United States
Arizona (AZ)
Places to visit in Arizona
See all things to do

Apache Trail Scenic Drive

See all things to do
See all things to do
Apache Trail Scenic Drive
4.5
#50 of 780 Sights & Landmarks in Arizona
Hiking TrailsScenic DrivesHorseback Riding Tours
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Write a review
About
The existing Apache Trail in Arizona is a 120 mile circle route through the Superstition Mountains. 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. The current Apache Trail links Apache Junction at the edge of the Greater Phoenix area with Theodore Roosevelt Lake, through the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest. Today, much of the Apache Trail is paved, and the section east of Apache Junction is known officially as State Route 88. It is also the main traffic corridor through Apache Junction, turning into Main Street as the road passes into Mesa, and regains the Apache name by becoming Apache Boulevard in Tempe, ending at Mill Avenue. Prior to the completion of the Superstition Freeway in 1992, the Apache Junction portion of the Apache Trail was part of US Highway 60, which was rerouted to the Superstition Freeway once it was completed. The Trail winds steeply through 40 miles (64 km) of rugged desert mountains, past deep reservoir lakes like Canyon Lake and Apache Lake. The narrow, winding road is unpaved from just east of the town of Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt Dam; there are steep cliff drops and little in the way of safety barriers. The trail requires caution when driving and it is not recommended for large RVs, SUVs, or caravans. Some large RV rental companies in the US do not allow their vehicles to be taken on this route. Originally, and more historically correct, Apache Trail was built as a wagon route for the construction of Roosevelt Dam from 1902-1909 and was originally called the "Mesa to Roosevelt Road." Roosevelt, Fish Creek Station, Tortilla Flat Station, Mormon Flat Flat Station, Pinto Creek and Youngsberg aka Goldfield are just a few of the many historic landmarks along the America's oldest highway, the Apache Trail. As the old Southern Pacific Railroad used to say, "Every mile a scene worth while! Sunshine all the way!"
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Apache Trail Scenic Drive and nearby attractions

See what travellers are saying
  • vagabond_dreams
    Alberta, Canada333 contributions
    Fantastic drive
    Gorgeous drive. Stopped en route to take a look at pretty Canyon Lake, and at Tortilla Flat for an ice cream. Tortilla Flat is tiny and very touristy - it was busy on the day we were there. The best part of the drive was the next two miles past Tortilla Flat. Just a little way past where the pavement ends there's a parking lot, and from this point on the road is closed right now. But there's a short paved path from the parking lot to some outstanding views of the Superstition Mountains. You can continue to wander for a bit past the end of the paved trail. Really beautiful. We saw a tarantula which was pretty cool. Would love to come back and do some hiking.
    Visited November 2022
    Written 5 December 2022
  • Jerry W
    1 contribution
    Great desert tour and guide.
    Our guide Dusty was outstanding. We. had a great tour, Dusty was a great fountain of dessert lore and history. We had some mobility problems but he helped us big time. After the tour he also helped us with questions about the restaurants and shops.
    Visited January 2023
    Written 31 January 2023
  • David R
    1 contribution
    Real Surprise
    I bought a 911 in California and was driving back cross country. Visited in Phoenix waiting for my son to fly in. Took a random drive and decided from the map it looked fun. Gold Mine, desert mountains, curves, top down! All of a sudden, Canyon lake. Mouth fell open! Wasn’t expecting a lake.Went past it up winding mountain road. Views crazy. Paved road ended at area of recent wild fire. Went back to tortilla flat for beer and music.On the way back did gold mine. Did again the next day. Saw 30+ Ferraris the next day. Rate 100/10.
    Visited March 2022
    Travelled with friends
    Written 9 February 2023
  • pkst2016
    Humboldt, Canada182 contributions
    Breathtaking Views
    If you have about 3 hours to spare while in Phoenix or surrounding area I would highly recommend driving the Apache trail up to tortilla flats. Not much to do once you get there but the drive is breathtaking. It may look intimidating but it’s a 15-25 mph speed limit so it’s relatively safe. Amazing views. And you get a different perspective going back. You won’t see this in many other places around the world.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 February 2023
  • chicago20162016
    Chicago, Illinois27 contributions
    Scenic!!
    Scenic drive, lovely scenery but we could only go from Gold Mine Town up to Tortilla Flats, couldn't drive all the way since some sections were closed due to some flooding. Would definitely drive it again once all the sections are open which won't probably happen until 2024. The shorter drive was still worth it, though!
    Visited February 2023
    Written 14 March 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
647 reviews
Excellent
487
Very good
124
Average
21
Poor
4
Terrible
11
Chad F
1 contribution
Scenery was awesome
May 2022 • Couples
Took this road by accident mostly when I first moved to Arizona in 2008. I was taking my family who came to visit from Texas out to see Canyon Lake, and thought I found a short cut to Globe. Wrong! It was a 30 to 40 mile washboard teeth loosening/ heart racing road (in some sections).

