If you're looking for a scenic dirt road to explore, look no further than the Apache Trail. Located outside of Phoenix, Arizona, this scenic road takes you through the Superstition Mountains, offering spectacular views of mountains, lakes and tons of saguaros.
As you drive through the Tonto National Forest, you're going to see some jaw dropping scenery. Although the trail itself is narrow and has some blind turns, you can pull over at the overlooks to soak in the view. The Tonto Forest covers over 3 million acres, so there is a ton to explore.
As you wind your way through 40 miles of mountainous terrain, your jaw may stay dropped the whole time. Every turn of the road leaves you in awe. This scenic drive is absolutely one of my favorites!
Keep your eye out for the Dolly Steamboat as well. I quite literally missed the boat when I visited (I spotted it leaving the dock as I arrived), but from what I hear it's a cool experience.
Be sure to check out the Canyon, Apache and Roosevelt Lakes while you're there. There are tons of places to launch a boat or hang out by the water. Whichever spot you choose for a lunch break, you can't go wrong.
Another great place to pit stop is Tortilla Flat. This small, charming town is one of many historic landmarks along America's oldest highway. Fun fact: it has a population of SIX people!!!
Ready for a hike? Head to Lost Dutchman State Park or check out one of the many other trails available in Tonto National Forest. There are over 140 trails to adventure down, so bring your hiking shoes!
One of my favorite stops along the Apache Trail is Goldfield Ghost Town. I got to see a live reenactment of a gun fight (the acting was great!!!), and strolled the town to see the old saloon, church, jail and so much more.
This old ghost town gives you a great look into what life was like in the west. You can even take a train ride around the area and see more of this awesome place. another fun thing to do is take a tour of the old mine if you want to learn more about this town in back in the good ol' days.
Last up on the list is the Roosevelt Dam. Located at the farther end of the trail from Phoenix, you can't miss the epic bridge and scenic dam. The Roosevelt Dam was once the world's tallest masonry dam. The dam was essential to the agricultural industry by turning the desert land into fertile farming land.
That massive bridge towering over the water next to the dam was built far afterwards as a way to help alleviate the traffic going over the dam. Stretching over 1,000 feet across the water, it used to be the longest 2-way steel-arch bridge in North America.
There are so many cool things to see and do along the Apache Trail. Make this a day or weekend trip and you'll have a blast! If you go in the spring, be sure to look for the wildflowers along the trail. Check out more pictures from my trip below:
