A Long-Weekend Arizona Strip Itinerary: Mesquite to Kanab

You can cross the Arizona Strip on pavement in an afternoon — but give it three days and it becomes one of the great underrated road trips in the Southwest. Here is a proven long-weekend route from west to east.

Day 1: Mesquite and the Virgin Valley

Start in Mesquite, Nevada — stock up here, because this is the best resupply on the whole route. Spend the morning exploring the Virgin Mountains backroads or a round of golf, then cross into Arizona’s hidden corner: Littlefield, Scenic, and Desert Springs, the towns you can’t reach from the rest of Arizona. In the late afternoon, drive the Virgin River Gorge north and back — the canyon light is best in the golden hour. Overnight in Mesquite or at the Cedar Pockets campground in the gorge itself.

Day 2: Across the Top of the Strip

Head north through St. George, then east toward Hurricane and onto the AZ-389 corridor. Stop in Colorado City beneath the red walls of Canaan Mountain — Water Canyon, just up the road through Hildale, makes a spectacular two-hour leg-stretcher hike. Continue east past Pipe Spring National Monument (worth an hour; one of the best small historic sites in the region) to Fredonia, and bed down seven miles north in Kanab, the region’s lodging hub.

Day 3: The High Country (or the Big Empty)

Choose your finale. Option A — the plateau: drive US-89A up into Kaibab National Forest to Jacob Lake, and if it’s the open season, continue down AZ-67 through the meadows to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. Option B — the backcountry: if you have a high-clearance vehicle, a full-size spare, and a dry forecast, commit the day to Toroweap Overlook — sixty dirt miles to the most dramatic roadside view in America.

If You Have More Time

A fourth day opens up the Vermilion Cliffs country east of Kanab — House Rock Valley Road, the condor viewpoint, and (with a guide or serious sand-driving skills) White Pocket. Check our recreation guide for the safety essentials before any backcountry leg.