Apache Trail (Arizona SR 88)

About this drive

Arizona's Apache Trail (State Route 88) winds 40 miles through the dramatic Superstition Wilderness east of Phoenix. Originally built in 1905 as a supply road for the Roosevelt Dam, it clings to cliff edges above the brilliant blue waters of Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, and Roosevelt Lake. A significant portion remains unpaved, making it a genuine adventure drive through stark Sonoran Desert terrain, saguaro cacti, and jagged volcanic ridgelines that inspired legends of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine.