Quick Summary:

  • Scottsdale is one of Arizona's most charming cities, known for its lovely spa resorts, golf courses, and attractions such as the Frank Lloyd Wright architectural masterpiece Taliesin West.
  • Scottsdale serves as an excellent launching-off point for exploring some of the state's most iconic natural wonders.
  • You can also explore some of the Old West's most unique preserved historic attractions, including Tombstone's famed O.K. Corral, the site of a legendary 1881 gunfight that has been recreated in many films and television series.


  • Updated with new information since originally published.
  • Please support our journalism through affiliate links. Affiliate Disclosure
  • Our editors recommend these diverse local experiences.

1. The Apache Trail ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Category: Activities
The Apache Trail | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© aVoCado/stock.adobe.com

2. Canyon Lake ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Category: Activities
Canyon Lake | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Don/stock.adobe.com

3. Cave Creek

Category: Activities
Cave Creek | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Hadrien/stock.adobe.com

4. Desert Botanical Garden

Category: Activities
Desert Botanical Garden | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Daniel Meunier/stock.adobe.com

5. Flagstaff

Flagstaff | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© oscity/stock.adobe.com

6. Grand Canyon National Park

Category: Activities
Grand Canyon National Park | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Christopher/stock.adobe.com

7. Jerome

Jerome | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Jamie & Judy Wild and Danita Delimont/stock.adobe.com

8. Kartchner Caverns

Category: Entertainment
Kartchner Caverns | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© swisshippo/stock.adobe.com

9. Lost Dutchman State Park

Category: Activities
Lost Dutchman State Park | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Tom/stock.adobe.com

10. McDowell Mountain Regional Park

Category: Activities
McDowell Mountain Regional Park | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© lynda lehmann/stock.adobe.com

11. Montezuma Castle National Monument

Category: Activities
Montezuma Castle National Monument | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Douglas/stock.adobe.com

12. Needle Rock Recreation Area

Category: Activities
Needle Rock Recreation Area | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© phpetrunina14/stock.adobe.com

13. Payson

Payson | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Julie Foskett/stock.adobe.com

14. Phoenix

Phoenix | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Jeremy Janus/stock.adobe.com

15. Prescott

Prescott | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© jon manjeot/stock.adobe.com

16. Route 66

Route 66 | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Matthieu/stock.adobe.com

17. Saguaro Lake

Category: Activities
Saguaro Lake | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© hpbfotos/stock.adobe.com

18. Mission San Xavier del Bac

Mission San Xavier del Bac | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© samantoniophoto/stock.adobe.com

19. Sedona

Sedona | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Jenifoto/stock.adobe.com

20. Seven Springs Recreation Area

Category: Activities
Seven Springs Recreation Area | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Leonid/stock.adobe.com

21. The Sonoran Desert

The Sonoran Desert | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Jason Yoder/stock.adobe.com

22. Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area

Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Derrick Neill/stock.adobe.com

23. Tombstone and Bisbee

Tombstone and Bisbee | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© evenfh/stock.adobe.com

24. Tucson

Tucson | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Andy/stock.adobe.com

25. The Verde Valley

The Verde Valley | Day Trips from Scottsdale, AZ
© Linda J Photography/stock.adobe.com

Plan Your Trip