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.
@herdbull
What happens is…it’ll be pretty much like how it used to be pre-closure. Why would it be any different?
An annoying road, but nowhere near being the worst highway in the state.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Sep 17 2024 8:32 pm
by chumley
While I still prefer they close it forever, I do wonder what the logic of the 4x4/UTV restriction really is. People towed boat trailers down that road and drove sedans for decades with no restrictions. Is it any worse now than it was before the rockfall? It’s a dirt road. It is not now nor has it ever been a 4x4 road. The whole thing is silly.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Sep 18 2024 3:16 am
by herdbull
@chumley
my hunch is the original plan, maybe even unbeknownst to the people, was to open it as a 4x4 section but with push back they turned it into a dirt highway. Will it remain nice? Depends on if they leave heavy equipment up there to manicure it ever week or so. I thought there was going to be like a phase 2 to this when funding becomes available?
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Apr 06 2025 8:38 am
by hikeaz
- Sporadic closures -
The SR-88 - Apache Trail project spans 11 miles from SR 188 to Apache Lake. The 48-hour closures will run from 7 a.m. on Tuesday to 7 a.m. on Thursday for the following days:
April 8-10
April 15-17
April 29-May 1
May 6-8
There will also be a 72-hour closure that will last from 7 a.m. April 21 to 7 a.m. April 24.
The 48-hour closures are scheduled to begin weekly on Tuesdays from the entrance to Apache Lake (milepost 229.9) to west of the Roosevelt Dam (milepost 240.5).
The closures will finish on May 8 - or so they say.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Apr 24 2025 3:43 pm
by hikeaz
Plan for 48-hour full closures on State Route 88 (Apache Trail) April 29-May 15 72-hour closure also planned May 12-15
The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to plan for full closures of east and westbound State Route 88 (Apache Trail) between the entrance to Apache Lake (Forest Service Road 79) to just west of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam Overlook (mileposts 229.9-240.5.
Note: Access to the Theodore Roosevelt Dam Overlook will remain open and accessible from SR 188.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jul 28 2025 3:19 pm
by hikeaz
Last week, the committee working with ADOT on the Apache Trail convened to talk about the signage at the top of Fish Creek Hill.
As many know, with the reopening of the Trail, signage was then changed to include the following statements:
No Trailers
4-Wheel Drive and UTV’s only (except authorized vehicles)
For better-or-for-worse the committee was successful in getting these restrictions changed, and now to allow trailers, boats, campers, etc. access to the many recreational areas within the area. This change will also remove the restriction imposed of only 4-wheel drive and UTV vehicles.
ADOT’s plan is to fold down the white portion of the sign, but leave it in place in the event it is needed in the future if the road experienced future deterioration.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jul 28 2025 5:10 pm
by big_load
hikeaz wrote: ↑Jul 28 2025 3:19 pm
ADOT’s plan is to fold down the white portion of the sign, but leave it in place in the event it is needed in the future if the road experienced future deterioration.
I think future deterioration is practically inevitable. In any case, I look forward to visiting again this year with HC 4WD.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 10:40 am
by chumley
I saw this yesterday and was so befuddled I just assumed it was some idiotic AI video. But sure enough, SR88 is closed due to a semi truck getting stuck on the Fish Creek bridge. The most recent ADOT posting simply states that there is no estimated time for reopening.
Kudos to the impressive skill of the driver to have made it that far.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 12:01 pm
by Alston_Neal
Well I guess if you have to deliver to AJ and the one Dollar in Tonto Basin it makes perfect sense. Afterall there is probably only $1000 of merch in the trailer.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 12:18 pm
by chumley
@Alston_Neal I theorize that the daily construction closures of the US60 east of Superior this week may have prompted this routing. But until an actual journalist speaks to somebody who knows, we'll be left with social media speculation (which currently ranges from the trailer needing to be cut up for removal to the bridge being irreparably damaged).