It was very beautiful, but has some narrow, steep white knuckle driving sections. Like some areas where you are looking straight down into deep canyons on a very narrow road with hairpin turns... Felt like a workout by the time I reached pavement again 3 to 3.5 hours later...

The scenery was worth it, but I don't recommend the dirt section after tortilla flats over Lake Roosevelt Dam for people that dont like steep, narrow roads or driving on a rough dirt road for hours.
Written 19 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rita J
Jacksonville, FL593 contributions
Stunning scenery
Mar 2023 • Couples
We drove the open 13 miles from Roosevelt Dam in our jeep. Gorgeous scenery. Will come again when the road is open further. It was worth doing even though not open all the way.
Written 3 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chicago20162016
Chicago, IL27 contributions
Scenic!!
Feb 2023
Scenic drive, lovely scenery but we could only go from Gold Mine Town up to Tortilla Flats, couldn't drive all the way since some sections were closed due to some flooding. Would definitely drive it again once all the sections are open which won't probably happen until 2024. The shorter drive was still worth it, though!
Written 14 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pkst2016
Humboldt, Canada182 contributions
Breathtaking Views
Feb 2023 • Family
If you have about 3 hours to spare while in Phoenix or surrounding area I would highly recommend driving the Apache trail up to tortilla flats.
Not much to do once you get there but the drive is breathtaking.
It may look intimidating but it’s a 15-25 mph speed limit so it’s relatively safe.
Amazing views. And you get a different perspective going back.
You won’t see this in many other places around the world.
Written 24 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David R
1 contribution
Real Surprise
Mar 2022 • Friends
I bought a 911 in California and was driving back cross country. Visited in Phoenix waiting for my son to fly in. Took a random drive and decided from the map it looked fun. Gold Mine, desert mountains, curves, top down! All of a sudden, Canyon lake. Mouth fell open! Wasn’t expecting a lake.Went past it up winding mountain road. Views crazy. Paved road ended at area of recent wild fire. Went back to tortilla flat for beer and music.On the way back did gold mine. Did again the next day. Saw 30+ Ferraris the next day. Rate 100/10.
Written 9 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jerry W
1 contribution
Great desert tour and guide.
Jan 2023
Our guide Dusty was outstanding. We. had a great tour, Dusty was a great fountain of dessert lore and history. We had some mobility problems but he helped us big time. After the tour he also helped us with questions about the restaurants and shops.
Written 31 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirby D
11 contributions
Apache Trail Scenic Drive
Jan 2023 • Couples
The scenic drive up to Tortilla Flat is simply amazing, switch-back road all the way. There are numerous places to stop along the way to take a hike on one of the trailheads. They are all breathtaking. Once you get to Tortilla Flats, on our drive, the road was closed beyond Tortilla Flats due to flooding and road repairs. Tortilla Flats was disappointing, at least for us as it was overcrowded and not very interesting..but that’s just us.
Written 30 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vagabond_dreams
Alberta, Canada333 contributions
Fantastic drive
Nov 2022
Gorgeous drive. Stopped en route to take a look at pretty Canyon Lake, and at Tortilla Flat for an ice cream. Tortilla Flat is tiny and very touristy - it was busy on the day we were there. The best part of the drive was the next two miles past Tortilla Flat. Just a little way past where the pavement ends there's a parking lot, and from this point on the road is closed right now. But there's a short paved path from the parking lot to some outstanding views of the Superstition Mountains. You can continue to wander for a bit past the end of the paved trail. Really beautiful. We saw a tarantula which was pretty cool. Would love to come back and do some hiking.
Written 5 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Super102014
Stow, OH78 contributions
Beautiful View
Oct 2022 • Couples
The drive to Tortilla Flats was awesome. Beautiful views right in the middle of the mountains. Great little saloon/bar at the end of the trip in Tortilla Flats.
Written 14 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MJHBlack
Salt Lake City274 contributions
Apache Trail day trip a delight for all ages.
Mar 2022
We've visited Arizona many times, but this was the first time on the Apache Trail - State Route 88. I would call it a MUST esp if you are with family. For the kidlets young and old make sure you stop at Goldfield, no admission charge, has an EXCELLENT bar and eatery (which had live music on the weekday we traveled); and lots in town for folks to explore. ice cream shop. See those famous Superstition Mountains; stop in to the Lost Dutchman State Park and learn the legend. The winding mountain two lane road is fabulous on a warm day with lots of desert flora abounding. Pit stop Tortilla Flat - if you missed food in Goldfield, there's an eatery-bar here -with live music (at least in March when we went) and the bathrooms are fun to visit!!! unfortunately, a rainstorm washed out the road beyond Tortilla Flat a couple years ago, but this daytrip was still a highlight of our snowbirding two months in Arizona.
Written 14 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 576
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Apache Trail Scenic Drive (Arizona) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Apache Trail Scenic Drive
Restaurants near Apache Trail Scenic Drive: View all restaurants near Apache Trail Scenic Drive on Tripadvisor