Superstitions and the Apache Trail
Drive the paved Apache Trail past the Superstition Mountains to Canyon Lake and the old stagecoach stop at Tortilla Flat, stop at Goldfield Ghost Town on the way back, then walk the Treasure Loop at Lost Dutchman State Park as the mountain turns gold at sunset.
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Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →
From November to April the Phoenix area is usually dry and sunny, with highs in the 60s and 70s °F in December and January and into the 80s by April. The sun is strong even in winter, and there is almost no shade on the Treasure Loop. Desert evenings cool quickly: in midwinter, temperatures drop into the 40s soon after sunset, so bring a jacket for the sunset. Occasional winter storms bring rain, wind and flooded dips on SR 88, and late spring can turn hot by early afternoon. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.
Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.
A full red-rock day from Phoenix: the Montezuma Castle cliff dwelling on the way up I-17, an easy walk around Bell Rock on the Red Rock Scenic Byway, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, lunch in Uptown Sedona and sunset from Airport Mesa, with the parking, pass and shuttle rules that trip up first-timers.
A two-night spring or fall weekend at the Grand Canyon's South Rim from Phoenix. Drive up through Flagstaff on Friday for a first look at Mather Point. Saturday is the full day: an early walk below the rim to Ooh Aah Point, the Rim Trail past Yavapai Point to the historic Village, the Hermit Road shuttle and sunset at Hopi Point. On Sunday, catch sunrise on Desert View Drive, climb the Watchtower, and head home by Cameron and Flagstaff.
A long, rewarding day in Tucson's saguaro country from Phoenix: a morning at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the Bajada Loop Drive, Valley View Overlook and the Signal Hill petroglyphs in Saguaro National Park West, sunset at Gates Pass, and a Sonoran hot dog before the two-hour drive home.
A loop from Phoenix to the hillside copper town of Jerome and its mansion museum, over Mingus Mountain on SR 89A, past the granite dells of Watson Lake, and into Prescott's Courthouse Plaza and Whiskey Row for dinner before the drive home.