Phoenix is a huge metropolitan area of 475.1 square miles. The City of Phoenix is surrounded by a cloud of smaller satellite cities such as Mesa, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Chandler and many others. At the eastern edge of the Valley is the town of Apache Junction. Although the town has no identifiable downtown area, the main street is called the Apache Trail. In what would be the center of town, if the town had a center, the Apache Trail turns north into the western edge of the Superstition Mountains. It follows the Salt River and overlooks three large lakes, Canyon Lake, Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake.
The road stretches about 41 miles and for most of its length, it has been preserved in its unpaved glory. Pictures taken along the road do not convey the absolutely rugged nature of the surrounding desert and the possibly terrifying grades and drop offs that confront the driver. It also doesn't help that you share the road with hundreds of others, some of whom are driving huge trucks pulling gigantic boats. At certain times of the year, the dust can be formidable. At other times, the road can be a morass of mud. It is an adventure at any time.
Despite all of the camps, hikes, climbing trips and boating trips, the Apache Trail is still a wonder, even driven in the middle of the night. It is not for the faint hearted or for those with little or no dirt road driving experience. Although the road can be negotiated in the average passenger car, it is evident from following some drivers that they are completely out of their element. The road has a long and storied history having been built to supply the construction of the Roosevelt Dam. It is no longer the only way to reach the Dam or the Lake, but it is the most interesting.
If you come to the Salt River Valley, you will have missed an important part of what makes Arizona special, if you miss the Apache Trail.
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