“Over the river and through the woods” isn’t a saying you’d expect to apply to the Sonoran Desert, but Greenback Valley Road, which winds into the rugged Sierra Ancha south of Payson, has a way of defying expectations. In 14.2 pleasant miles, this route offers running water, varied plant life and mountain views — all of them a reminder of some of the surprising things you can find in Arizona’s largest desert.
The ponderosa pines that cover a wide swath of Arizona made Flagstaff the vital Northern Arizona city it is today. But the railroad played a role, too: Flagstaff began as an isolated ranching camp, but the arrival of trains in the 1880s helped establish logging as a key economic engine. Forest Road 700, which begins several miles south of the city, features reminders of the area’s railroad history — along with plenty of ponderosas.
Every year, Chiricahua National Monument gets only about 60,000 visitors — roughly as many as you’ll find at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon over a holiday weekend. So, if you take your natural splendor with a side of social distancing, the wonders of the Chiricahua Mountains, in Southeastern Arizona, are tough to beat. And Bonita Canyon Drive, which winds past hoodoos and vistas on its way to the monument’s Massai Point, is an ideal starting point for an exploration of the Wonderland of Rocks.
In the 1950s, more than 150 sites were in the running to be the United States’ first national astronomical observatory, but Kitt Peak, southwest of Tucson on the Tohono O’odham Nation, beat them all. At night, it’s not hard to see why: This peak in the isolated Quinlan Mountains offers a stellar view, literally and figuratively. But during the day, the view from the steep, twisting road to the observatory is just as heavenly to behold.
Some scenic drives require a hefty time commitment and a lot of miles on the odometer. They’re worth it, of course, but sometimes you don’t have much of either to spare. That’s part of what makes the route to Elephant Butte so appealing. If you’ve got a high-clearance vehicle, you can make this trek to an appropriately named rock formation and be back on a major highway in 45 minutes or so — and encounter a thriving desert ecosystem along the way.
Blake Ranch Road starts and ends on two of Arizona’s busiest roadways, but it’s not unusual to drive this 22-mile road near Kingman on a weekday and not see another vehicle. Those who opt instead for blacktop and 70 mph travel are missing out: Blake Ranch Road offers amazing panoramas and a dose of mining history as it meanders through the eastern foothills of the verdant Hualapai Mountains.
If Arizona redesigned its flag today, the new version might feature a palm tree instead of a star. For residents of Phoenix and Tucson, the tall, leafy trees known as Washington fan palms (Washingtonia robusta) are as much a part of desert life as cactuses and coyotes. Which is ironic, since those palms are transplants from Mexico.
Sometimes, you have to venture far from paved routes to find stunning Arizona scenery. Other times, that beauty is hiding just off the road. The Chicken Springs Loop, which begins amid the Joshua trees along U.S. Route 93 northwest of Wickenburg, falls into both categories. From strange plants and mountain views to a well-preserved ghost town, this 50-mile loop drive has something for everyone as it ventures from a heavily traveled highway into a remote desert environment.
The drive along Forest Road 200, near Young, is beautiful any time of year. But it’s particularly rich in fall, which features warm days, cool nights, and copper and gold foliage along Haigler Creek.
On a warm October day, we head east from Payson on State Route 260, a scenic, forested highway with views of the Mogollon Rim. We glimpse our first fall color in Star Valley. Here, Fremont cottonwoods above the Lamplighter RV Resort light up like torches in the morning sun, as though nature itself were advertising the vacation community.
In the Flagstaff area, the San Francisco Peaks get much of the attention — but, despite the best efforts of John Weatherford in the early 1900s, you can’t summit the Peaks in a car. For a good look at Arizona’s highest mountains and a whole lot more, go southeast of town and head up the Coconino National Forest’s Hutch Mountain, which offers 360-degree views and a break from the summer heat.
