Riverside to Tucson Road Trip Guide

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway offers guests the chance to view the Chino Canyon which lies in the wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Take a rotating tram up in the mountains and perceive what it feels like to have a 360 degree-view of the canyon and cliffs from up high. When you get to the mountain station, over 8,000 feet up in the air, you can hike several miles of trails if you wish to push yourself.

After you’ve spent a good portion of the day hiking and observing the geologic features of this gorgeous canyon, you may want to find something to eat. Feast among the clouds in the restaurant up in the mountains while you have an astonishing view of the forest. Check out the observation deck or the museums to connect with the natural history of the mountains and make your visit here more memorable. Before you leave, check out the gift store for some sensational tokens.

After leaving the canyon, your next stop should be this recreation park in Blythe that offers so much peace and fun opportunities for guests and tourists. You can take a walk or picnic in the park while enjoying a picturesque view of the Colorado River. The trees and grasses give a colorful backdrop to the park as well as serve as a shade from the scorching sun. If you’re a water-based recreation enthusiast, you can bring your boat along and launch it on the river, cruising on the lake with your family.

The park is also a good place to park your rig while you venture into town to see what goodness you can soak up there. One attraction is the Blythe Intaglios which would make for an interesting visit just inside of Blythe, if you’ve still got some time to spare. Should you want your trip to Blythe to be a multi-day visit, there are some campgrounds in the town where you can spend the night or two.

The landscape is distinctly different as you drive up into Arizona, and there’s no better place to enjoy the scenes than the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. The plants that grow here are well adapted to the climate, being native to Arizona, and they sprout up among the red rocks giving a stunning combination of color and ambiance.
Spot beautiful species of butterflies as you take a tour of the gardens and learn how these plants have been able to thrive in such dry climates, and how they are being used for several human activities. Explore the trails with your family and spend the time experiencing the wonders of nature. The awesomeness of this place needs to be seen in order to be believed.
Fortunately, this city has so many things that you could do to make you spend more than a day or two. So, if you need to, you’ll find campgrounds around the city that would suit your diverse camping needs.

Get off the freeway and interact with the animals at the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. The children can have a field day feeding all the different animals while learning a thing or two about them. The whole ranch is fun and engaging for everyone. Enjoy getting to be around a wide variety of animals and birds, bonding with them while you get your cameras and capture photo-worthy moments. The moment you arrive at this ranch, you’d be surprised how time will fly. It is not unusual to spend the whole day here, so you should plan to get some food at the café.

As you make your way to Tucson from here, you get to experience the gift of nature in another form. The landscape’s so bare yet so beautiful, and it's nothing short of amazing to see how the plants thrive amidst the dry lands.