Phoenix to Flagstaff: Time the Climb for Golden Hour
Tom Reyes••6 min read
145 miles, 5,000 feet of elevation and a temperature drop of 25 degrees. Leave Phoenix at four and the saguaro-to-pine transition happens in light you will not forget.
Interstate 17 north is one of the great short drives in the American West, and most people do it at the wrong time of day. Leave Phoenix Sky Harbor in the late afternoon and the climb past Black Canyon City turns gold.
The stop
Sunset Point rest area is well named. Thirty minutes there is worth more than any restaurant on the route.
The car
A Luxury SUV handles the elevation and the occasional late-season storm without fuss. In winter, ask for a winter-ready vehicle; Flagstaff sees real snow.
