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Story and photos by Sam Haymart In the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona lies a fun-to-drive ribbon of asphalt called The Apache Trail that offers both a great car fixx and a touristy destination. The Wild West is alive and well. |
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The fabled Wild West is built on a lot of lore from Hollywood, but there are some real remnants of the places that our cowboy forefathers danced with life. The Apache Trail or Arizona State Hwy 88, is located in the far eastern valley of Phoenix starting in Apache Junction and snakes its way through some of the most rugged terrain in Arizona - some 40 miles to Roosevelt Lake. Though only about 15 miles of the road are paved and improved to the level that you can take your Mustang for a “slingshot”, the route offers some of the state’s best driving enjoyment and scenery this side of the Grand Canyon.
Starting east of Mesa off the 60 Freeway in Apache Junction, Route 88 begins to get curvy just as you get out of the city limits and pass through Goldfield, a small ghost town that once harbored the Gold Rush of 1892. That and the Superstition Mountain Museum are the first of many tourist traps along the drive. You will be treated to countless roadside attractions that offer everything from burro rides to the “Best BBQ in the West”. As you get further into the Superstition Mountains, the road’s curves and grades quickly tighten up. The route was originally built as an Indian trading and stage coach road in the 1800’s. It was later improved to be a supply route for the construction of the Roosevelt Dam in the early 1900’s. Despite its humble beginnings, the engineering and design qualities of the road today are excellent for spirited driving. The surface quality, like most roads in Arizona is superb - entirely free of potholes and cracks. |
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| Above: 1) Tortilla Flat is a real-life Old West stage coach stop, now a stop for tourists and bikers. 2) A sweeping view of Canyon Lake from the first vista-point. |
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As you wind your way up in elevation the road offers up tight esses and sharp elevation changes until you arrive at the first vista-point that overlooks Canyon Lake. An unexpected sight in the rugged desert, the large body of water has several marinas, beaches, and picnic areas. It even has a dinner-cruise paddle wheel boat called the “Dolly”. Once you exit the vista point, you descend quickly to the valley floor to the water’s edge and cross the first of two steel-deck one-lane bridges. The drive along the lakeshore is both scenic and challenging with some of the road’s tightest switchbacks. Be careful. This road has no guard rails, even on the highest of cliffs. It’s that “Wild West” thing again pardner, you‘re on your own.
At the second one-lane bridge water crossing there is an expansive picnic area with a pier for great picture taking as well as a welcome restroom facility. From there it is just another couple miles to the small town of Tortilla Flat. The location was originally a stage coach stop in the way back when, and now is a tourist temple du jour. They have a saloon, restaurant, store, post office and of course a gift shop. On most weekend days you’d think they are filming a remake of “Easy Rider”, as this is one of the area’s most popular spots with the Harley Davidson clubs. There are some ramshackle homes and ruins scattered around the town that once was for sale on Ebay for $5.5 million. It is the perfect place to buy a couple scorpions set in clear plastic and a bottle of sasaparilla.
One of the best kept secrets for the driving enthusiast is the remaining five miles of paved road that continues past Tortilla Flat. Because most “consumer grade” tourists stop at the store and turn back, almost 75% of the traffic disappears after the stop. There you will find some good curves to enjoy that cut through some dramatic rock outcroppings. If you are not driving a low-slung car, the remaining 25 miles of dirt road that continues to Roosevelt Lake actually offers some of the best sites to behold. It is not a ride for the wary however as there are some narrow, steep and rugged portions of the route that require white knuckled attention and all-wheel drive if it is raining. |
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| By Mustang, the return ride always seems like a new road though as the downhill direction requires much more braking than on the way in. The round trip from Apache Junction to Tortilla Flat takes about an hour with no stops and can be a day trip of you tourist it up. The best time of year to experience the scenery is any time as the weather here is almost always perfect. If an exhilarating driving stint is your goal the best time to come is in the summer on a weekday. In the winter, the roads are hopelessly clogged with slow Buick driving seniors from Minnesota or Canada not so affectionately called “Snowbirds”. On summer weekends you will find yourself stuck behind lines of boats headed to one of three lakes along the route.
The best way to enjoy this drive is to do a little driving and do a little touristing as it offers the best of both worlds. Have a "Sunday Road" you would like to see featured? Contact Us! |
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Click photos for larger views
Above: 1) Tortilla Flat is a real-life Old West stage coach stop, now a stop for tourists and bikers. 2) A sweeping view of Canyon Lake from the first vista-point.
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