Apache Trail Scenic Byway

Again, another fun surprise, with some updates. The previous reviews did describe a lot of what happens on this trail. The mountain views are absolutely breath-​taking. However, what IS MISSING from the reviews is the time needed. We took advantage of the speediest drive in the safest way possible and visit each of the sites: Apache Junction, Goldfield Mining Town, views of the Superstition Mountains, Canyon Lake, Tortilla Flat, Tonto National Park, Apache Lake, Roosevelt Dam and the long drive back to Phoenix. Other review say you can make the drive anywhere from 2−7hrs. Well, we just finished the trail in a Ford Escape 4cylinder SUV and it took 6.5 hrs. Our stops equaled about 1hr and the rest was driving time. Most reviews mention the ‘rough roads’ but failed to fully prepare us with the details of these rough roads. The details you should know about are the DIRT ROAD from mile marker 221−249… 28miles of graded dirt roads. Most of the road had very rough tracks from some sort of heavy equipment and made travelling VERY SLOW. At times, our top speed was 10mph. With the combination of the dirt road, slow speed, heavy road vibration, occasional lane narrowing to fit only one car at a time, and the magnificent view, plan on driving only 10−15mph; any faster is a death warrant. Once you get to Roosevelt Dam, you’ll be out of interesting sights to see but the speed limit then goes to 60mph

Just returned from a lovely day traveling the Apache Trail. We had gone last winter, but only went as far as Canyon Lake due to a late start so we made sure to allow more time today. After Tortilla Flat the road becomes dirt. Warning: as previous reviewers have stated, this drive is not for the faint of heart. It is long, steep, and intense. But it is gorgeous. I grew up driving/​riding mountain roads and it was still one of the scariest roads I’ve ever been on. The views and scenery are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. After the drop to fish creek (the best part) it does seem to take forever to get to Roosevelt Lake. Still gorgeous though. We did the full circle and from Apache Junction back to Mesa took us 5 hours, with only a couple stops. Not something I would do very often but that’s what makes it so special! If you’re up for an adventure then do not miss this beautiful trail! Be smart and careful and you will enjoy it.

My husband and I drove the Apache Trail this afternoon. I must admit I had no idea what we are in for! After seeing the Grand Canyon yesterday I thought that nothing could impress me, but the scenery along this trail was incredible. We live in NY, and I’m not a fan of western movies, so I had no idea that such roadways exist. That we decided to do this drive in our rental, convertible VW Bug still has me laughing at our stupidity! We stopped at all of the tourist destinations at the beginning of the trail and had lunch on the water at Canyon Lake. All enjoyable.
I then, unknowingly, started on the most terrifying ride of my life. If you have any anxiety issues what-​so-​ever, load up on Xanax or have several drinks before getting into the passenger seat (trust me, you will thank me for this advice). By the time we hit the unpaved section of the road I was begging my husband to slow down and look at the road. He pulled over, got out of the car and said you **** drive. GLADLY I thought!!! Nope, not much better, I was terrified and doing about 5 mph. By the time we made it to the dam we were no longer speaking to each other!!! That said, I’m so glad we did it! Can’t imagine missing that scenery. Pictures can’t capture it. I’d love to camp near one of the lakes.

Ol Dog gave this 5 stars because I’m glad i survived it!
Had to keep the paws on the wheel, and kept looking right; as it is vertigo inducing, claustrophobic and if one is scared of heights, I strongly advise against going. No guard rails and narrow dirt roads for 22 miles not for the faint hearted.
Once I got to Payson i barked a sigh of relief!

Absolutely amazing with a side of stunning views! I hadn’t been on the Apache Trail in 15 years, so decided to take the hubby on a little daytrip excursion. We picked an absolutely beautiful day and headed up on the 202 to explore. I recommend only taking the trail through the paved roads… who needs to go further when the views are so amazing on the paved road?!? We stopped several times to walk and take photos… why not?

