Wikipedia wrote:The Apache Trail in Arizona was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the Superstition Mountains.
The current Apache Trail links Apache Junction (33.4152°N 111.5807°W) at the edge of the Greater Phoenix area with Theodore Roosevelt Lake (33.6725°N 111.1531°W), through the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest.
Today, the majority of Apache Trail remains unpaved, turning into a dirt road a few miles up from Tortilla Flat, and continuing as such for nearly the full remainder of its length. The section east of Apache Junction is known officially as State Route 88. It is also the main traffic corridor through Apache Junction, turning into Main Street as the road passes into Mesa, and regains the Apache name by becoming Apache Boulevard in Tempe, ending at Mill Avenue. Prior to the completion of the Superstition Freeway in 1992, the Apache Junction portion of the Apache Trail was part of US Highway 60, which was rerouted to the Superstition Freeway once it was completed.
The Trail winds steeply through 40 miles (64 km) of rugged desert mountains, past deep reservoir lakes like Canyon Lake and Apache Lake. The narrow, winding road is unpaved from just east of the town of Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt Dam; there are steep cliff drops and little in the way of safety barriers. The trail requires caution when driving and it is not recommended for large RVs, SUVs, or caravans. Some large RV rental companies in the US do not allow their vehicles to be taken on this route.
The Apache Trail will be closed for some major road repairs from November 15 - January 21, 2011. major delays will occur prior to and after those stated dates. Plan your outings accordingly.
I was wondering what took them so long - good to know access to several Superstition hiking trails have been re-opened from the north. I'm suspecting the closure of fish creek hill will be permanent.
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, ankle-twisting, HAZmaster crushing ROCKS!!
Hike Arizona it is full of sharp, pointy, shin-stabbing, skin-shredding plants!
Hike Arizona it is full of striking, biting, stabbing, venomous wildlife!
nonot wrote:I'm suspecting the closure of fish creek hill will be permanent
I'd be satisfied if this 2.25 mile stretch was permanently closed to motor vehicle use. A la FR708 between Strawberry and Fossil Creek. Alas, FR708 is not a state highway. [ FCH :: map ]
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
This is the best news I could have expected in the near term. It would be nice if they rebuilt the rest of it, but I've seen similar washouts more locally that took five years to repair and I can understand why it might not be a priority.
@SuperstitionGuy
Unfortunately, sometime it does. The worst is from the tail end of hurricanes. Floyd and Irene created washouts similar in scope to Fish Creek Hill. I can't remember which one it was that erased a mile of County Highway off the shoulder of Sparta Glen. One of those storms also wiped out a series of dams on normally miniscule Lubber's Run that also resulted in years of local road closures and changed state laws on dam construction that caused many unaffected roads to be closed for years as well as nearby dams were rebuilt.
More of SR 88 open east of Tortilla Flat, but 7 miles closed indefinitely
Crews reopen 9 miles east to Fish Creek Hill scenic overlook
March 6, 2020
State Route 88 shoulder repair PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has reopened 9 miles of State Route 88 between Tortilla Flat and the Fish Creek Hill scenic overlook to the east, but an unpaved stretch remains closed indefinitely between the overlook and the Apache Lake Marina turnoff due to extensive flood damage.
Crews have worked since last September to reopen SR 88 east to the Fish Creek Hill scenic overlook, a mostly unpaved section between mileposts 213 to 222. Along with much of the rest of SR 88 in the Tonto National Forest, that area was hit by severe runoff from areas burned by the 123,000-acre Woodbury Fire.
SR 88, also known as Apache Trail, remains closed between mileposts 222 and 229 because of flood damage and the continuing potential for flooding from the Woodbury Fire burn scar.
ADOT is maintaining access to key destinations along SR 88 from the east and west. Motorists can reach Apache Lake by taking SR 188 either from US 60 or SR 87 and taking SR 88 west from Roosevelt. High clearance vehicles are recommended on this unpaved and rough stretch.
Drove out to the top of Fish Creek Hill today to check on the condition of the road. Bone dry all the way out and apparently they have not got any of the rain that we have been experiencing lately in Queen Creek. However the dirt part of the road has recently been graded so that was nice. Saw a herd of Mtn Goats in the draw just west of the overlook. If we have thunder and lightening out there it is going to BURN big time....
A man's body may grow old, but inside his spirit can still be as young and restless as ever.
- Garth McCann from the movie Second Hand Lions
Apache Trail to Fish Creek Hill Top is open. They have opened Apache Trail access from the east to include the road to the North Reavis Ranch Trail Head and maybe to the gravel pit, the ranch just west of the gravel pit and maybe to the old highway maintenance yard. Ask Wally to confirm just how far they have opened the Apache Trail coming from the Roosevelt Dam.
A man's body may grow old, but inside his spirit can still be as young and restless as ever.
- Garth McCann from the movie Second Hand Lions
As of yet, AZDOT has NO plans in place to repair the road and bridge on Fish Creek Hill. The storm and fires over the past couple of years have cleared all the flora from the tops of the cliffs (what little there was to begin with) and AZDOT's waiting for the plants to grow to stabilize the rocks from another similar rainstorm. With today's long-term predictions for continued drought there's not much hope of ever seeing that road open again.
On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip.
There was a small fire just east of the dam at Horse Mesa just a few weeks ago. Doubtful they will be doing much to open that road in the next year or 2.
The rainstorm that caused the landslide on Fish Creek Hill was unrelated to fire. There was a single monsoon storm that dropped 4+" of rain that caused the road damage. The Woodbury Fire did NOT affect any of the area that drains across Fish Creek Hill. There was no loss of vegetation, and it doesn't need to be re-vegetated ... that's not true east of Fish Creek, but FCH itself was damaged by rain on natural unburned desert. And that makes it even less likely that it will ever be reopened.
I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.
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