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JCat's avatar
JCat
Explorer III
Apr 27, 2016

Best roads between Palm Springs CA and Prescott AZ

I will be making a trip from the Palm Springs area to Prescott AZ and there seems to be 2 routes.

1. 10 to Phoenix, 17 north, 69 to Prescott
2. 10, to 60, to 71, to 89

Route 1 looks like an easy ride for a class A with tow car
Route 2 looks a bit winding over the mountains


Anyone who has traveled this area have opinions please ?
  • There is a length limit of 40' on US 89 South of Prescott. It isn't a long stretch of switchbacks, but it takes forever and would be a big climb, even if you disconnect, which you would need to do, heading north to Prescott. The outcrops on the inside of the turns jut out enough to make it quite hairy in a motorhome. We did it going south in a 38' DP without a toad and it was hair raising, not to mention incredibly slow. 15 mph a lot of the time.
  • From Kirkland Junction to Prescott via 89 over the mountain is 21 miles with windy/switchbacks

    From Kirkland Junction to Prescott via 15 north and around mountain is 32 miles


    I hate traveling Interstates......
  • We winter near Quartzite and take road trips the Prescott with my toad on 89. But I wouldn't want to take my motorhome on 89.:D
  • If you take 89, you'll never opt to repeat that mistake. In my 36' DP we couldn't go around corners in our own lane as the tail swing would put us into the guardrails. It was a nightmare.
  • #1 is an easy drive but longer. We've done this a few times.

    #2 You would want to take I-10 to Brenda and get on 60 to 71 to Congress. Take Skull Valley highway (I think it's 15) into Prescott. This skirts the 'big hill' on 89. It's also an easy drive. You will have an uphill at Yarnell but very doable. We've done it often.

    #2 Definitely do not take 89 all the way from Congress to Prescott. It's not for big rigs. Take Skull Valley.

    We take either one depending where we're coming from. Have a great trip!