Arizona Highways Scenic Drive: From Kingman to Meadview and Pearce Ferry: Gateway to the Grand Canyon

There's something mysterious about standing at the far West end of the Grand Canyon, where canyon walls give way to shores and you know that with a bit of ingenuity, humans have been crossing the Colorado here for centuries. You feel you've somehow cheated the Canyon; you've driven far enough to circumnavigate it. Looking upstream, you know how much grander those colorful cliffs will become. Here, at Pearce Ferry, you find a quiet corner of the state seldom seen by visitors who aren't disembarking a raft or occasionally casting a line in the winding waters.

We took an Arizona Highways suggested road trip from Kingman to Pearce Ferry via Stockton Hill Road. The Colorado River emerges from the West end of the Grand Canyon at Pearce Ferry en route to Lake Mead. A landing for Canyon rafters, it was a historic river crossing for Mormon settlers and Native Americans. On the way, you pass an incredibly dense joshua tree forest with a unique beauty (especially near sunset) and the small town of Meadview.

This is the perfect off the beaten path road trip.

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Arizona Highways Scenic Drive: Kingman to Pearce Ferry

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