APACHE TRAIL

MEET THE ROAD THAT MAKES RENTAL CAR DRIVERS WEEP.

LENGTH

41.5 miles

WORDS TO THE WISE

Start with a full tank of gas and plenty of water. The speed limits are low, so the drive may take you longer than expected.

SIDE TRIPS

Lost Dutchman State Park offers campsites and nature trails. The 300-acre park derives its name from Jacob Waltz, a shadowy figure who—according to legend—discovered a rich gold mine during the late 1800s but never revealed its exact whereabouts. Over the years, at least 36 treasure seekers have died or disappeared seeking the elusive lode.

Tortilla Flat was once a stagecoach stop. This resurrected ghost town has a cafe, country store and a permanent population of six. But its weekend visitors, lured by souvenir shops, prickly-pear ice cream and the cool waters of Tortilla Creek, are far greater in number.

NEARBY ATTRACTION

Superstition Mountain Museum, Apache Junction

THE APACHE TRAIL is not for the faint of heart who prefer their roads paved and with guardrails. Though the 41.5-mile drive snakes through some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in the Sonoran Desert, it’s a challenge for drivers unaccustomed to one-lane dirt roads with turnouts, precipitous drop-offs and nothing between you and the canyon below.

The first time we drove it, in the early ’80s, it was as rough as any regularly maintained road can be. One of Larry’s favorite sayings (and one that has gotten us in trouble more than I care to reveal) is, “The road is on the AAA map; it must be good.”

Larry studies maps constantly (that’s why we get in trouble so often) and wants to go somewhere because it sounds cool. I have to admit, he was right about the Apache Trail.

The road has threads of history running through it. Also known as State Route 88, it follows a path first used by the Salado Indians to traverse the Superstition Mountains. Later it became a stagecoach route connecting Phoenix to Globe, and finally a roadway to construct dams along the Salt River.

Be there at dawn to capture an iconic image of the Arizona landscape. The road runs east to west, perfect for taking photos in early-morning and late-afternoon light.

The Apache Trail begins in Apache Junction and heads east into the Old West. You’ll pass places with names like Goldfield Ghost Town, Sweetheart Peak, Lost Dutchman State Park and Tortilla Flat. Prehistoric cultural sites are scattered throughout the area, but our favorite at the east end of the trail is Tonto National Monument, well-preserved cliff dwellings inhabited by the Salado people in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

Fish Creek Hill starts the second half of the drive; this is the stretch that can make the city driver in a rental car nervous. The pavement ends and the dusty road becomes a steep series of twists and turns. The road hangs on the side of Fish Creek Canyon, which drains the Superstition Mountains.

If you’re looking for grand views, great geology, reservoirs full of fish, lots of hiking trails and a year-round creek, head out of the city and take a day to explore this historic trail.

The storied Superstition Mountains loom over saguaro cactuses and wildflowers.

A creek trickles through West Boulder Canyon, Tonto National Forest.