Highest-rated free things to do in Arizona by visitors

Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in Arizona.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in Arizona using data from . Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

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1 / 30

#30. Downtown Historic Area

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,096 reviews)
- City: Prescott
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2 / 30

#29. Chiricahua National Monument

- Rating: 4.8/5 (878 reviews)
- City: Willcox
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3 / 30

#28. Lake Havasu

- Rating: 4.4/5 (796 reviews)
- City: Lake Havasu City
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4 / 30

#27. Pinnacle Peak Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,022 reviews)
- City: Scottsdale
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5 / 30

#26. Gates Pass

- Rating: 4.7/5 (956 reviews)
- City: Tucson
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6 / 30

#25. London Bridge

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,851 reviews)
- City: Lake Havasu City
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7 / 30

#24. South Mountain Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,339 reviews)
- City: Phoenix
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8 / 30

#23. Main Street

- Rating: 4.0/5 (874 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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9 / 30

#22. Boynton Canyon Trail

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,061 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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10 / 30

#21. Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (811 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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11 / 30

#20. McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,251 reviews)
- City: Scottsdale
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12 / 30

#19. Canyon de Chelly National Monument

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,946 reviews)
- City: Chinle Apache County
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13 / 30

#18. Goldfield Ghost Town

- Rating: 4.0/5 (1,890 reviews)
- City: Apache Junction
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14 / 30

#17. McDowell Sonoran Preserve

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,164 reviews)
- City: Scottsdale
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15 / 30

#16. Papago Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (871 reviews)
- City: Phoenix
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16 / 30

#15. Oatman Ghost Town

- Rating: 4.2/5 (779 reviews)
- City: Oatman
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17 / 30

#14. Airport Mesa

- Rating: 4.5/5 (2,890 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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18 / 30

#13. Mission San Xavier del Bac

- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,435 reviews)
- City: Tucson
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19 / 30

#12. Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,800 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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20 / 30

#11. Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR 179)

- Rating: 4.8/5 (4,292 reviews)
- City: Village of Oak Creek
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21 / 30

#10. Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway

- Rating: 4.8/5 (3,282 reviews)
- City: Tucson
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22 / 30

#9. Hole in the Rock

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,137 reviews)
- City: Phoenix
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23 / 30

#8. Camelback Montain

- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,566 reviews)
- City: Phoenix
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24 / 30

#7. Oak Creek Canyon

- Rating: 4.7/5 (3,435 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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25 / 30

#6. Old Town Scottsdale

- Rating: 4.2/5 (5,664 reviews)
- City: Scottsdale
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26 / 30

#5. Bell Rock

- Rating: 4.7/5 (5,025 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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27 / 30

#4. Chapel of the Holy Cross

- Rating: 4.6/5 (10,806 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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28 / 30

#3. Devil's Bridge Trail

- Rating: 4.7/5 (3,735 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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29 / 30

#2. Cathedral Rock

- Rating: 4.8/5 (6,095 reviews)
- City: Sedona
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30 / 30

#1. Horseshoe Bend

- Rating: 4.7/5 (15,566 reviews)
- City: Page
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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