The National Parks Highway (US 89)
Flagstaff, AZ → Glacier, MT · ~1,500 miles (with park detours) · 2 weeks+
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
US Route 89 is the original national-park road trip — one highway up the spine of the West that links more of America’s crown-jewel parks than any other road, from the red rock of Arizona to the glaciers of the Montana border. National Geographic once named it the best drive on Earth.
Good to know: Reserve park lodging and any timed-entry permits months ahead, and check seasonal road status — Going-to-the-Sun, the Teton/Yellowstone roads, and the high passes only open roughly late spring through fall.
Updated July 2026.
America’s parks, strung on one road from Arizona to Montana.
No other road connects this many national parks: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, the Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier sit right on or just off it, with the rest of Utah’s Mighty 5 an easy detour. It’s really ten trips in one — desert, slickrock, alpine, and geothermal — on a single northbound line.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the The National Parks Highway (US 89) are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Petrified Forestpainted-desert badlands and petrified logs, an easy detour east on I-40 — open the stop guideAZ
02Grand Canyonthe South Rim, a spur west of Flagstaff on AZ-64 — open the stop guideAZ
03Zionsoaring sandstone walls, the Narrows, and Angels Landing — open the stop guideUT
04Bryce Canyonthe amphitheater of orange hoodoos, best at sunrise — open the stop guideUT
05Capitol Reefthe Waterpocket Fold and the orchards of Fruita — open the stop guideUT
06CanyonlandsIsland in the Sky above the confluence of the Green and Colorado — open the stop guideUT
07ArchesDelicate Arch and 2,000 stone spans near Moab — open the stop guideUT
08Grand Tetonthe jagged Tetons rising straight off Jackson Hole — open the stop guideWY
09Yellowstonegeysers, hot springs, and wildlife in the world’s first national park — open the stop guideWY
10Glacierthe Crown of the Continent and Going-to-the-Sun Road — open the stop guideMT
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the The National Parks Highway (US 89) are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Cameron Trading Post Restaurant, Atria, Beaver Street Brewery, Bigfoot BBQ.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Cameron Trading Post Restaurant
Historic 1916 stone trading post near the Grand Canyon East entrance serving legendary Navajo tacos beneath hand-woven rugs.
- Atria
Flagstaff's marquee special-occasion table, a dreamy downtown room from James Beard-nominated chef Rochelle Daniel. Book ahead and grab the chef's counter if you can.
- Beaver Street Brewery
Flagstaff's original brewpub since 1994, pouring house brews alongside comfort food and wood-fired pizza — a cozy landing spot after a mountain day.
- Bigfoot BBQ
Voted Flagstaff's best barbecue for over a decade, tucked into the Old Town Shops since 2003. Casual, kid-friendly, and quick — a smart low-effort dinner after a long park day.
- Brandy's Restaurant & Bakery
A 35-time Best of Flag winner where everything — bagels, breads, quiche, cinnamon rolls — is baked from scratch each morning. Fuel up here before the 80-minute run to the South Rim.
- Charly's Pub & Grill
Inside the 1897 Weatherford Hotel — Edward Abbey's old haunt — with live music and a woodstove-warmed dining room. Order the Navajo taco on fry bread and soak up a century of downtown Flagstaff history.
- Dark Sky Brewing Co.
Named for Flagstaff's status as the world's first International Dark Sky City, with an ever-rotating tap list and Pizzicletta wood-fired pies in the Beaver Street taproom. The 21+ beer garden adds elevated pub grub.
- Diablo Burger
A tiny downtown burger bar built on 100% local, open-range beef on a branded English muffin — named Arizona's best burger by USA Today.
- Fat Olives
A contemporary trattoria on Route 66 with a Naples-built, VPN-certified wood-fired oven and handmade pastas.
- Forêt FLG
French-inspired daytime café from a 2024 James Beard-nominated chef — copper-mold pastries that sell out by mid-morning and a patio with Parisian energy. The sophisticated breakfast play downtown.
- Fratelli Pizza
Flagstaff's homegrown pizza mini-empire with three locations, including downtown by the tracks. Fast, cheap, reliably excellent slices — the road-tripper's answer to feeding a car full of hikers.
- Galaxy Diner
Chrome-and-neon 1950s diner right on West Route 66, rescued by its longtime manager after a 2019 closure and back to slinging shakes and blue-plate breakfasts. Kids love the jukebox-era booths.
Build a trip around National Parks Highway drive.
Save catalog-backed stops to My Trips on the web now. The iOS beta is testing the on-road companion: verified check-ins, badges, shared trips, and your growing map of America.
Stay & experience
Find a place to stay near National Parks Highway, Arizona.
Hotels, cabins, and rentals close to the action — compare and book for your trip.
We may earn a commission from bookings made through this link — at no extra cost to you.
Things to do near The National Parks Highway (US 89)
Browse guided tours and bookable activities that fit this stop.
Book on Viator — Roamward earns a commission, at no extra cost to you.