Coronado Trail Scenic Byway

The Coronado Trail is the stretch of U.S. Route 191 that runs between Clifton in the south and the Springerville and Eagar area in the north, threading the whole way through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. It covers about 120 miles, a distance most drivers could cover in a couple of hours on an ordinary highway. Here it takes far longer, because the road almost never runs straight. It is widely called one of the twistiest paved roads in the United States, packing hundreds of curves and tight switchbacks into its length, with stretches where drivers slow to a crawl to take a bend.

The climbing is the other half of the story. The byway starts in warm, dry copper country near 3,500 feet and rises to over 9,000 feet at its high points, one of the biggest changes in elevation you will find on a single drive in the Southwest. As you gain height, the whole world outside the windshield changes with you. Desert scrub and cactus give way to oak and juniper, then to deep forests of ponderosa pine, spruce, and fir, and in a few high meadows to stands of aspen that turn brilliant gold in fall. It is like driving through several different states stacked on top of one another.

What makes this road unusual is how empty and remote it feels. Traffic is famously light, so light that you can go long stretches without meeting another car. That solitude is a gift and a responsibility at the same time. The road is narrow, the curves are relentless, and in some sections there is little or no guardrail between the pavement and a steep drop-off. It is fully paved from end to end and needs no special vehicle, but it asks for a calm, unhurried driver who is happy to take it slow and let the scenery, not the clock, set the pace.

The Coronado Trail is easiest to picture as a north-south line down the eastern side of Arizona, and you can start it from either end. Coming from the north, most travelers reach it through Springerville and Eagar, a pair of small towns in the White Mountains where U.S. Route 60 meets U.S. Route 191. From there you turn south onto US-191 and begin the climb into the high forest. This northern end is the most popular way in, and many people drive only the top portion, out past Alpine to the Blue Vista overlook and back, without committing to the full route.

Coming from the south, you begin in the copper towns of Clifton and Morenci, which you can reach from Interstate 10 by heading north on US-191 through Safford. From Clifton the byway climbs sharply and quickly, gaining thousands of feet as it winds up out of the mine country into the forest. This southern approach is the steeper, more dramatic start, with the tightest early switchbacks and the big Morenci mine overlook near the bottom.

Either direction is a fine choice, and there is no wrong way to drive it. The one thing worth planning around is fuel and services. Fill your tank in Clifton or Morenci at the south end, or in the Springerville, Eagar, and Alpine area at the north end, because the long middle of the route has almost nothing in between.

The Coronado Trail takes its name from Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, the Spanish explorer who passed through this rugged corner of the Southwest in 1540 while searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, cities of gold that turned out to be legend. The modern byway roughly traces the path his expedition is thought to have followed on its way north, along corridors that Native peoples had traveled for generations before him and that later drew prospectors, ranchers, and pioneers. The road carries that long history in its name even though the pavement itself is far more recent.

For much of the twentieth century this stretch of highway carried a different and far more notorious number. It was U.S. Route 666, and it earned the grim nickname the Devil's Highway partly from that number and partly from its reputation as a dangerous mountain road. In June 1992 the highway was renumbered as U.S. Route 191, quietly retiring the 666 designation and the superstition that had grown up around it. The curves and the drop-offs stayed exactly where they were.

The route through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests was recognized for its scenery and set aside as a scenic byway through the U.S. Forest Service, then went on to earn recognition as a National Scenic Byway, a federal designation reserved for roads with outstanding scenic, natural, historic, cultural, recreational, or archaeological qualities. The honor reflects the rare combination this road offers, an enormous change in elevation, deep and largely undeveloped national forest, and a driving experience unlike almost anywhere else in the country. Unlike many famous byways, it has stayed quiet and uncrowded, which is a large part of its appeal.

The land the byway crosses tells its own story. The southern end sits beside the Morenci mine, one of the largest open-pit copper operations in North America, where more than a century of digging has carved terraced benches thousands of feet across into the earth. Climb north and the mining country falls away into the volcanic high country of the White Mountains, a landscape shaped by ancient eruptions and crowned by peaks like Escudilla Mountain, the third-highest in Arizona and a place made famous in the writings of the conservationist Aldo Leopold.

