Apache Trail Scenic Drive

The Apache Trail is Arizona State Route 88, and it runs roughly northeast from Apache Junction, on the eastern edge of the Phoenix metro area, toward Theodore Roosevelt Dam and Lake. The full historic route covers close to forty miles as it climbs and dips through the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest, following a chain of desert reservoirs strung along the Salt River. It is a slow road by design, with tight curves, blind corners, and steep grades that reward patience over speed.

The drive comes in two very different halves. The western, paved section runs from Apache Junction past Canyon Lake to the historic little settlement of Tortilla Flat, and any passenger car handles it comfortably, though the curves still keep you focused. Beyond Tortilla Flat the pavement ends and the road becomes a narrow, unpaved mountain track. This dirt section drops down the famous Fish Creek Hill, a heart-stopping one-lane descent with sheer cliff views, before continuing on toward Apache Lake and Roosevelt Dam. It is scenic beyond words, and also genuinely rugged.

That rugged dirt section beyond Tortilla Flat, from Fish Creek Hill down toward Roosevelt, has been subject to long-term closures after storm and flood damage, and stretches of it have been shut for extended periods. Anyone hoping to drive the full route should check the current status of AZ-88 with the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Tonto National Forest before setting out, since conditions and closures can change. Even when the whole road is open, the dirt portion is best left to those in a suitable high-clearance vehicle who are comfortable on narrow mountain roads.

The most common way onto the Apache Trail is from the Phoenix side. Coming from Phoenix or Mesa, take US-60 (the Superstition Freeway) east to Apache Junction, then follow State Route 88, signed as the Apache Trail, northeast out of town. Within a few minutes the suburbs fall away and the road begins to climb into the Superstition Mountains, passing Lost Dutchman State Park and heading toward Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat.

You can also approach from the far end near Roosevelt Dam. Travelers coming from the north or east often reach the Roosevelt Lake area by way of State Route 188, which connects to State Route 87 (the Beeline Highway) toward Payson and Phoenix, or to US-60 near Globe and Miami to the south. From there the eastern end of the Apache Trail begins near the dam, though this is the dirt section that has faced long closures, so confirm it is open before planning to drive it.

Because the paved western half and the dirt eastern half are so different, many visitors treat the drive as an out-and-back from Apache Junction. They enjoy the paved run to Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat, turn around there, and skip the unpaved section entirely, which makes for a rewarding half-day trip without ever leaving the pavement.

The Apache Trail traces a route far older than any automobile. Long before it was a road, the corridor followed foot and pack trails used for generations by Native peoples, including the Salado, who farmed and lived along the Salt River, and later the Apache bands who moved through the rugged country of the Superstition Mountains. The name of the road honors that history, even as the modern route was built for a very different purpose.

The road as we know it was carved out in the early 1900s to serve one of the largest engineering projects of its era, the construction of Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River. Between roughly 1903 and 1911, crews blasted and graded a supply road through the mountains so that wagons, and later trucks, could haul cement, equipment, and materials to the remote dam site. The work was brutal, much of it done by hand and with the help of Apache laborers, cutting a path across some of the most difficult terrain in Arizona.

When Roosevelt Dam was completed and dedicated in 1911, President Theodore Roosevelt himself traveled the new road to the ceremony. He was so struck by the scenery that he is often quoted describing the drive as one of the most sublimely beautiful panoramas nature ever created. The dam and its reservoir, Roosevelt Lake, were among the first major projects of the federal reclamation program that reshaped the arid West, and the supply road quickly took on a second life as a tourist route for travelers eager to see the canyons and lakes for themselves.

Arizona has long recognized the route as a treasure, and it carries a state designation as a Historic Road, a status that celebrates its heritage and its scenery rather than its speed or convenience. For more than a century it has drawn sightseers, but its rugged character has never been tamed. Floods and storms periodically damage the unpaved sections, and long closures of the dirt stretch beyond Tortilla Flat are part of the road's ongoing story, a reminder that this remains one of Arizona's wildest drives.