Crossing the Superstition Mountains has always been a perilous journey. Bravely, I made the daring drive through the ancient caldera, past a chain of deep reservoirs, down the precipitous Fish Creek Hill, and eventually to historic Theodore Roosevelt Dam.
To build the dam, engineers in the first decade of the 20^th Century constructed the Apache Trail (Arizona Highway 88). Today, the narrow road remains unpaved for 20 miles, from just east of Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt Dam.
The single-​lane road clutched the steep wall of Fish Creek Canyon as it dropped 900 feet in just one mile. It reminded me of those terrifying third-​world roads cut out of a cliff face, and driven by maniacal bus drivers carrying their equally insane passengers. At the bottom of the hill, a small wooden bridge crossed Fish Creek, and a short rocky trail led to a gaping shallow cave.
The coarse dirt road returned to smooth pavement at Roosevelt Dam, once the largest stone masonry dam in the world. I stopped at vista points on both sides of the dam to fully appreciate this civil engineering marvel. Downstream, I realized the size of the impressive structure, and could see the power plant and spillway. Upstream, I observed some of the original stone masonry, and admired the elegant Roosevelt Lake Bridge, the longest two-​lane, single-​span, steel-​arch bridge in North America.
Along the Apache Trail, I experienced dazzling volcanic rock formations, shimmering blue-​green lakes, dizzying white-​knuckle driving, and amazing feats of engineering achievement. At the end of the day, I felt like an intrepid adventurer, after surviving my daring drive across the Superstition Mountains.

Very nice drive. The dirt road is not all bad. It is bumpy at times, but I averaged 15 – 20 mph, made several stops to take photos, and it took 3 hours to go from Tortilla flat to the dam.
I had a lot of fear as I entered the trail, but at the end I was amazed at how easy it was.
The vehicle that I drove was a 2014 Hyundai Accent

I left Phoenix for Oklahoma City in 2011 because of the economic crisis, and returned to visit in November of 2014. Before going, I knew I was going to have to make time for the Apache Trail. In Oklahoma I’d been so used to the sweeping vistas of… horizon. So yeah, I needed to escape from civilization and engage in something profound, philosophical and spiritual. There’s something about the elegant mix of a winding, rough road weaving around hills and mountains amidst steep valleys and desert forest that really sticks to your soul. I usually feel I’m one to rush through life, but this place is quite humbling to me, hearing nothing but Sonoran winds and seeing a different scene at every bend; it stops me from being somewhere and makes me just be. The drive can be a bit tense in parts, but it’s otherwise a majestic example of the pageantry of nature, and is well worth the time and low speed limits. There are few places I’ve been that I find utterly serene, but this is one of them, and there are fortunately plenty of spots to pull over to take in the view and take your time to enjoy this experience.

My wife and I drove the Apache trail this weekend. We loved every minute of it. Got to break in the new Jeep on some of the trails along the way. First stop at the ghost town was really enjoyable. Lunch at tortilla flats was nice. The scenery is incredible. I recommend a full day to stop frequently and be sure to visit all three lakes along the way. Roosevelt lake at sunset was the perfect way to finish.

The Apache Trail was not scary AT ALL. After reading the reviews on here, i was ready for a once-​in-​a-​lifetime scare of a drive, but that was not the case whatsoever. Sure it was unpaved and the roads got slim, but if you’re at least an average driver, this was not scary or super abnormal.
Beautiful drive! I would recommend turning around after the bend (in the photos I’ve posted). There’s not much new scenery after that.

