WANDERUS
Road trips

Route 66, AZ-NM

Arizona / New Mexico · Southwest

Route 66, AZ-NM
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, credited in the site footer.
Entry Free to drive
Scale 2,400 miles
Est. 1926
Season Apr-May, Sep-Oct

2,400 miles of neon motels, trading posts and two-lane blacktop that still feels like 1958.

Getting there

Fly into Phoenix or Albuquerque and pick up the old alignment. No fee, no reservation, and long empty stretches between gas stations.

Don't miss

Best time to go

April to May and September to October. The road was decommissioned in 1985 once I-40 bypassed its last section, so much of it is frontage road now.

Nearby

Flagstaff Albuquerque Santa Fe

Costs and seasons change

Fees and visitor figures are taken from the National Park Service pages for this park; re-check nps.gov before you book. The planning copy is ours.

More like this

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Before you go

Do I need a reservation to visit the big parks?

Not at the time of writing. Yosemite dropped its timed-entry system, Grand Canyon states there is no timed entry, and Yellowstone does not require a vehicle reservation. Acadia is the exception: Cadillac Summit Road needs a $6 vehicle reservation between 20 May and 25 October 2026.

What does the $35 entrance fee actually cover?

One private vehicle and everyone inside it, for the park's stated period: seven days at Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Acadia, one to seven days at Zion. Motorcycles pay $30 and walkers or cyclists pay $20 per person.

Is there a surcharge for international visitors?

Yes. Each park page states that non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an additional $100 each, unless they hold an America the Beautiful annual pass or an annual park pass. It is per person, not per vehicle.