https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/art/arizona – Named after the Apache Indians who once used the route, the Apache Trail, or AZ 88 as it is officially known, links Apache Junction at the edge of the Greater Phoenix area with Theodore Roosevelt Lake, through the Superstition Mountains and the Tonto National Forest; 40 miles of steep, winding and mostly unpaved road past magnificent scenery of twisted igneous mountains with dense forests of saguaro and ferocactus, and several deep blue lakes.
Past the lakes, the original route continues in more traditional fashion to the former copper mining town of Globe (via Hwy 188), but it is the western half which is the most scenic and well-known, however caution is required when driving and it is not recommended for large RVs or caravans; the largest RV rental company in the US (Cruise America) does not allow their vehicles do be taken on this route.
The Apache Trail reminded me of the Hana Highway on Maui, another harrowing, narrow, 10 mile an hour tip of a lifetime. Or perhaps the time we drove over a mountain in Iceland in a rented RV on a section of gravel “highway” in the rain and fog.