As summer fades and Labor Day marks the unofficial end of vacation season, many start looking ahead to the next chance for a quick getaway.
Fortunately, fall break is just about a month away for most, offering the perfect opportunity to recharge with a road trip.
Moreover, Arizona offers many fall hotspots as the weather cools down and vivid autumn landscapes emerge , providing the perfect backdrop for adventure.
For those already planning their next escape, here's a list of eight destinations to catch the best of fall in Arizona. From stunning scenic drives to thrilling outdoor experiences, these are must-see hidden gems just hours away from the Phoenix area.
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When is fall break in Arizona?
Fall break for most school districts in Maricopa County is the week of Oct. 7 to Oct. 11.
However, you should check with your school district about its fall break dates as some districts break earlier and others don't have a significant break until the week of Thanksgiving.
Several districts, including Gilbert Unified, Higley Unified, Chandler Unified and Kyrene Elementary, have more than a week off for fall break.
Universities also have varying break dates. Arizona State University students will have two days of break Monday, Oct. 14 and Tuesday, Oct. 15. The University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University have a Thanksgiving recess that includes Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. Meanwhile, fall break at Grand Canyon University just passed and took place from Aug. 18 through Sept. 2.
Mount Lemmon
Located in Coronado National Forest, Mount Lemmon is just one hour from Tucson and about 3 hours from Phoenix. Visitors can drive up the 27 miles of the Sky Island Scenic Byway , traversing across an array of ecosystems including the Sonoran Desert, semidesert grassland, pine-oak woodland, Ponderosa pine forest and mixed-conifer forest.
Mount Lemmon is the perfect escape from the Arizona heat that typically lingers through the fall, as the top is usually 20 to 30 degrees cooler than in Tucson. The peak on Mount Lemmon rises 6,000 feet from the base, sitting at 9,171 feet, and is the highest peak in the Catalina Mountain range, according to VisitArizona.com.
You can stop along the way up to catch some breathtaking views, try out the different hiking trails, or stop at one of the picnic areas. One popular tourist spot is the Windy Point Vista with a view of the Tucson basin and adjacent mountain ranges.
At the top, visitors can grab a chair lift year-round at Ski Valley and explore Summerhaven, a tiny mountain town with gift shops and cozy restaurants to explore.
By the foot of the mountain, you can find another gem worth exploring: Catalina State Park. While known for its hiking trails, the park has many lesser-known picnic areas tucked away from the main trails. The park offers stunning views of the Santa Catalina Mountains, making it a peaceful and scenic spot for a family gathering.
White Mountains
The high elevation of the White Mountains makes this forested range a popular summer getaway, yet the peaks become even more enticing when fall fireworks are unleashed. The lush greens of woodlands and meadows are streaked with brilliant hues of aspens and oaks.
To catch some stunning fall colors, make the drive east on State Route 260 starting in Pinetop-Lakeside. The winding ribbon of pavement curves through a striking combination of pine forests, golden pastures and sparkling lakes. You’ll begin passing through robust stands of white-barked aspens as you continue to gain elevation.
All these hills are part of the sprawling Springerville Volcanic Field. Forest Road 117 is unpaved, but generally passable by sedans. Drive about 5 miles toward the fire lookout on Greens Peak.
After that little detour, head southeast on State Route 273. You’ll pass Sunrise Park Resort, which is quiet before the onslaught of winter skiers and snowboarders.
The road curves along the flank of Mount Baldy. About 11 miles south of State Route 260 you’ll spot the parking area for the East Baldy Trail. It’s a 7-mile hike that joins West Baldy Trail near the summit, but there's no need to tackle the whole thing. Stretch your legs for a mile or so along the East Baldy Trail where aspens blaze like soft torches lighting the way through long meadows.
State Route 273 ends at the junction of State Route 261, but follow the signs for another 3 miles to Big Lake. The 575-acre body of water is ringed with clusters of aspens, their golden reflection mirrored by the lake’s surface for an autumn scene you won’t soon forget.
Sedona
The winding drive on State Route 89A through Oak Creek Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona is astonishing anytime, but it explodes with color during the cooling fall months. If you’re looking for the closest thing Arizona has to a New England display of fall foliage, make a stop at West Fork Trail.
Starting from the Call of the Canyon Picnic Site, West Fork pulls you into verdant forests tucked beneath high cliffs. Echoes of birdsong and the splashy stream fill the canyon. The main trail parallels the meandering creek the whole way.
The peak season for fall colors usually runs from mid-October and well into November. The path seems to burrow into a kaleidoscope of willows, boxelders, velvet ash and the fiery scarlet of the bigtooth maples. They’re supported by an understory of grapevines, sumac and Virginia creeper in a tangle of varying hues.
