Take a scenic ride through the wide-open high desert of northern Arizona as we follow a storied stretch of Historic Route 66 from Ash Fork to Seligman. This 17-mile journey carries us along one of the most intact and beloved segments of the old Mother Road, tracing the route westward across dusty plains, low hills, and timeworn railroad towns. Once bypassed by Interstate 40, this corridor today draws travelers not for speed, but for nostalgia—and it delivers in spades.
We begin our journey at the Crookton Road exit, just west of Ash Fork, a small town once known as the “Flagstone Capital of the World.” The pavement under our wheels here is original Route 66 alignment, preserved through time thanks to the freeway’s decision to bypass this portion. Almost immediately, we are immersed in the austere beauty of Arizona’s high desert. To our left and right, the scrub-covered plains stretch out beneath a dome of endless sky, punctuated by the occasional cinder cone or power line. For several miles, the road stays straight, a ribbon of asphalt cutting cleanly across the open land—no billboards, no traffic, just us and the road.
As we continue northwest, the landscape subtly begins to shift. The terrain rolls into gentle hills, and the road starts to curve and dip, creating a pleasing rhythm to the drive. This section is a welcome change from the earlier straightaway—a quiet reminder that the engineers of Route 66 followed the contours of the land, not the brute-force logic of interstates. Around mile 9 or 10, we spot the remains of long-abandoned structures—service stations, homesteads, or maybe diners—now succumbing to time and tumbleweeds. It’s hard not to imagine the travelers who once stopped here in finned Chevys and dusty pickup trucks, stretching their legs before the final push west.
Soon, the unmistakable signs of Seligman begin to appear: a few rusted-out cars in a field, a neon sign clinging to life, the distant murmur of U.S. Route 40 just beyond the horizon. We reach the junction with Business 40—the modern gateway to town—and just like that, we’re back in the heartbeat of Route 66 tourism. Seligman is famously the birthplace of the Route 66 revival, thanks to the efforts of Angel Delgadillo, the town’s barber-turned-historian who fought to keep the road’s spirit alive. Though this drive ends on the outskirts, the promise of quirky shops, retro motels, and classic Americana lies just up ahead.
This segment is more than just a connector between two towns—it’s a preserved time capsule. With its original alignment, minimal traffic, and sweeping desert scenery, Route 66 from Ash Fork to Seligman offers a serene, reflective look at a bygone era. It’s a stretch of road that whispers instead of shouts, and for those willing to slow down and listen, it delivers a piece of the past you can still touch.
🗺️ Route Map
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