Arizona's Most Dangerous Road for Cyclists, the Apache Trail

ADOT has reopened the 5-mile unpaved section of State Route 88 (Apache Trail) from Fish Creek Vista (milepost 222) to milepost 227 near Reavis Trailhead Road that was closed due to extensive roadway damage and rock debris following severe flooding in 2019.

The Woodbury Fire in June 2019 consumed almost 124,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest. In September 2019 a storm dumped approximately six inches of rain onto the fire scar and the runoff severely damaged large portions of the road, with the most damage being in the area between the Fish Creek Vista and milepost 227 (near Reavis Trailhead Road). The damage included a large rockslide that left that section of the road unpassable.

In October 2023 ADOT completed a study, which recommended $33.7 million in improvements to make SR 88 more accessible and resilient to severe weather. In addition to the repairs to the five mile section damaged from the Woodbury Fire a separate project commenced paving the remaining road to Roosevelt Lake eliminating perhaps the most iconic dirt road in the state. The increase in motorized traffic is already evident. The combination of more vehicles, higher speeds, blind corners and severe drop-offs all contribute to making this Arizona's most dangerous road for cyclists.

More info on the Apache Trail: "The Apache Trail can certainly be classified as one of the most adventurous and scenic routes in the American Southwest. Since 1906 tourist[s] have traveled this unique mountain highway and marveled at some of the most spectacular scenery in our state. The Apache Trail, as we know it today, originates in Apache Junction and terminates at the junction with Highway 60-70 some four miles east of Miami, Arizona. The original roadway began at the Mesa railhead and terminated at the Roosevelt Dam site on Salt River some sixty-two miles away."*

*https://www.ajpl.org/the-apache-trail/