Apache Trail, Arizona: What to Know Before You Drive Historic State Route 88
The Apache Trail, Arizona's historic State Route 88, is one of the most dramatic drives in the Southwest. It starts in Apache Junction at the foot of the Superstition Mountains and twists past a rebuilt gold rush town, a canyon lake, and the tiny town of Tortilla Flat before heading deeper into the backcountry toward Roosevelt Dam.
But the Apache Trail in Arizona wasn't built for sightseers. It started as a freight road for building that dam, and the name was given later to draw tourists. Today, it's a road full of lost gold legends, desert views, and real history, and it's worth knowing a few things before you go.
TAKE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF THE APACHE TRAIL:
The Apache Trail Scenic Driving Tour is a self-guided GPS audio tour that covers the paved stretch of the road, about 14 miles from the Superstition Mountain Museum to Tortilla Flat, with stories playing automatically as you drive.
Along the way you'll learn:
Who Jacob Waltz really was, and why people are still hunting for his gold
How a tough frontiersman named Powell ended up with the name Pauline—and a famous rock spire
Why a flash flood started the town of Goldfield
How a freight road for a dam became one of Arizona's favorite scenic drives
Most visitors spend two to four hours with stops.
Check out the Apache Trail Scenic Driving Tour here.
THE ROAD BUILT FOR A DAM:
The Apache Trail was built as a freight road to haul supplies to Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River. The first stagecoach rolled over the route in 1905, and the dam was dedicated in 1911. Once it was finished, people started coming just for the views, and promoters gave the road a romantic name to sell the trip.
Long before any road, Indigenous peoples traveled these mountains mostly along the canyons and rivers. Today, State Route 88 is one of Arizona's original state highways, and in 1987 it was named an Arizona Historic Road.
THE LEGEND OF THE LOST DUTCHMAN:
The Superstition Mountains are famous for one story above all: the Lost Dutchman's gold. Jacob Waltz was a real German prospector, and "Dutchman" was a nickname for Germans back then. Legend says he found a hidden gold mine in these mountains, and before he died in Phoenix in 1891, he supposedly described how to find it to the woman who cared for him.
Nobody has ever found the mine. That hasn't stopped generations of treasure hunters from heading into the Superstitions with maps and big dreams.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE ALONG THE WAY:
Superstition Mountain Museum—Lost Dutchman exhibits and the chapel from Elvis Presley's film Charro!
Goldfield Ghost Town—A rebuilt 1890s gold town with a mine tour and narrow-gauge railroad.
Lost Dutchman State Park—Trails at the foot of the Superstition cliffs.
Weaver's Needle Vista—A short walk to a view of the most famous spire in the Superstitions.
Canyon Lake—A desert lake made by Mormon Flat Dam, home to the Dolly Steamboat.
Tortilla Flat—An old freight camp turned roadside town, with saddle bar stools and prickly pear gelato.
BEYOND TORTILLA FLAT:
Past Tortilla Flat, the Apache Trail gets rough and unpaved as it heads toward Roosevelt Dam, and flood damage has closed sections of it for long stretches. If you want to go farther, check current road conditions with the Arizona Department of Transportation first, and only attempt it in a vehicle built for rough roads.
TIPS FOR THE DRIVE:
Go between November and April, when desert temperatures are mild.
Fill up your tank and bring plenty of water before leaving Apache Junction.
Watch for sharp curves and one-lane bridges past Lost Dutchman State Park.
Start early on weekends, since parking at Tortilla Flat can fill up fast.
Download your maps and audio before you go, since cell service can be spotty.
PLAN YOUR TRIP:
Want to know where to eat, where to stay, and how to spend one or two days around the Superstitions? Our Apache Junction travel guide covers all of it, from hikes and ghost towns to steamboat cruises.
Check out the Apache Junction, Arizona Travel Guide here.
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