Scenic Drives

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, White Mountains

A crisp fall morning is the perfect time for this back-roads drive in the White Mountains.

The 44.3-mile loop from McNary to Vernon begins and ends on White Mountain Apache Tribe land near Pinetop-Lakeside. It winds in and out of the Sitgreaves National Forest, through stands of pine and spruce interspersed with groves of aspen that make a spectacular fall display. A historic campground and a small, quiet lake make pleasant diversions along the way.

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, White Mountains

In Arizona, there’s no better reminder of the importance of proper campfire management than the remnants of the Wallow Fire. The blaze started when an abandoned campfire spread to nearby trees, and it ultimately burned nearly 540,000 acres and became the largest recorded wildfire in the state’s history.

U.S. Route 191, White Mountains

Arizona Highways has been covering the scenic wonders of the state since 1925, so it stands to reason that Arizona’s version of “the long and winding road” would have found its way into the magazine on many occasions. That said, it’s always worth another look, and no book of scenic drives would be complete without this one. Like the Beatles’ swan song, this road trip is a classic.

Black Hills, Eastern Arizona

Cruising among the Black Hills near Safford, it’s easy to get carried away in an imaginary game of cowboys and Indians. Patches of prickly pear cactuses and fields of native grasses cover the talus slopes, which were crafted by volcanic activity more than 20 million years ago. The foliage would make for some seriously great cover should a battle break out — or, better yet, a pretty prickly corner into which the enemy could be backed. Either way, it’s easy to see why Geronimo wandered these hills during raids into Mexico and back.

Sonoran Desert

When people think about Arizona’s landscape, they typically think desert — a dusty, barren wasteland that’s inhospitable at its worst and devoid of beauty at its best. It’s a tough reputation to shake. After all, Arizona does have more than its share of arid land. In fact, the state is home to 22.3 million acres of Sonoran Desert. And while it can be uninviting, it’s also full of life, and one of the best places to see it is along the Florence-Kelvin Highway.

Wikieup to Wickenburg

When Mormon settlers first saw the plant they dubbed the “Joshua tree,” it reminded them of the bushy-bearded biblical leader. When Territorial Governor John C. Frémont caught sight of it during an 1844 trek through the Mohave Desert, he called it “the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom.”

Here’s the thing: Joshua trees are not vegetables, and they’re not among the 12 spies of Israel, but they are members of the same plant family as agaves and yuccas. What’s more, they’re plentiful along U.S. Route 93 from Wikieup to Wickenburg.

Tuzigoot National Monument

Everything old is new again. That phrase just about sums up the route from Cottonwood to Clarkdale, which follows three forest roads in the Verde Valley. The drive is all about seeing the very familiar from a very different vantage point.

Bureau of Land Management, Kingman Field Office

There are times when the roads that lead to a scenic drive are anything but scenic. And some roads seem endless, even boring. “Are we there yet?” becomes the mantra of those stuck in the car. Yet you drive on because the payoff — endless vistas of stunning Arizona wilderness — is worth it. The drive to Six Mile Crossing has a definite payoff, but the scenery along the way is impressive, too. This trip is all about beautiful landscapes, from start to finish.

Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, Yuma

Depending on which poll you believe, 5 to 10 percent of Americans think the Apollo moon landings were a hoax. That observation might seem like an odd lede for a Scenic Drive, but as you head up Red Cloud Mine Road in the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, north of Yuma, the reference makes more sense. The views along this rugged, isolated back road are a different kind of scenic: There’s almost no vegetation, and the rocky buttes could easily pass for a moonscape with a little 1960s-era color correction.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

It’s indisputable (in the opinion of one Arizona Highways writer, anyway) that I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is the best song U2 ever made. And maybe Bono and his buddies had a route like the one to Pearce Ferry — near the eastern bank of Lake Mead — in mind when they recorded 1987’s The Joshua Tree, where that song is found. You’ll climb a few mountains and run through some fields on this drive, but the real stars of the show are the Joshua trees. And there are a lot of them.