The Apache Trail Re-Opens!

[TestMule]

I was on a road trip from AZ to Oregon & Washington when I got a notice from the Arizona Dept. of Transportation that the Apache Trail (SR88) had finally re-opened after it was closed due to landslide damage over five (5) years ago. Well, when I got back to AZ I just had to hit the trail and check it out.

This re-opening is the first phase of a multi-year project to improve the road all the way from the paved to dirt road transition just past Tortilla Flat to the end of the route at Theodore Roosevelt Reservoir. More work is planned with an estimated budget near $32M when it's all said and done.

These pictures represent the condition of the road in numerous areas along with collapsed shoulders and loss of the roadbed.

I am glad to say the complete route is now available. While AZDOT posted signs saying only 4x4 high clearance vehicles can use the road and no trailers are allowed, I saw FWD sedans, mini-vans, SUVs and similar vehicles out and about on the trail yesterday. Final road grading is still in process and the road can be a bit wash boarded in slow curve uphill sections, but it isn't bad. My JT had no problems whatsoever.

The drive is quite scenic, and I was very happy to be able to drive the whole route from Apache Junction to the reservoir.

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[TheSolarWizard]

Id love it if someone could drop the GPS coords to either end if its a 2 way trail this would be fun to drive through after trail hero

 

[KevinM60]

Looks pretty nice. We'll be out that way in November but we're staying in Bullhead City and will hit some of the trails near Oatman.

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