Spectacular Roads - Central Arizona

This page describes some of the spectacular roads that are located between Scottsdale and  I 40.  Click on the map of Arizona to enlarge it.

The Apache Trail

The Apache Trail, Arizona Highway 88, was built to support the construction of dams along the Salt River. A National Scenic Byway, the Apache Trail is 40 miles of paved and gravel road. It begins off U.S. 60 in Apache Junction and ends at Roosevelt Dam. Along the way the road winds through the rugged Salt River Canyon and offers exciting views of Canyon Lake, Apache Lake and Lake Roosevelt. Popular stopping points include Lost Dutchman State Park, Tortilla Flat and Tonto National Monument.

AZ 95- Parker to Interstate 40

This 57  mile drive begins in Parker and follows AZ 95 through Lake Havasu City to I 40 just 9 miles east of the California border.  The paved, two-lane highway runs parallel to the scenic east bank of the Colorado River. Spectacular desert terrain featuring the river gorge lined with volcanic rock, Buckskin Mountain State Park, Lake Havasu State Park, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Topack Gorge, Lake Havasu City and London Bridge are some of the attractions along this drive.

AZ 260-Springerville to Hon Dah

This drive follows AZ 260 from Springerville near the New Mexico border to Hon Dah on the Mongollon Rim.  The 39 mile highway climbs over the White Mountains. The mountains are covered with thick forests and separated by wide, grassy valleys. Heavy snow and icy conditions prevail in the winter months. The attractions include camping, hiking, boating, cool elevations, autumn colors, skiing, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation.

FR 300-Forest Road 300, The Rim Road

This gravel U.S. Forest road follows the Mogollon Rim for 42 miles between AZ 260 and AZ 87 north of Payson. The road is paved for the first 3 miles to Woods Canyon Lake and gravel the rest of the way. The road follows the old General Crook Trail, a military road that linked Camp Verde and Fort Apache during the Apache Wars. On a clear day Camelback Mountain in Phoenix - 85 miles away - can be seen and the sharp sighted can pick out the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, 150 miles away. Attractions include fishing, hiking, photography and the General Crook National Recreation Trail. Snow and mud close the road in the winter and spring.

U.S. 60-Globe to Show Low

This 87 mile drive takes you from the outskirts of Globe, and old mining town, to an old ranching and lumber town whose name and ownership were decided in a game of cards, Show Low. In between these colorful towns, U.S. 60 passes through the isolated mesas of the Apache Range, across the precipitous Salt River Canyon and onto the forested Mogollen Rim. The attractions include the Salt River Canyon, White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation, San Carlos Indian Reservation, Tonto National Forest, Globe and Show Low. Rafting, fishing, camping and hiking are popular activities in this area.  

U.S. 60-Miami to Florence Junction

The 30 mile section of US 60 between Miami and Florence Junction is a busy section of highway and "one of central Arizona's most magnificent scenic drives". The drive climbs over the Pinal Mountains, drops into Queen Canyon to the mining town of Superior, then crosses into the Sonoran Desert. After 15 more miles of cacti studded desert it enters Florence Junction. The special attractions of the drive include old mines, cacti, Tonto National Forest, Superior, Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, camping, rock climbing and nature study.

U.S. 89A-Oak Creek Canyon

This 27 mile long paved highway rises from the red rock country of Sedona through magnificent Oak Creek Canyon to the woodlands of ponderosa pines just south of Flagstaff. This drive offers both sweeping views of the Mogollen Rim and San Francisco Peaks, and views of sandstone cliffs and the tumbling waters of Oak Creek. The attractions of this drive include Coconino National Forest, Oak Creek Canyon Natural Area, Slide Rock State Park, Oak Creek Vista, Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness Area, West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon. Popular area activities include camping, hiking, swimming, fishing and rock climbing.