Alright, here’s the situation. I’m not reviewing the Apache Trail scenic road poorly because of it’s views, because I am certain they are spectacular throughout the entire drive. I am reviewing it poorly because the idea that the Apache Trail is classified as a actual highway is ludicrous and I would argue dangerous –at least for certain folks.
Recently, I decided to take a scenic drive back from the Grand Canyon with my mom and we decided to come down through eastern Arizona. Now on any map or GPS, state route 88 shows up as a NORMAL road on a map, which you can take after seeing Lake Roosevelt in order to shave time off of the drive and not have to continue down state route 188.
After seeing this road come up, we decided to head over by the dam in order to stop for some pictures before making our way along route 88 heading south. So we began the way up to the actual road, twisting along a paved (with no railing) 1 and ½ (and I’m being generous) lane road.
After about 3 minutes on the road I see a large sign saying «end pavement for next 22 miles». At this point my mom is freaking out because I dragged us up this steep and non-​railed section of road that ends with what looks like an unpaved road made for ATV’s or dirt bikes. (I cannot believe anyone who isn’t an off-​road enthusiast or at least sponsored by Red Bull or Monster would actually drive this road, it looks like something you would see in Bolivia).
Anyway, I had to calm my mom down, turn the rental car back around, head back out to the main road, and subsuquently drive way out of our way to get us back to Phoenix. The road did become scenic again, taking us through the enjoyable «Devils Canyon» before getting us home so in the end it all worked out.
But I have to say, I have lived in Arizona my whole life and have never heard about this «road» that in my view, should not be for cars or at the very least should be completed and widened more, paved, and with rails. While we were there I saw an small RV and a Chevy Suburban also pull up, see the dirt road, and turn back around.
In the end, I came home and researched more about the Apache Trail (and even found articles documenting people who recently veered off of the «road» and died) and have come to the conclusion that this road, at least in my opinion, should be CLEARLY marked not as a highway but as an unpaved expert trail and there should be warnings regarding this road along state route 188 for novices who might think it’s an actual road they can take to get back to Phoenix.
I’m sure the views are amazing from the inside (save for the driver who is not going to be able to enjoy the views while navigating), but to display the Apache Trail as a real highway for people to use is irresponsible and potentially dangerous. I have travelled throughout Latin America on busses with bad breaks and have rarely seen roads that dangerous with no protection or railing with no space to navigate or turn around. Heaven forbid if you were to encounter inclement weather while on the Apache Trail you would be in a world of trouble.

Holy **** bring diapers and or Xanax to ride the apache trail. Lol just kidding… mostly. My parents came to visit me in Scottsdale for a weekend, and we are all from the east coast where the scenic views consist of looking out the car window while stuck in traffic on the George Washington bridge. My mom insisted we ride the Apache Trail as I had been telling her for a couple of weeks how cool it seemed.
I warned my parents it might be a bit scary, but off we went. The paved portion of the trail I hands down recommend to anyone as the views are unbelievable and the road isn’t very scary. The unpaved portion is more of a once in a lifetime experience as it is pretty scary, and did get sort of crowded on a nice weekend day. With that being said this was probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and 100 percent worth every second of fear and white knuckling of the seat cushion.
Unless you’re really jaded you can’t be bored on the trail, the views, mountains, cacti, and lakes were unbelievable. We went in the fall but I can’t imagine how awesome it must look in the superstitions when all the flowers are blooming. Also I’m not a history buff at all but the history of the area and the fact that this was used as a stagecoach trail a hundred years ago is like the most fascinating thing to me.

We drove from the beginning of the park to Tortilla Flats. We decided not to go any further because of the reviews about the road being not suitable for sedans. The road to Tortilla Flats was an easy ride, just keep your eyes on the road, steep cliffs on the side of the road, you can see some rusty cars down at the bottom that have crashed down.