• The Apache Trail was built in the early 1900s not as a scenic route but as a construction road, blasted through the Superstition Mountains to haul supplies to the building of Theodore Roosevelt Dam.
• When the dam was dedicated in 1911, President Theodore Roosevelt traveled the new road himself and reportedly called the drive one of the most sublimely beautiful panoramas nature ever created.
• Roosevelt Dam was among the first major projects of the U.S. reclamation program, and Roosevelt Lake behind it became one of the largest reservoirs created by the federal government at the time.
• The paved portion of the drive ends at Tortilla Flat, a tiny historic stage stop where the little restaurant is famously papered floor to ceiling with signed dollar bills left by visitors from all over the world.
• Fish Creek Hill, on the dirt section, is one of the most dramatic road descents in Arizona, a steep one-lane grade carved into a cliff face with a sheer drop on one side.
• The road strings together a chain of desert reservoirs along the Salt River, including Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, and Roosevelt Lake, so a drive through the dry Sonoran Desert keeps surprising you with expanses of deep blue water.
• The rugged dirt stretch beyond Tortilla Flat has been closed for long stretches after storm and flood damage, meaning many visitors today can drive only the paved western half of the historic route.
• The corridor follows paths used for generations before any road existed, including by the Salado people who farmed the Salt River valley and the Apache bands for whom the trail is named.

The Apache Trail is Arizona State Route 88, a historic scenic drive that runs from Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, northeast through the Superstition Mountains to Theodore Roosevelt Dam and Lake. It is a designated Arizona Historic Road, following a supply route carved through the mountains in the early 1900s to build the dam, and it passes desert lakes, canyons, and the old stage stop at Tortilla Flat.

The full historic route runs close to forty miles from Apache Junction to Roosevelt Dam. Because much of it is winding, and part of it is slow unpaved road, it takes far longer than the distance suggests. Allow several hours to drive the whole thing with stops, and remember that many travelers only drive the paved western half to Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat, which makes a comfortable half-day trip.

No. The western section from Apache Junction past Canyon Lake to Tortilla Flat is paved and open to ordinary cars. Beyond Tortilla Flat the road turns to dirt as it descends Fish Creek Hill toward Apache Lake and Roosevelt. That rugged dirt section has been subject to long-term closures from storm and flood damage, so check the current status of AZ-88 before planning to drive the full route.

Highlights on the paved section include Lost Dutchman State Park at the foot of the Superstition Mountains, the deep blue waters of Canyon Lake, and the historic little settlement of Tortilla Flat. If the dirt section is open, the dramatic descent of Fish Creek Hill, remote Apache Lake, Roosevelt Dam and Lake, and the cliff dwellings at Tonto National Monument round out the route.

For the paved western half to Tortilla Flat, no. Any passenger car handles it, though the curves call for careful driving. For the unpaved eastern section beyond Tortilla Flat, including Fish Creek Hill, a high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended, and drivers should be comfortable on narrow, steep mountain roads. Large RVs and vehicles towing trailers are not suited to the dirt section.

Services are very limited. Tortilla Flat, at the end of the paved section, has a small restaurant, and it is essentially the last stop for food. There is no fuel along the remote parts of the drive, so fill your tank before you leave Apache Junction. Beyond Tortilla Flat, especially on the dirt section, you should carry water and be self-sufficient, as help can be far away.

Fall, winter, and spring are the most comfortable and popular seasons for the drive, when the desert temperatures are mild and pleasant. Summer in this part of Arizona brings intense, dangerous heat, so a summer visit calls for extra caution, plenty of water, and an early start. Whatever the season, midday light is harsh, so early morning and late afternoon show off the canyons and lakes at their best.

Driving the Apache Trail itself is free, since it is a public state highway. However, some stops along the way charge fees. Lost Dutchman State Park has a day-use fee, recreation sites around the lakes may require a Tonto National Forest pass, and Tonto National Monument charges an entrance fee. A quick roadside stop to look at the scenery does not require any pass.

The paved section is safe for careful drivers, but the road is winding with blind curves, so take your time. The main hazards are the extreme summer heat and the rugged, unpaved eastern section. In the warm months, carry plenty of water, avoid hiking in the peak heat, and never rely on finding services along the way. If the dirt section is open, treat it as a serious backcountry road and turn back if conditions look poor.

The road was carved through the Superstition Mountains in the early 1900s as a supply route for the construction of Theodore Roosevelt Dam, hauling materials to the remote dam site over some of Arizona's most rugged terrain. The name honors the Apache people, who along with other Native peoples traveled paths through this country long before any road existed, and Apache laborers helped build the route itself.