Another scenic drive in Sedona is The Red Rock Byway along State Route 179, which was named the nation's most scenic roadway in a study by personal injury law firm Jason Stone Injury Lawyers from earlier this year.
The iconic red sandstone canyon near Sedona city measures only 7.5 miles. It takes about 20 minutes to finish the drive, but you'll likely want to spend some more time stopping at safe areas to admire the mesmerizing mountainous scenery and grab some photos.
Canyon Lake
Located near Tortilla Flat within Tonto National Forest, Canyon Lake offers a variety of water activities and a stunning scenery of steep canyon walls and a miles-long cactus-dotted shoreline.
If you catch a boat rental or a steamboat cruise, you have a good chance of spotting bighorn sheep, deer and javelina. Other activities include waterskiing, jet skiing and wind sailing.
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If you make time for a stop along the way, visit Goldfield Ghost Town east of Mesa. The former mining town includes a museum, LuLu's Bordello, livery stables, photo galleries, a coffee shop, a steak house, a saloon, a reptile exhibit and a mystery shack where objects seem to defy gravity.
Visitors can also keep cool on a 25-minute tour of a mine shaft as a guide talks about the "good ol' days" before the gold played out. There are more weekend activities available, including panning for gold, a shooting gallery, rides on a zip line, train or horseback riding. Gunfight shows are also held from November through April.
Flagstaff
The leaf peeping is pretty concentrated in Flagstaff, with nearly all roads and trails revolving around the San Francisco Peaks, the ragged remnants of a hulking stratovolcano. Geologists believe it once reached a height of 16,000 feet but continued to blast itself apart.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the vivid autumn colors in Flagstaff. If you drive the paved Snowbowl Road to the upper reaches of the peaks, you’ll witness wide swaths of aspens around every curve. Take U.S. 180 for 7 miles north of Flagstaff and turn right on Snowbowl Road.
If you’re down to get off the pavement, consider a visit to Hart Prairie, perched on the western flank of the San Francisco Peaks.
Hart Prairie Road (Forest Road 151) winds through high meadows and thick conifer forests interrupted by thick stands of aspens. Go on the right October day and every breeze will trigger a cascade of lemon and gold leaves.
If you're interested in Williams or the Grand Canyon, check out this page of fall-color hikes and drives in Kaibab National Forest .
Granite Basin Lake
Located near Prescott, Granite Basin Lake is just a two-hour drive from Phoenix. Surrounded by towering pines and granite boulders, it provides a picturesque setting for a family road trip.
The Granite Basin Recreation Area offers year-round recreation opportunities including hiking, horse riding, non-motorized boating, rock climbing, fishing, camping, and picnicking at the quiet spots by the water. Built out with comforts like restrooms and picnic tables, the lake and its surrounding trail complex is family-friendly and designed for short strolls and day-long treks.
There are more than 33 miles of easy and moderate hikes in the recreation area lodged between a wilderness area and suburbia. If you're down for a more advanced hike, Granite Mountain Trail has a strenuous 1,400-foot ascent on a hulking mound of billion-year-old rock. It's one of Prescott's most hyped hikes, serving up a wilderness summit experience with a substantial side of sweat.
Whichever trail you select, you'll be walking through a bizarre landscape of volcanic rock outcroppings weathered smooth by eons of exposure.
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Slide Rock State Park
Put a natural water slide amid stunning scenery and you have a tourist magnet.
Located seven miles north of Sedona, Slide Rock State Park is well worth the trip . Fodor's Travel named it one of "America's 10 Best State Parks" where you can "slip down the smooth, red-sandstone water slide and be carried over the surface by a cooling creek into the swimming hole below."
If you have some extra time, stroll along the Pendley Homestead Trail to see apple orchards, the original Pendley homestead and barn, and beautiful canyon views.
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Any conversation of the most amazing caves in Arizona begins and ends with Kartchner Caverns . After all, Kartchner is the only living cave, where formations continue to grow.
Located in Benson, Kartchner is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Phoenix. The park boasts the longest known cave straw in the country, measuring 21 feet, 3 inches, traversing across stalactites, stalagmites, and walls that seem to flow like water. Great care has been taken to preserve the cave in its natural state, even as concrete walkways were installed. For that reason, visitors enter through airlocks that maintain the cave’s humidity.
Two half-mile guided tours are offered. The 90-minute Rotunda Tour examines the role water plays in creating the caverns and features Kubla Khan, a breathtaking, theatrically revealed 58-foot-tall column. Due to the summer bat population, the Big Room Tour will not be open again until October. It focuses on cave fauna, living and long gone.
An interactive museum, hiking trails, campground, picnic ramadas and the Bat Cave Cafe are on site. Advance purchase of timed tickets is recommended.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Planning a road trip for fall break? Try one of these 8 Arizona getaways near Phoenix
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