saguaro and ocotillo to Emory oak and, higher up, dense stands of ponderosa pine. The temperature will drop noticeably — carry a layer.
Through the San Carlos Apache Reservation, the road passes alongside reservation land that offers some of Arizona’s best freshwater fishing: largemouth bass, catfish, and trout are all present in the reservation lakes. A tribal fishing permit is required.
The highlight of this segment is the descent into Salt River Canyon: the road drops around 2,000 feet (610 metres) in a short stretch of switchbacks, revealing layered canyon walls of red, orange, and purple sedimentary rock above the churning river below. There is a rest area at the canyon floor with toilets, shaded seating, and river access — use it. The views from the bottom looking up are different from anything you’ve seen since leaving Phoenix.
From the canyon floor, the road climbs back out through increasingly dense forest and arrives at the Mogollon Rim, the dramatic escarpment that marks the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. The viewpoints along the Rim look out across an unbroken sea of ponderosa pine stretching toward the White Mountains — the tallest of which, Mount Baldy, reaches 11,420 feet (3,481 metres). US-60 ends this segment in Show Low, a small city that serves as the gateway to the White Mountains area.
Stop 3 — White Mountains Scenic Drive
16 miles (26 km) — approx. 25 minutes on the main corridor (considerably longer if you explore)
From Show Low, AZ-260 east is the road you want. This is the White Mountain Scenic Road — the official Arizona scenic byway that threads through the eastern White Mountains, and it has nothing to do with New Hampshire’s White Mountains of the same name. These are the mountains of eastern Arizona, and they are substantial: higher, greener, and cooler than most visitors expect.
The road begins at Hon-Dah — an Apache word meaning “welcome” — on the edge of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, the homeland of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. From there it heads east through the heart of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, a two-million-acre expanse of mountain country that encompasses the largest stand of ponderosa pine in the United States.
The hub of the area is Pinetop-Lakeside, a small town sitting at 7,200 feet (2,195 metres) elevation — roughly 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than Phoenix on a summer day. It’s the most useful fuel and food stop on this segment, with several restaurants, grocery stores, and petrol stations. If you’re making this drive in late September or October, the aspen groves east of town near Greer turn golden and are worth the detour on AZ-373 south of the main highway.
The drive along AZ-260 offers consistent viewpoints across forested ridgelines, open mountain meadows, and — on clear days — the peaks of the White Mountains to the south, including the sacred summit of Mount Baldy on White Mountain Apache land. Several of the forest roads branching off AZ-260 are seasonally closed (typically October to May depending on snowpack); check conditions at the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest website before planning any off-road detours. The main AZ-260 corridor is paved and passable year-round.
At the eastern end of the White Mountains corridor, the route picks up the Coronado Trail (US-191/US-180) heading south toward the New Mexico border — a road frequently listed among the most scenic drives in the American Southwest, with nearly 800 curves in 123 miles (198 km) of mountain highway.
Stop 4 — El Malpais National Monument
72 miles (116 km) from the White Mountains corridor — approx. 1 hour 19 minutes to the monument boundary
El Malpais National Monument is your introduction to New Mexico and one of the most geologically dense stops on any American Southwest road trip. The name is Spanish for “the badlands,” and it refers to an extraordinary volcanic landscape south of Grants where lava flows ranging from 3,900 to 700,000 years old cover more than 114,000 acres of high desert — roughly the area of a small English county.
Five major lava flows shaped the landscape, produced by at least eight separate volcanic vents over hundreds of thousands of years. The youngest flow — the McCartys lava flow — erupted roughly 3,900 years ago and is one of the youngest in the entire state of New Mexico. The effect on the surface is still raw: large areas remain entirely devoid of vegetation, the rock is sharp and glassy, and the landscape looks, in places, more like Iceland or Hawaii’s Big Island than the American Southwest.
The best way to experience El Malpais is by driving NM-117 south from I-40 (Exit 89) — this road runs along the eastern edge of the lava field and gives you direct access to three of the monument’s key viewpoints:
- Sandstone Bluffs Overlook — a short walk from the car park delivers a panoramic view of the black lava field to the west and the buff-coloured Dakota sandstone cliffs to the east. It is one of the most visually striking contrasts in New Mexico, and it’s free.