I'm still on "Team Close the Road Forever"! Maybe this will help get us to that end!
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 12:38 pm
by Nighthiker
Did the driver get his CDL from California ?
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 2:12 pm
by big_load
chumley wrote: ↑Jan 22 2026 12:18 pm@Alston_Neal I theorize that the daily construction closures of the US60 east of Superior this week may have prompted this routing. But until an actual journalist speaks to somebody who knows, we'll be left with social media speculation (which currently ranges from the trailer needing to be cut up for removal to the bridge being irreparably damaged).
I'm still on "Team Close the Road Forever"! Maybe this will help get us to that end!
The US60 closures could be a factor. The last time I got caught in a closure added about two hours to my travel time. In terms of recovery, although that trailer looks a little messed up, it looks like something that most places that deal with big rigs could handle without further damage to the bridge.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 3:44 pm
by chumley
As of 3pm today, ADOT is reporting "all lanes are now open" without further comment.
By all lanes, I assume it means "the"
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 5:16 pm
by CannondaleKid
If the driver was following Google Maps directions (or similar app) it's seems possible the US 60 closures may have been the technology culprit... and the driver adding his 2-cents worth of brain was the human culprit.
It still blows me away how many people use driving/mapping apps for short trips to places they have been to before... and even worse, blindly following directions which make no sense.
Then again I suppose when 90% of the cars are self-driving (self-crashing) people will NEED to let the car figure it out, as they will no longer know how to figure it out stuff by knowing stuff like "which direction is North?"
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 6:49 pm
by hikeaz
@CannondaleKid
"In the year 2525, if man is still alive......."
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 22 2026 8:02 pm
by Nighthiker
Mums the word on Fish Creek Bridge having one lane. AZ 88 is a state hiway, feds may suspect fraud and withhold hiway funding.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 23 2026 6:03 pm
by ShatteredArm
@CannondaleKid
I'm having a hard time imagining a scenario where driving the Apache Trail would be faster, even with US-60 closed. Even if the truck is headed for Roosevelt, it's going to be faster taking 87 or the official detour through Kearny/Hayden/Winkelman from almost anywhere.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 23 2026 8:59 pm
by CannondaleKid
@ShatteredArm
Depending on what app or mapping used, common sense has nothing to do with it.
I doubt faster wasn't the key here, but simply distance.
Example:
While I know how to get to Queen Valley, I only had so much gas in the car and wanted to see if I could stretch it out and back so I had Google Maps map out a drive from Mesa to Queen Valley just to get the mileage. It had me drive past Florence Junction on the 60 and all the way around to Queen Valley Road. While it MAY HAVE BEEN FASTER, it was a longer distance than the route i wanted.
So... since I NEVER drive out to Queen Valley that way, I tried to drag the route to go out by turning to go toward Entrada Del Oro then turn onto W El Camino Viejo, and finally onto W Silver King Road to go into Queen Valley.
Well... it simply REFUSED to allow me to drag the point to continue more than a half-mile along W Silver King Road... it was as though the road simply didn't exist all the way through from W El Camino Viejo Rd to Queen Valley.
What this 'experiment' proved to me is that mapping apps are GIGO... Garbage In, Garbage Out. They are only as good as the data and programming used to create them. Which is why I don't use them.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 24 2026 3:07 am
by azbackpackr
As a commercial driver, I drive a very large bus, not a truck and trailer, but I do have 30 years' experience with large vehicles. Looking at the photos, I have to wonder if the guy couldn't have made that turn onto the bridge. It looks like he had room to make a wider turn, at least in the photo. But I wasn't there. Nevertheless, I have to guess that other semi trucks have made it through there, ones with better drivers.
Pictures have gone viral. I imagine the guy is standing in the unemployment line now.
Re: SR 88 - Apache Trail
Posted: Jan 29 2026 12:17 pm
by NitroTheWolf
@CannondaleKid
I once had map quest try to route me over a bridge near Florence Junction which hasn't existed for decades.