This was the best! I almost didn’t make this trip because of all the terrible reviews of how treacherous the path is. «It’s not for the faint of heart,» they said. «Terrifying drops.» Ok, ok, yes it did have a few scary place, yes the road becomes unpaved and one way, but with some careful driving in a few places, this byway is NOT to be missed. If it was raining or bad weather, I probably wouldn’t go too far past Tortilla Flat. In fact, if it’s raining I bet you couldn’t because even when I was there the road was a tidbit flooded and though I ignored the signs that said do not cross, I bet if it was raining you wouldn’t even be able to anyway. On a sunny day in March I made the trek in an economy rental car! It was GORGEOUS!!!
The Apache Trail was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the Superstition Mountains. The Trail winds steeply through 40 miles of rugged desert mountains, past deep reservoir lakes like Canyon Lake and Apache Lake. The narrow, winding road is unpaved from just east of the town of Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt Dam; there are steep cliff drops and little in the way of safety barriers. The trail requires caution when driving. All the more reason to travel it, right? I’ve driven through snowy mountains, up Pike’s Peak, through flooded bridges, over terraces, gotten stuck in the mud. oh the adventures of driving. If you can handle that kind of stuff, you can handle the Apache Trail.
There are plenty of places to pull off along the route and there was very little traffic when I was en route. Make sure to fill up that gas tank! I’ll admit, it took me at least 4 hours to get to Globe but I stopped quite a few times. My first stop was in Apache Junction at this cutesy little visitors center. It was a nice way to get my feet wet. Walk around, look at some old buildings. I was there pretty early so the building was still closed but it was beautiful and informative. I drove for a while, just making quick stops along the road and made another longer stop at Tortilla Pass for a bathroom break and Prickly Pear Gelato. Who cares if it was 10 a.m. There is also a little store there and a restaurant so if you have the time, I’d stop in for a bite to eat. The restaurant is the only place that has a restroom so you might have to stop in anyway. I was kind of in a hurry to get to Globe for work.
You know you’re getting closer to the end when you see Roosevelt’s Dam. Theodore Roosevelt Dam is a dam on the Salt River. It is 357 feet high and forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake. The dam is named after then-​President Theodore Roosevelt. Serving mainly for irrigation water supply and flood control, the dam also has a hydroelectric generating capacity of 36 megawatts. Prior to completion of the bridge in October 1990, traffic drove over the top of the dam. The bridge itself earned rare distinction when the bridge was named one of the top 12 bridges in the nation in November 1995. The American Consulting Engineers Council cited the bridge for overall design, size, eye-​appeal and design challenge. Other bridges cited were the Golden Gate Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge.
After the bridge, you have about 10 or so minutes before hitting Globe. Again, so worth it. I’ve never seen this type of landscape, where cacti litter the hills like the trees of the Black Hills. There wasn’t any animal sitings, but still, very very beautiful. I would do it again and again. If I lived in Phoenix, this would be a nice, free, getaway. I’d probably pack up the family, drive the Tortilla Pass for food and ice cream and make my way back. I did notice that near Roosevelt Dam there was some boating activity as well. Don’t be afraid, experience!

Wow, wow wow! The Apache Trail is simply breathtaking. We took the drive on a Friday in mid February. We were lucky as there was minimal traffic which allowed us to stop at all the check out points and stops along the side of the roads.
Give yourself plenty of time to navigate the Apache Trail and to take in all the sights. Make sure your vehicle is in sound condition as there are many bumpy and rough sections and cell service is spotty at best and non-​existant in most parts.

The scenery gets five stars and the safety gets one star. I will go into detail, but here it is in a nutshell. Take this road from Apache Junction until you get to Tortilla Flat. Have lunch at Tortilla Flat, enjoy Canyon Lake and then turn around. I repeat. Turn around.
IMPORTANT TIPS: If you don’t think this warning is serious and you insist on making the entire drive, make sure you have an SUV with 4WD and a driver with a steady hand and a good driving record. The entire drive will easily take you four hours and you will be in major trouble if there is any sort of weather (rain, snow) or it just rained, so make sure you travel in good weather conditions. Check your brakes and make sure your car is in good working condition before you leave. You won’t have phone service and there isn’t any civilization to save you if you get stranded or in an accident.
DIRECTIONS. Coming from Phoenix/​Scottsdale/​Tempe, take US 60 East to Idaho Road and then follow the signs to Apache Trail. Turn right when you get to the fork in the road along US 88. Enjoy the drive, but don’t be an accidental daredevil like myself and take the dirt road. Be warned that if you do insist on taking the entire trail, including the dirt road, once you get to Roosevelt Lake, you’ll have the option to go left or right. If you go left, you will end up on the Bee Line just outside of Payson and you’ll have a 79 mile drive back to Phoenix.
Apache Junction to Tortilla Flat
Up until we reached Tortilla Flat, it was a beautiful drive. There were canyons, huge rock formations and mossy mountains. Along the road we stopped at Goldfield Ghost Town, Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat. There are also several areas to park your car and walk around, including Lost Dutchman State Park which is only worth driving into if you’d like to do a little hike and have a picnic.
Goldfield Ghost Town is cheesy and touristy but it’s an authentic ghost town and the remains of a mining town from the turn of the Century. They also offer horseback rides, mining tours and train rides.
Fish Creek Hill
Don’t take the dirt road to Fish Creek Hill unless you are ok with putting your life in danger. We didn’t take the warnings seriously because the warnings were practically non-​existent. I am completely shocked that they don’t have warning signs or even a park ranger that verbally goes over the dangers you are about to undertake if you proceed to Fish Creek Hill.
This dirt road is a one-​lane, steep and very dangerous road that goes straight down. You only have enough room for one car with a mountain on one side and a steep cliff that drops several hundred feet on the other side. There are several switch backs and you can only pray that someone isn’t coming around the corner going the other way when you make the turn. One wrong turn of your wheel, an issue with your brakes or skid of your tires (and remember it’s a loose dirt road) and you’re over the cliff without a prayer to save you.
This continues for 22 miles. 22 miles! It gets very slightly better every now and then, but the initial steep road down to the base isn’t worth the beauty of the drive. It’s suicidal to do this drive and it just doesn’t seem to end. Just when you think you’re in the clear, it continues and it took us nearly three hours to get through. Three hours of complete fear. It’s so dangerous that you can’t even really take in the beauty because you’re too focused on not making a wrong move.
If you want to see the other side of the Apache Trail, instead of taking the dirt road of Fish Creek Hill, save the other side for another day and take the Bee Line to US 80 towards Roosevelt Dam. There isn’t much but the dam and Roosevelt Lake is worth seeing (there is also a restaurant overlooking the Lake).
Beauty Highlights:
— Most of the Fish Creek Hill road is along a lake so it’s a watery drive.
— There are a ton of peaks and Valleys with several cliffs, beautiful rock formations and a cave to explore.
— It really captures the beauty of Arizona
— You get to see how much water Arizona actually has.

