If you’re looking for some of the most amazing scenery in Arizona, the scenic drive of the Apache Trail is a must-see. The 39-mile route winds both on and off-road, winding its way through sharp curves and narrow stretches of trail along the north side of the rugged Superstition Mountain Wilderness region, past the south side of Canyon and Apache lakes. Unfortunately, the unpaved part which is the eastern half of the bypass is closed due to road damage. However, the drive along the in-and-out paved section is well worth the effort and time, as the highway passes over two single-lane steel arch bridges with vistas of Canyon Lake and Needle Point that provide some stunning photo opportunities in the Arizona landscape.
Driving through Interstates 60 and 188 to get to the eastern side of the Apache Trail where a few miles of paved section remains open provides some of the most stunning scenery in Arizona. The east side of the byway displays the point of inspiration as the view of Lake Roosevelt with the mountains as a great backdrop. Just a mile away, it offers a view of the Roosevelt Dam that distances the lake from the Salt River. A visit to the Tonto National Monument down the street makes the drive even more engaging.
The Tonto Basin is very rich in history and has been occupied by many types of people for thousands of years with the Salado people leaving behind the largest number of artifacts dating back around 700 years. With some modifications made by the archaeologists at Tonto National Monument for easier visitation and safety, the dwelling displays the impressive architecture of the Saladu people. To reach the lower cliff dwelling requires a one-mile round-trip hike up a steep paved trail with a 350-foot elevation change with stairs to reach the top. However, this dwelling was limited by the size of the alcove, which was 40 feet high, 85 feet long, and 48 feet deep, in which each room housed one family and a roofed breezeway divided the dwelling into two halves. Even today some of the roofs are still partially intact with the ceilings and walls still bearing smoke stains from the cooking fires. In addition to cliff dwelling, the trail offers some breathtaking opportunities for Roosevelt Lake in the cactus-filled desert valley below.
Goldfield Ghost Town is located on the western edge of the Apache Trail where one can enjoy the excitement of the Wild West in Arizona. At Goldfield’s heyday in the 1890s, the town had 3 saloons, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a brewery, a meat market, a school, and a boarding house. Unfortunately, the Sweat of Gold caused the city to suffer a slow, agonizing death. The historic buildings along Main Street today are filled with gift shops with gold mine tours and narrow-gauge train rides along with other opportunities for visitors to enjoy what Arizona’s Wild West was like.
White Mountain Regional Park, located in the West of Phoenix location in the White Mountains, is known for its bike trails and hiking trails that range from short easy trails to challenging all-day trails. The most popular and most hiked are the Black Rock Loops and Waterfall Trail. The Black Loop Trail is a 5-mile or 1.3-mile run through the village of Hohokam with signage along the way explaining the desert flora as well as the wildlife that lives here. The two-mile round-trip waterfall trail begins on a concrete walkway across the desert floor and ends at the midpoint where Petroglyph Plaza lies, where an abundance of 800-year-old petroglyphs can be viewed. The remainder of the trail is over loose dirt and rock before it ends in a narrow square granite canton where a refreshing pool of water remains on the canyon floor in which children love to play. Unfortunately, the water only drips over the cliff wall after heavy rain.
No comments! Be the first commenter?