Car

A car is essential in Southern Arizona. In fact, the best way to explore southeastern Arizona is on a leisurely road trip. The intricate network of highways in the San Pedro Valley provides looping access to the many scenic vistas and Old West communities, which makes the drive an integral part of the adventure. In stark contrast, a drive through the southwestern portion of the state is filled with long stretches of desert broken infrequently with tiny towns and intermittent gas stations. If you’re heading west, pack a lunch, a few games, and plenty of music for entertainment along the way.

The best plan is to fly into Tucson, which is the hub of the area, or Phoenix, which has the most flights. You can rent a car from most national companies at the Tucson or Phoenix airports, and several at Yuma International Airport.

To get to southeastern Arizona from Tucson, take Interstate 10 east; AZ 90 is the turnoff for Kartchner Caverns and Sierra Vista. One mile farther east brings you to the town of Benson, where you can take AZ 80 south to reach Tombstone, Bisbee, and Douglas. If you want to go to Sonoita and Patagonia, or just take a pretty drive, turn off Interstate 10 earlier, at the exit for AZ 83 south; you’ll come to Sonoita where the road intersects AZ 82. From here you can either continue southeast to Sierra Vista, head southwest on AZ 82 to Patagonia, or head east to Tombstone. If you’re driving to southwestern Arizona, Ajo lies on AZ 85 (north–south) and Yuma is at the junction of Interstate 8 and U.S. 95. For a scenic route to Ajo from Tucson (126 miles), take AZ 86 west to Why and turn north on AZ 85. Yuma is 170 miles from San Diego on Interstate 8 and 300 miles from Las Vegas on U.S. 95.