Highway travel isn’t exactly romanticized, and rest stops, for the most part, are just convenient places to, well, rest. You can stop by to grab a coffee, use the restroom that you hope isn’t nasty, then move on and get back on the road. But there’s this stop along Interstate 17 between Phoenix and Sedona (also known as the world’s most mindful escape) — past the stagecoach routes and desert trails of Black Canyon City — that has, peculiarly, accumulated fans. Enter: Sunset Point Rest Area. More than a million people pass through annually, and a surprising number of them leave with opinions stronger than what one would normally associate with a simple rest stop.
Is there anything simple about Arizona’s Sunset Point, though? The rest stop perches at an elevation that sneaks up on drivers ascending from the valley, opening up like a curtain call onto views sweeping across grassland and mountain ranges that are downright cinematic. It’s even better when you’re there around sunrise or sunset, so you can watch the desert sky change into mesmerizing colors. For a stop that’s supposed to be temporary, it manages to make everyone slow down just a little longer than planned.
The scenery alone is more than enough reason to warrant a stop, but there’s another point that nearly every Tripadvisor reviewer mentions: Sparkling clean restrooms. For anyone who’s ever taken a long drive, it’s a pretty much universal pain to feel your bladder nagging at you at the most inopportune moments, and having to begrudgingly pull over to a stinky public toilet just to meet its demands. That is not the case here. In fact, a 2025 national survey on highway hygiene by American River Wellness named Sunset Point the best public restroom in Arizona.
Read more: Unwritten Rules You Should Know Before Visiting Chicago
Making a stop at Arizona’s Sunset Point
Sunset Point viewpoint at sunset – @artemshubovsky / Instagram
The Sunset Point rest area reopened in 2023 after renovations, and needless to say, the Arizona Department of Transportation did an amazing job. On top of its stunning views, Sunset Point offers all the facilities one could want in a rest stop — modern fixtures and clean stalls that people rave about. Call it the state’s most glamorous pit stop if you must, but its reputation didn’t happen by accident
One Tripadvisor reviewer captured the sentiment perfectly: “Can a Rest Stop be a ‘must stop’ on your vacation? This one is!” They go on to explain that every trip between Phoenix and Sedona now includes a mandatory pause at Sunset Point, noting the expansive views that “just make you feel good,” along with restrooms that are “plentiful, modern, and clean.” They go on to make a bold claim that, going by other people’s experiences, isn’t hyperbole: “Your eyes will pop out when you crest the hill after leaving with more Saguaro cacti then [sic] you’ve ever seen. Do stop here. It will be a highlight of your trip.”
Another claimed to have spent over an hour at the rest stop (roughly 59 minutes longer than most people would budget for a bathroom break). They described the westward views as “breathtaking” and pointed out the “ample parking” and well-stocked vending machines. Sunset Point isn’t officially on this list of the best attractions in Arizona (there really are so many!), but it’s certainly earned its place in the state’s unofficial canon.
Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter and add us as a preferred search source for access to the world’s best-kept travel secrets.
Read the original article on Islands.