When to Go

If you’re not a winter-sports enthusiast, it’s best to plan your trip to Eastern Arizona for the high season (May–October). You’ll be joined by residents of Phoenix and Tucson, who flock here in summer to escape the unbearably hot temperatures in their hometowns, but you can find some solitude if you rent a cabin or stay at a bed-and-breakfast.

If you’re a skier, winter is the time to tour the White Mountains. Sunrise Park Resort has 10 lifts, 68 trails, and a private snowboarders’ park. Eastern Arizona is enjoyable year-round, but many lodging facilities, restaurants, and tourist attractions are closed in autumn and winter. It’s wise to call ahead November through April, as the opening and closing dates of many seasonal properties are dependent on when the snow starts (and when it melts). Snowstorms can close the highways that lead into the area, so if you plan on making the trip from Phoenix or even Flagstaff, make sure you have an alternative plan.