Gorgeous views of the Arizona hills for the low cost of a couple of gallons of gas? Yep. Took my wife on this drive, starting in Apache Junction and took it the full 50 miles to Roosevelt Dam.
A couple of things to note: The road is fully paved for the first 30 or so miles but the last 22 are unpaved and about 1 ¼ car width wide at points. This is not for the inexperienced driver or someone intimidated by cliffs without guard rails.
Some posts warned about the road being rough — which it was at times (bone jarring) but we made the trek in a 2013 Prius without any issues. Sure you will be doing 5 mph in places, but we never ran into a section of road that we thought we couldn’t make it.
Overall a great drive with fantastic views. A very unique experience — only caveat is my wife was bored the last 10 miles or so as the scenery started to look all the same. But we highly recommend it none-​the-​less.

Incredible. Some of these views rival the Grand Canyon. Being a local, I sometimes forget how pretty the desert can be.
I’d drive the trail from Apache Junction to Globe and then take US 60 from Globe to return to the Valley. That way, the canyon dropoffs are to your left. Your cell phone will probably not work much past Canyon Lake/​Tortilla Flats. The road’s really windy, but follow the posted speed limits and you’ll be fine. If you get easily carsick, this probably isn’t a great drive for you. There’s not much in the way of services, so gas up ahead of time (and possibly pack snacks).
The road’s unpaved for about 20 mi after Tortilla Flats. I’d recommend driving in an SUV (or something similar with four-​wheel drive) or just be prepared for a super bumpy ride. If you have doubts about your car making it on the unpaved road, I’d turn around at Canyon Lake or Tortilla Flats.
These views are worth the white knuckle driving! Bring patience and a good camera!