- La Ventana Natural Arch — one of the largest natural arches in New Mexico, carved into the sandstone escarpment along NM-117. It is visible from the road and accessible via a short 0.4-mile (0.6 km) trail.
- Lava Falls Area — 36 miles (58 km) south of I-40, this area contains the McCartys flow, with a one-mile (1.6 km) loop trail marked by cairns across the pahoehoe lava surface. Sturdy footwear is essential — the rock is uneven and sharp.
Entry to El Malpais is free. The El Malpais Visitor Center is located on Santa Fe Avenue in Grants (open daily 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, closed major holidays) and is worth stopping at for trail maps and cave permit information before heading into the field.
End Day 1 in Grants, New Mexico, which sits at the northern boundary of El Malpais on I-40 — your planned overnight stop.
Overnight in Grants, NM
Grants is a practical, unhurried town of around 9,000 people on the old Route 66 corridor, with a cluster of hotels along I-40. It is not a destination in its own right, but it is an entirely adequate base — and it is close enough to El Malpais that you can squeeze in an early morning visit to the lava field before continuing to Albuquerque on Day 2.
Hotels in Grants include:
- Best Western Grants Inn — free breakfast, pet-friendly, next to the El Malpais Visitor Center
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Grants-Milan — heated indoor pool, free breakfast, off I-40
- SureStay by Best Western Grants — budget-friendly, indoor pool, free continental breakfast
- Southwest Motel — on historic Route 66, independently run, good value for solo travellers and couples
Dining options in Grants are limited but sufficient. The town has a handful of locally run Mexican restaurants and the usual chain options along Santa Fe Avenue. Stock up on water and snacks here — the Chain of Craters section on Day 2 passes through very remote BLM land with no services.
Day 2 — Grants, NM to Albuquerque (189 miles / 304 km)
Day 2 is the shorter drive but it contains one of the most unusual landscapes on the entire route. You’ll continue south along the El Malpais volcanic field before turning east on a gravel back-country road to one of the American Southwest’s most quietly remarkable BLM sites — then it’s a straight run east on I-40 into Albuquerque.
Stop 5 — Chain of Craters Back Country Byway
34 miles (55 km) from El Malpais — approx. 42 minutes one way
The Chain of Craters Back Country Byway is one of the most remote and rewarding side trips on this entire route — and the one most likely to be skipped by drivers who haven’t planned for it. Don’t skip it.
Accessed from County Road 42 off NM-117, the byway follows a 33-mile (53 km) gravel road through Bureau of Land Management land west of the El Malpais lava field. Along the route, magma found weakness in the earth’s crust and erupted through a roughly linear series of vents, creating a chain of 25 volcanic cinder cones that rise dramatically from the surrounding scrub and lava. The cones are younger-looking than anything at El Malpais proper — dark, steep-sided, and largely unvegetated.
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail — the long-distance hiking route that runs from Mexico to Canada — winds through this area, passing between the cinder cones through piñon, juniper, and pine. You don’t need to be a thru-hiker to appreciate it: short sections of the trail from the road are accessible and give a close-up view of the cinder cone geology.
Important: The gravel road may be impassable when wet. Check conditions before turning off NM-117, particularly in monsoon season (July to September) or after winter snow. A standard passenger car handles dry conditions; a higher-clearance vehicle is preferable after any precipitation. There are no services on this road — carry adequate water and let someone know your itinerary before heading in.
Into Albuquerque
106 miles (171 km) from Chain of Craters — approx. 1 hour 50 minutes
From the Chain of Craters, NM-117 takes you back north to I-40 East. From there it is a straightforward 71-mile (114 km) motorway run into Albuquerque — the largest city in New Mexico and a destination in its own right after two days of remote highway driving.
Albuquerque sits at 5,312 feet (1,619 metres) on the banks of the Rio Grande and offers a concentrated version of New Mexico’s cultural landscape: the Petroglyph National Monument on the city’s western edge, the Albuquerque Museum in Old Town, the Sandia Peak Tramway (one of the world’s longest aerial trams), and the Old Town Plaza dating to the city’s Spanish colonial founding in 1706.
