5 Scenic Arizona Day Trips From Gilbert in Your Mercedes-Benz This Summer

By Mercedes-Benz of Gilbert  |  June 2026

There’s a particular pleasure in living in Gilbert: within two hours of your driveway, you can be standing among red rock cliffs, alpine pines, or 7,000-foot mountain meadows. Summer is the season East Valley locals genuinely use that proximity — escaping the 110° afternoons for the 75° elevations of northern Arizona. The drives themselves are part of the experience, and a Mercedes-Benz is built for exactly this kind of weekend reset. Here are five of our favorite day trips from Gilbert, with notes on what makes each one worthwhile and what to know before you go.

1. Sedona — Approximately 2 hours, 120 miles

The classic Arizona escape. Take SR 87 north through Payson, then SR 260 to Camp Verde, then I-17 north to the Sedona exit. The red rock formations of Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Coffee Pot are visible from most of town and accessible by short hikes for visitors who want to be among them. Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village is the lunch and shopping anchor. The drive itself climbs from desert through the Mogollon Rim country, and the scenery is part of the experience. Best for: any Mercedes-Benz, but the GLE or GLS make the drive especially comfortable.

2. Payson and the Mogollon Rim — Approximately 90 minutes, 95 miles

Payson is the shorter version of the Sedona drive and a frequently overlooked gem. SR 87 north from the East Valley climbs continuously, with cooler temperatures and ponderosa pine country by the time you reach Payson. The drive itself — through the Tonto National Forest, past the Mazatzal Mountains, with steady elevation gain is one of the most pleasant in the state. Once in Payson, the Rim Country Museum, downtown shopping, and short hikes around the Mogollon Rim provide a full day’s worth of activity. Best for: a half-day escape, especially for families with kids who don’t want a longer drive.

3. Tonto Natural Bridge State Park — Approximately 2 hours, 105 miles

About 10 miles north of Payson off SR 87, Tonto Natural Bridge is the largest natural travertine bridge in the world, a 183-foot arch over a creek that you can hike under. The descent into the canyon requires some agility but rewards visitors with one of the most distinctive natural sights in Arizona. Bring water shoes if you want to wade into the creek beneath the bridge. The state park has parking, picnic areas, and informational displays. Best for: families looking for an active outdoor experience, photography enthusiasts.

4. Prescott — Approximately 2 hours, 100 miles

Take I-17 north from Phoenix and exit at SR 69 east through Mayer to Prescott. Prescott sits at 5,400 feet with an average July high of 89°, meaningfully cooler than Phoenix. The Whiskey Row historic district offers shopping, restaurants, and the famous Palace Restaurant and Saloon. Watson Lake and the Granite Dells provide some of the most distinctive landscape in northern Arizona, massive granite boulders surrounding two lakes that are excellent for kayaking, hiking, or photography. Best for: a cooler-weather day, history buffs, and outdoor lovers.

5. Flagstaff — Approximately 2.5 hours, 145 miles

The full alpine experience. I-17 north all the way to Flagstaff puts you at 7,000 feet of elevation with summer highs around 80°. Downtown Flagstaff offers excellent restaurants, breweries, and the Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered in 1930). The drive up Snowbowl Road to the Arizona Snowbowl ski area offers spectacular views of the San Francisco Peaks and a scenic chairlift ride. Walnut Canyon and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monuments are short drives from town. Best for: the full day or a weekend overnight.

Summer Drive Preparation: A Few Practical Notes

Before any of these drives, take five minutes for a vehicle walk-around. Check tire pressure cold (before driving). Verify all fluids are at proper levels. Confirm you have water, both for the vehicle’s cooling system and for passengers. Top off fuel before you leave Gilbert, especially for the routes through more remote stretches of SR 87. Bring a fully charged phone and know that cell coverage can be spotty in the canyon country between Payson and Sedona. Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance covers your vehicle anywhere in Arizona, but it’s still better to leave prepared.

Why a Mercedes-Benz Makes These Drives Better

These drives aren’t difficult, but they involve elevation changes, sustained highway speeds, and the kind of varied conditions that benefit from a well-engineered vehicle. AIRMATIC® air suspension on optionally equipped GLE and GLS models makes the highway portions noticeably more comfortable. 4MATIC® all-wheel drive provides confidence on any wet pavement you encounter at higher elevations. The Burmester audio systems and the cabin refinement turn a two-hour drive into the kind of experience that’s part of the destination, not just transportation to it.

Get Your Mercedes-Benz Road-Trip Ready

Before any long summer drive, schedule a quick service inspection at Mercedes-Benz of Gilbert. We’ll check tires, fluids, A/C, and battery, typically in under an hour so you can leave Gilbert with confidence. Call (480) 466-0951 or schedule online.

Mercedes-Benz of Gilbert  |  3455 S Gilbert Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85297  |  (480) 407-5800

Proudly serving Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Arcadia, Cave Creek, Peoria, Tempe, Tucson, Flagstaff, and all of Arizona.