The Apache Trail

Slideshow of All Today's Images

It was 'The Apache Trail' day today! This drive is an eighty mile winding loop that heads north of Apache Junction, loops to the east and then back south to town. We only travelled the first 30 miles of the drive as after that it turned into a dirt road for 24 miles before hitting pavement again. We decided to stop and turn around at the dirt road.

From The Apache Trail

From The Apache Trail

We're told that some of the best scenery in central Arizona can be seen right from a car window along the Apache Trail - we both agree with that. The first attraction was the Lost Dutchman State Park, it is located at the base of the Superstition Mountains and is a great spot for hiking and taking nature trails, however, it's also a great spot for 'rattlesnakes'. We took a few pics of the Superstition Mountains from the parking lot, got back in the truck and moved on.

From The Apache Trail

From The Apache Trail

The mining town of Goldfield was our next stop. It is an old west ghost town complete with a mine tour, shops and restaurants. Over a hundred years ago the town was a booming gold mine. The Mammoth Mine produced about three million dollars in gold between 1892 and 1896. We spent about forty-five minutes walking around looking at the shops and exhibits. It was a very interesting place to see.

From The Apache Trail

The next stop was scenic Canyon Lake. The lake is bounded by steep canyon walls, a beautiful clear lake and deep ravines. It appears to be a great spot for boating and fishing as we passed a marina which seemed odd considering we are in the middle of the desert.

From The Apache Trail

The next to last spot we visited before heading back was a place called Tortilla Flat. It's another old-west style settlement that used to be a 'stage coach' stop. Today, it's a spot for lunch that features giant burgers, cold drinks, and ice cream!

From The Apache Trail

We turned around not too far after leaving Tortilla Flats but not before the road took us down into a 'flash-flood wash' where even today there were a few inches of water running right over the road. There wasn't a cloud in the sky so we figured it was safe to drive through without any danger of being swept away.

From The Apache Trail

All in all, we spent about 3 hours touring the Apache Trail before heading back to our RV Park to spend some time in the sun and the pool.