Road trip guide
The longest unbroken stretch of the Mother Road left in America — Seligman's neon, a cavern motel, Hackberry, and burros in Oatman.
Route 66 turns 100 in 2026, and western Arizona is where it survives best. When I-40 bypassed the old highway, the stretch from Seligman to Kingman was left intact — the longest continuous piece of the Mother Road still drivable today — along with the ghost-town grade over Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman. This route runs about 165 miles from Flagstaff to Kingman, with the Oatman out-and-back as the grand finale.
It's a different trip from racing to the Grand Canyon: slow miles through ranch country, hand-painted signs, and small towns that fought to keep the old road alive. Here's the route, the stops, and a two-day plan. Let Wanderply build your version and narrate the story of every stop along the old road.
The route
Route 66 runs right through downtown Flagstaff alongside the BNSF main line, where freight trains rumble past historic brick blocks and neon motel signs. Start with coffee and a walk around Heritage Square.
The last Route 66 town bypassed by the interstate, in October 1984. Two one-way streets of vintage neon, diners, and souvenir shops, plus the Grand Canyon Railway depot. A good lunch stop.
Where the Route 66 revival began: barber Angel Delgadillo founded the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona here in 1987, and his late brother Juan's Snow Cap Drive-In still serves burgers with a side of pranks. Pixar's team visited while researching Cars. About an hour.
A classic roadside attraction since the 1920s: an elevator drops 21 stories into a dry limestone cavern, and you can even book a motel room at the bottom. Tours run about 45 minutes.
A rusting, gloriously cluttered old service station with a vintage Corvette out front and license plates on every wall. Stop for a cold root beer and photos. 20–30 minutes.
The 'Heart of Historic Route 66,' with the Arizona Route 66 Museum inside the 1907 Powerhouse Visitor Center and Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner across the street. Stay the night and start the Oatman run in the morning.
From Kingman, old 66 climbs past the restored Cool Springs Station and over Sitgreaves Pass on tight hairpins with sheer drop-offs, then drops into Oatman — a gold-rush town where wild burros, descendants of miners' pack animals, wander Main Street. Not for large RVs or trailers.
Suggested plan
Day 1
Downtown Flagstaff, lunch in Williams, then Seligman's roadside Americana and the unbroken stretch west past Grand Canyon Caverns, Peach Springs, and Hackberry. Overnight in Kingman.
Day 2
Route 66 Museum in the morning, then over Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman for the burros and an Old West street show. Back to Kingman, or continue to the Colorado River at Topock.
Wanderply doesn't just plan the Flagstaff → Kingman route — it narrates every stop like a podcast you play in the car, with the history and the story of each place. And it all works offline, the whole way.
Build this trip & hear it →Loading typical conditions in Kingman…
Good to know
About 165 miles following old Route 66 where it survives (with short I-40 hops between Flagstaff, Williams, and Seligman) — roughly 3.5 hours of driving. The Kingman–Oatman out-and-back adds about 56 miles and 2 hours on a slow mountain road.
The stretch from Seligman to Kingman, the longest continuous remaining piece of the original highway, plus the drive over Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman. Seligman, Hackberry, and Oatman are the highlight reel.
It's not recommended for large RVs or anything towing a trailer: the road narrows to hairpin curves with steep drop-offs and few guardrails. Smaller vehicles are fine. Big rigs can reach Oatman from the south via Topock and I-40.
Only with the hay-cube 'burro chow' sold in town shops — never human food. They're wild animals: watch your step, keep kids back from the hind legs, and leave the foals alone.
Spring and fall. Kingman and Oatman get very hot in summer (Oatman tops 100°F), while Flagstaff at 7,000 feet can see snow from November through March. 2026 marks Route 66's centennial, so expect special events — and more company — along the road.
Tell Wanderply your dates, pace, and who's coming — it builds a day-by-day plan around your must-dos and narrates the whole drive.
Plan your Flagstaff → Kingman trip
