Dave and I are definitely morning people. It seems like whenever we decide upon a departure time, that time somehow becomes embedded in our minds like cement. We are usually ready to leave way before we need to be. So, the decision to get to the Apache Trail by sunrise was a no-brainer.
Our plan was to miss morning traffic, which we did without a hitch. Unfortunately, we arrived at Canyon Lake before sunrise. Yup. Pitch black. We parked at the Vista viewpoint and waited for the sun to rise. It was worth the wait. Magical.
Vista viewpoint sunrise, Apache Trail.
Canyon Lake, early morning.
Canyon Lake, AZ
Anxious to get the most of the morning light, we scrambled back into the jeep, and headed towards the dirt road that lay ahead just past Tortilla Flats. We climbed up an embankment to view saguaros, ferocacti, and lush ocotillos. You could see forever.
Now, for a little history. The original Apache Trail was believed to be a footpath used by Anazazi tribes to trade with the Hohokam. The Apache Indians also used the route to travel through the Superstitions and Tonto National Forest.
The trail as we know it today was built as a supply road to the Theodore Roosevelt Dam site and was one of the first projects funded by the National Reclamation Act of 1902. At that time, the trail was known as the Tonto Wagon Road.
After completion in 1905, the road was opened for public use. The Southern Pacific Railway was one of the first to promote the trail as an additional motorcar side trip—part of it’s famous Sunset Route. The railway actually coined the name Apache Trail in it’s advertising and the name has been used ever since.
Twenty-eight miles of a steep, twisting, narrow dirt road. Amazing.
Steep embankments for added enjoyment.
As we headed towards Apache Lake and the Roosevelt Dam, we drove through narrow canyons and crossed several one-car bridges.
Stopping to explore the slot canyon.
Apache Lake, mid-morning.
Part of the dam’s original masonry.
The dirt road ended as we approached Roosevelt dam. Construction of the dam was started in 1906 and took five years to complete. Built from stone carved from canyon walls, it remains the world's largest masonry dam at almost 300 feet tall.
The dam continues to provide the Phoenix Metro area with water and hydroelectric power.
Roosevelt Dam, at the end of Apache Trail
With the Apache Trail completed, hunger ensued. We made it to The Butcher Hook in Tonto Basin, just in time for a late breakfast. Eating with the locals. Kinda nice.
One of the most wonderful parts of our drive was that we seemed to be the only ones on the road. It often felt as if we were on our own private tour. Maybe we were really lucky, or maybe, just maybe it could have been our 5 a.m. departure.