Exploring the Apache Trail
Southern Pacific Poster
Gold Canyon happens on the path of one of the more famous scenic drives in Arizona. Looping around the Superstition Mountains, this day trip offers some fantastic scenery. Beyond the desert, refreshing stretches along the Salt River and Lake Roosevelt give a lot of relief to the Phoenix area's hot, flat, and tan environment. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Some--including, Teddy Roosevelt--have claimed the Apache Trail is one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Uh, OK. Teddy wasn't given to understatement. And they DID name the dam at the end of the trail after him. Still. It's a very good Sunday drive.
Some--including, Teddy Roosevelt--have claimed the Apache Trail is one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Uh, OK. Teddy wasn't given to understatement. And they DID name the dam at the end of the trail after him. Still. It's a very good Sunday drive.
Skirting the Superstition Mountains, the Apache Trail follows the Salt River from central to eastern Arizona.
As you can see by the map, the trail forms a natural path skirting the mountains. Though it dates back to prehistoric times, the name is relatively recent. Southern Pacific named it the Apache Trail and started promoting it as a side trip back in 1916. When you're marketing something, you need a catchy name and for the railroad ad guys I'm sure "Apache Trail" sounded better than "prehistoric indigenous people's trail" or "the prospectors who followed the prehistoric people's trail." And look at the cool posters!
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Of course automobiles were a novelty when the railroad started promoting side trips to the trail. Here in the Phoenix area, an auto tour industry (complete with drivers in those funny bloomer pants worn by equestrians and bad guys in WWII movies) grew up to take hardy tourists on what had to be a pretty rugged trip. I envision myself, not in REI desert wear but a heavy dress, hat, and handkerchief trying to keep the sand out of my nose. No AC. Hell, no windows. But, there was the amazing scenery. And cute driver. But still, what a rough trip.
Interestingly for us, the audacity of such a trip was illustrated by a group of Model T enthusiasts traveling the trail the day we went. It appeared they turned around at the end of the paved road… which is a charming outpost called Tortilla Flat (handy that the only tourist attraction on the trail falls within the limits of the paved road, isn't it?)
Though the path dates back into prehistory, today's drive is a legacy of the previously mentioned Roosevelt Dam, built around the turn of the last century. Not only did it reduce floods and support agriculture by regulating the water from the Salt River (the most important purpose, of course), it also required building a serviceable road for transporting the tools and materials used in building the dam. Native Americans and prospectors used horses and mules. But for hauling the tonnage required to build a dam, the government needed to do a bit more grading work. That work continues, and there's a whole side story about the battles over who'd maintain the road over the years. It's kind of boring.
Let's just say, the trail is still popular with tourists and the road is maintained well enough that those who're willing can readily go. We saw vehicles ranging from a zippy Mustang (on a blind curve, thanks!) and a Cadillac (seemingly beached on the side of the road) as well as open cockpit dune buggies--with ladies wearing kerchiefs over their faces!
Interestingly for us, the audacity of such a trip was illustrated by a group of Model T enthusiasts traveling the trail the day we went. It appeared they turned around at the end of the paved road… which is a charming outpost called Tortilla Flat (handy that the only tourist attraction on the trail falls within the limits of the paved road, isn't it?)
Though the path dates back into prehistory, today's drive is a legacy of the previously mentioned Roosevelt Dam, built around the turn of the last century. Not only did it reduce floods and support agriculture by regulating the water from the Salt River (the most important purpose, of course), it also required building a serviceable road for transporting the tools and materials used in building the dam. Native Americans and prospectors used horses and mules. But for hauling the tonnage required to build a dam, the government needed to do a bit more grading work. That work continues, and there's a whole side story about the battles over who'd maintain the road over the years. It's kind of boring.
Let's just say, the trail is still popular with tourists and the road is maintained well enough that those who're willing can readily go. We saw vehicles ranging from a zippy Mustang (on a blind curve, thanks!) and a Cadillac (seemingly beached on the side of the road) as well as open cockpit dune buggies--with ladies wearing kerchiefs over their faces!