Den bisherigen lobenden amerikanischen Beiträgen kann ich mich nur anschließen. Eine Fahrt über den Apache Trail ist ein optisches Erlebnis der Extraklasse.
Von Apache Junction führt die State Route 88 gen Osten. Diese Straße wird allerdings nur «Apache Trail» genannt. Das hat seinen geschichtlichen Hintergrund bei den Apache-​Indianern, die vormals einen gleichliegenden Pfad zur Überquerung der Berge nutzten.
Die ersten Meilen ab Apache Junction (für nicht Informierte: dies ist ein kleines Städtchen in Arizona) sind wenig beeindruckend. Allerdings ist das Bergpanorama, auf das man zufährt, schon mehrere Fotomotive wert. Nach einigen Meilen links die Goldfield Ghost Town, kurz danach auf der rechten Seite der «Dutchman Statepark» mit einem gleichnamigen, sehr empfehlenswerten Campground.
Dann windet sich die Straße die Berge hinauf. Jede Menge Kurven, Steigungen, Abfahrten wechseln sich ab. Die Landschaft hat karges Wüstenklima, überall stehen die mannshohen (und höher) Saguaro-​Kakteen. Einmal im Jahr, im Frühjahr jedoch erblüht die Landschaft für kurze Zeit — wir erlebten dies in diesem Jahr im April. Leider erlaubt die Straße nur an wenigen Stellen einen Halt, um in Ruhe zu schauen und Fotos zu schießen. Kurz vor Erreichen des Canyon Lakes liegt auf der rechten Seite ein Scenic Outlook. Unbedingt halten! Von hier aus hat man einen wunderbaren Blick hinunter auf den Stausee, den man dann nach wenigen Meilen erreicht. Vorher heißt es noch, eine einspurige Metallbrücke zu queren.
Am Canyon Lake gibt es mehrere Rastplätze direkt am Ufer. Unterstände, Grillplätze, Bänke machen den Lake zu einem beiliebten Ausflugsziel. Baden gut möglich, Entspannen vor dem tollen Panorama ebenso.
Wir haben die Tour mit einem Wohnmobil (RV) gemacht. Das geht bis hierher auch recht gut. Kurz nach dem Canyon Lake jedoch verwandelt sich die gut ausgebaute Straße in eine unpaved road, also Sandpiste und ist für Wohnmobile nicht mehr geeignet. PKWs sollen angeblich wenig Probleme haben, außer einem Härtetest für die Stoßdämpfer. Rundweg war folglich für uns nicht möglich, also hieß es zurück und die Landschaft aus der entgegen gerichteten Perspektive noch einmal genießen. Auch nicht schlecht!
Höchstwertung für diese Straße von mir.

Drove the whole loop recently, taking 88 from Apache Junction to 188 to US 60 back toward Sun Valley. It was only the first hour or so of driving that was interesting. The narrows on the Salt River were my favorite part. There’s a scenic viewpoint atop a knob in the dirt road section. Great views down into the canyon form there. The Superstition Mountains were fun to see, too.
The rest of the trip to me was forgettable. Didn’t find Apache Lake or Roosevelt Lake interesting. Total time 5 hours including stops. Wish I’d turned back after the Salt River canyon and made it 3. Or spent more time going down into the canyon.
FInally, a note for people wondering about the dirt road: Yes, there’s a stretch of about 20 miles where the surface is compacted dirt and gravel. There’s a lot of hype here and on other sites about how dangerous and frightening it is. Let me put it into perspective this way: On an offroad difficulty scale of 1 to 10, this route’s a 1. If you have any kind of familiarity with driving unpaved roads you will be fine. But if you’re the kind of clown who could never master parallel parking or backing up in a straight line, or you’re a geezer in a big RV, you should probably let someone else drive.

The best part of our family trip to Arizona, besides Grand Canyon. Among of the top three scenic trails I’ve driven through.
Discover old gold mines, go under a mine to understand how people mined for gold in the 50s, hear the legend of Superstition Mountains, and best of all, be amazed by the Roosevelt Dam. This trail is not for the lazy or acrophobic. You will wind down narrow road carved on the edge of a mountain while admiring the beauty of Canyon, Apache, and Roosevelt lakes. What we thought would be a normal scenic drive ended up to be the most unexpected and fun time. Bless my MIL, she drove on that gravel road at a speed of 5−10mph for 22 miles. At one point we thought the minivan was going to give up on us, but the Toyota Sienna kept going.
The Superstition Mountains stand tall and proud and reminds you of the native American folklore. The mountains, also known as «Supes», is where the lost Dutchman is supposed to have discovered the treasure of gold. The Supes are also home to the hole the Apaches believe is the entrance to lower world.
The Roosevelt Dam provides a breathtaking backdrop against the dusty roads and mountains. Once the largest masonry dam in the world, it now has been encased in concrete to raise the holding capacity. The main attraction, however, is the Roosevelt bridge. It is the longest two lane, single-​span, steel arch bridge in North America. Simply stunning!
Go to the trail, drive on the gravel, enjoy the stunning views, and eat at the Miner’s café, where food is served like in the past — your food is served in a metal plate and mug like during the old mining days.
I am glad my MIL patiently drove us through this scenic trail. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Next time I am finding that lost gold.