• The Coronado Trail is often ranked among the twistiest paved roads in the United States, with hundreds of curves and switchbacks packed into roughly 120 miles and stretches where drivers slow to a crawl to take a bend.
• This part of U.S. Route 191 was once U.S. Route 666, nicknamed the Devil's Highway, until it was renumbered as US-191 in June 1992.
• The byway climbs more than 5,000 feet from the copper country near Clifton up to over 9,000 feet in the White Mountains, one of the largest elevation changes of any single drive in the Southwest.
• The road is named for Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, whose 1540 expedition is thought to have passed through this region while hunting for the mythical Seven Cities of Cibola.
• At the southern end sits the Morenci mine, one of the largest open-pit copper mines in North America, its terraced benches visible from a highway overlook.
• Escudilla Mountain, rising near the northern end, is the third-highest peak in Arizona and was made famous by conservationist Aldo Leopold, who wrote about it in his classic essay collection.
• Traffic on the byway is famously light, so light that drivers can travel long stretches without meeting another vehicle, giving it a reputation as one of the loneliest scenic roads in the state.
• The route runs the entire way through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, climbing through a stack of life zones from desert scrub to ponderosa pine to high aspen meadows that glow gold in autumn.

The Coronado Trail Scenic Byway is the stretch of U.S. Route 191 that runs about 120 miles across eastern Arizona, between Clifton in the south and the Springerville and Eagar area in the north. It is a National Scenic Byway, a federal honor for roads with outstanding scenic, natural, historic, cultural, and recreational qualities, and it runs the whole way through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. The route is named for the Spanish explorer Coronado, whose 1540 expedition is thought to have passed through this region.

The byway runs roughly 120 miles along U.S. Route 191 from Clifton to the Springerville area. Even though that distance sounds short, it takes far longer than a normal highway of the same length because the road is packed with hundreds of curves and switchbacks. Plan on a good half day for the full route, and longer if you stop often for the overlooks. Many people drive only the northern portion, out to the Blue Vista overlook and back, rather than the whole thing.

From south to north, the highlights include the Morenci mine overlook near Clifton, where you can see one of the largest open-pit copper mines in North America, the sweeping Blue Vista overlook at the top of the Mogollon Rim, the peaceful high clearing at Hannagan Meadow, the mountain town of Alpine, and the towering bulk of Escudilla Mountain near the northern end. Numerous smaller pullouts along the way open onto forest and canyon views.

Yes. The Coronado Trail is a public U.S. highway, U.S. Route 191, so driving it costs nothing and requires no pass or fee. Some developed recreation sites, campgrounds, and trailheads within the surrounding national forest may charge a use fee, but the drive itself and its roadside overlooks are free.

Late spring through early fall is the prime window, when the high country is clear of snow and the weather is mild. Autumn is especially rewarding, when the aspens in the high meadows turn brilliant gold. Early morning and the hours before sunset bring the best light and the best chance to see elk and deer. Because the drive is long and remote, it is best done with plenty of daylight ahead of you rather than late in the day.

The highway is not formally closed for the winter, but its high elevation means snow and ice are common in the cold months and travel can become difficult or unsafe. Winter storms may leave sections snow-packed or icy, and services along the route are sparse. Most travelers drive the byway from late spring through fall, and it is wise to check current road and weather conditions before setting out at any time from late autumn into spring.

No. The Coronado Trail is paved from end to end along U.S. Route 191, and an ordinary passenger car handles it fine in good weather. What the road demands is not a special vehicle but a careful driver, since it is narrow, steep, and full of tight curves. Good brakes, a full tank, and an unhurried pace matter far more here than four-wheel drive.

Winter can be serious on this road. Much of the byway sits above 8,000 feet, high enough that snow, ice, and cold linger for months, and storms can move in quickly. The curves and drop-offs that make the drive thrilling in summer become hazardous when the pavement is slick, and help can be far away because the route is so remote. If you drive it in winter, go only in clear conditions, carry warm clothing and supplies, and check road reports first.

This is one of the most remote scenic drives in Arizona, and services are scarce. Fill your gas tank before you start, either in Clifton or Morenci at the south end or in the Springerville, Eagar, and Alpine area at the north end, because the long middle stretch has almost no fuel, food, or towns. It is smart to carry water, snacks, warm layers, and a full tank, and to let someone know your plans before heading into the empty heart of the route.

Cell service is unreliable and often nonexistent along much of the route, especially in the remote forested middle where there are no towns for miles. Do not count on your phone for navigation or emergencies. Download maps for offline use ahead of time, tell someone your route and expected timing, and treat the drive as a trip into genuine backcountry where you are largely on your own between the towns at each end.