Practical Planning Tips
Best time to make this drive
Spring (April to early June) is the recommended window for the full route. The Apache Trail wildflowers peak in March and April; the White Mountains roads are open and snow-free from late May; and the temperature at elevation is pleasantly cool. Autumn (September to October) is the second-best window — the aspen groves near Greer and the Mogollon Rim are at their most spectacular, and the summer monsoon crowds have cleared.
Avoid mid-summer if possible. Temperatures in Phoenix will be above 100°F (38°C) at the start of the route, afternoon thunderstorms are frequent in the White Mountains and New Mexico from July through September, and the Chain of Craters road may be impassable after monsoon rain.
Road conditions to know in advance
- Apache Trail (AZ-88): Paved to Tortilla Flat; unpaved gravel east of that. Check conditions at az511.gov for flash flood warnings.
- White Mountains forest roads: AZ-273 and several side roads off AZ-260 are seasonally closed (typically November to May). The main AZ-260 corridor is open year-round.
- Chain of Craters Back Country Byway (County Road 42): Gravel; impassable when wet. No services. Suitable for passenger vehicles in dry conditions.
Fuel stops
Fill up in Apache Junction before Apache Trail, again in Globe or Show Low, and again in Grants before Day 2. There are no guaranteed fuel stops between Show Low and Grants, and none whatsoever on the Chain of Craters section.
Cell coverage
Coverage is reliable in Phoenix, Globe, Show Low, and Grants. Expect dead zones through the White Mountains, along much of NM-117, and on the Chain of Craters road. Download offline maps before departing, or print the route PDF.
RV suitability
The main corridor — AZ-88 (paved section), US-60, AZ-260, US-180/191, I-40, NM-117 — is suitable for standard RVs. The Chain of Craters Back Country Byway is a 33-mile (53 km) gravel road and is not recommended for large RVs or trailers. RV travellers should instead continue east on I-40 from Grants directly to Albuquerque, which adds no significant distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the drive from Phoenix to Albuquerque?
The direct route via I-40 covers 419 miles (674 km) and takes approximately 6 hours 32 minutes. The scenic two-day alternative covers 568 miles (914 km) with roughly 11 hours 28 minutes of total driving time, split across two days with an overnight in Grants, NM.
What is the best scenic route from Phoenix to Albuquerque?
The most rewarding route goes via the Apache Trail (AZ-88), US-60 through Salt River Canyon, the White Mountain Scenic Road (AZ-260) through Pinetop-Lakeside, the Coronado Trail (US-191), and NM-117 past El Malpais National Monument, with an optional extension to the Chain of Craters Back Country Byway. This is a two-day trip with an overnight in Grants, NM.
Where should I stop overnight on this route?
Grants, New Mexico is the natural midpoint overnight stop — 381 miles (613 km) from Phoenix and at the northern edge of El Malpais National Monument. Several hotels are clustered off I-40 at Exit 85, including the Best Western Grants Inn and the Holiday Inn Express Grants-Milan.
Is this route suitable for an RV?
Yes, with one exception. The main route is RV-compatible throughout. Skip the Chain of Craters Back Country Byway (County Road 42), which is a 33-mile (53 km) gravel road unsuitable for large RVs or trailers. RV travellers should continue east on I-40 from Grants to Albuquerque instead.
Can I drive Phoenix to Albuquerque via Route 66?
Historic Route 66 runs through both Grants and Albuquerque on its original alignment. From the New Mexico section of this drive, you will join the Route 66 corridor when you reach I-40 near Grants — the interstate follows the old Route 66 alignment east into Albuquerque. For the full Route 66 experience from Phoenix, note that the Mother Road officially begins in Chicago and passes through Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Flagstaff, and Los Angeles; Phoenix is not on the original route, but Flagstaff — two hours north of Phoenix — is.
Is there an entrance fee for El Malpais National Monument?
No. Entry to El Malpais National Monument is free. Lava tube caving requires a free permit, available at the El Malpais Visitor Center in Grants (open daily 8:30 am to 4:30 pm).
