Driving the Apache Trail Scenic Byway

 

Starting about a block from our Park, today we drove a twenty mile paved stretch of The Apache Trail Scenic Byway (it's gravel from there to near the dam). The route was built as a wagon trail for the construction of Roosevelt Dam from 1902-1909. It was named the Apache Trail after the Native American Indians who originally used this trail to migrate through the Superstition Mountains for over 1,000 years.

It's definitely scenic and, despite the fact that it was recently repaved, it's still a challenging drive. The Trail winds steeply through rugged desert mountains, past deep reservoir lakes like Canyon Lake and Apache Lake. The narrow, winding road has steep cliff drops and little in the way of safety barriers, especially past the tourist town of Tortilla Flat.

In a word , it was spectacular!

What kind of idiot burns a doughnut on the edge of an open dropoff?!!

Didn't notice the tire marks until after we were back.