| The Apache Trail today
is a road that connects Apache Junction with Theodore Roosevelt
Lake. Labeled Arizona Highway 88, the route is still a narrow
dirt road for much of the way, clinging precariously to the sides of
the cliffs of the Superstition Mountains. The trip is truly not for
anyone with a weak heart or who really hates heights. But, it is
always passable to passenger cars and even large motor homes pulling
a boat, except for the "monsoon season" when rains cause muddy
conditions and flash floods that make traveling fairly risky. In nice weather,
the drive isbeautiful and scenic, starting at Apache Junction and going past
Goldfield, the Lost Dutchman State Park,
Canyon Lake, Tortilla Flat, and
Apache Lake
before arriving at the
base of Theodore Roosevelt Dam. Above there, it joins with
AZ-188 where it crosses
Theodore Roosevelt Lake with a long
suspension bridge. If you take a left at the junction, you head
north up through Tonto Basin, past the towns of Punkin Center and
Jakes Corner on your way to
Payson. Turn right and you encounter the town of Roosevelt
and pass Tonto National Monument as you head toward
Globe
at the junction with US Highways 60 and 70.
 Tortilla
Flat (tor-TEE-ya) is a place so small that both city limits signs along
AZ-88 are on the same post, but it still has its own post
office. This frontier stage stop was a actual Pony Express station
in the "early days." Today it also is a nice place to stop for
lunch, with the usual curio shop for tourists.
Goldfield
is a recreated gold mining town, with many authentic
buildings and relics, shops, a restaurant, and a narrow guage train ride that
makes stopping there well worth the time.
The Lost Dutchman State Park offers
a nice desert environment for picnics and overnight camping.
Photo by
Gay Holcomb
Along the way, there are several
pleasant campgrounds with tables and grills for picnicking. Both Canyon
Lake and Apache Lake have marinas with a store, boat rentals, and a boat
launching ramp. These reservoirs, along with Theodore
Roosevelt Lake (often referred to simply as Roosevelt Lake) and
Saguaro Lake provide hydroelectric
power, drinking and irrigation water, and lots of fishing, boating,
water skiing and other recreation for the entire Valley of the Sun.
The view of Apache Canyon from the
Apache Trail road can be spectacular any time of day.
Photo by
Tyger Gilbert |
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