At this point, you can see Apache Lake (formed by Horse Mesa Dam), Four Peaks and Goat Mountain. Goat Mountain is the bluffy-looking mountain on the north side of Apache Lake. Several years ago the Desert Bighorn Sheep were re-established on this mountain. When Apache Lake was filled in 1927, it permanently closed portions of the Apache Trail. The “Trail” was closed for six months until a new road could be constructed. A tug boat and barge were used temporarily to move traffic up and down Apache Lake.
Some fourteen miles from the Apache Lake turn-off you can view the spectacular Roosevelt Dam. At one time this was the largest masonry constructed dam in the world. Construction began on the dam on September 6, 1906, and the dam was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt on March 10, 1911. The dam was refitted and reconstructed between 1993-1995. The old dam was raised seventy-seven feet. Once you have arrived at the dam, you are looking at Roosevelt Lake. This body of water is the largest lake totally within the boundaries of Arizona.
On April 8, 1927, one month before Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic Ocean, an Italian pilot and his crew landed on Roosevelt Lake in a seaplane named the Santa Maria. They had flown all the way from Italy across the Atlantic Ocean. Commander Francesco de Pinedo had planned to circumnavigate the globe in 1927, but tragedy struck at Roosevelt Lake. A carelessly tossed cigarette ignited gasoline which destroyed De Pinedo’s aircraft at Hotel Point on Roosevelt Lake.
Just up the road a short distance is the turn-off to Tonto National Monument. The national monument has an excellent interpretive center on the ancient Salado Indians and their culture. Even if you do not wish to visit the ruins you should at least stop at the center. It is about twenty-five miles from Tonto National Monument to the U.S. Highway 60 junction between Globe and Miami.
The scenery between Roosevelt Dam and Highway 60 is typical upper Sonoran Desert and as you drive along Pinal Creek you encounter large Cottonwood trees, Sycamore trees, and Arizona Willow trees.
Driving westward along U.S. Highway 60 toward Miami you will see a towering bank of tailings on your right side. These tailings are the result of milling thousands and thousands of tons of copper ore from copper mines in the area. Also, you will notice a towering black bank that is solid. This is slag from the smelting process. This is the waste from processing copper ore for more than eighty years. When the smelter was still operating it was quite a light show when they dumped slag off of the dump at night. You could see the light radiating from the molten slag as it flowed down the almost vertical walls of the dump.
Miami is an interesting old mining town. Many of the buildings date to about 1915. As you drive westward on U.S. Highway 60 copper mining is evident all along the route. The towering pine-covered mountains on your left are the Pinal Mountains. The highest mountain is Signal Peak, 7,812 feet above sea level. This peak was used by the United States Army for a heliograph station during the Indian wars. Shortly after you cross the Pinto Creek Bridge, on your left you can see the open pit work at the Pinto Valley Mines.
Eight miles west of Miami you will arrive at a divide between Miami and Superior. This area is known as the Pinal Ranch or sometimes it is called the Top-of-the-World, which is actually incorrect. The Top-of-the-World was a dance hall started in the 1920s along the old highway east of the Pinal Ranch. This area was settled by Robert A. Irion in 1878. His stepson Dudley I. Craig continued the ranching tradition in the area after Irion’s death.
Leaving the Pinal Ranch area on U.S. Highway 60 you soon descend into Devil’s Canyon, a beautiful region filled with rock formations that would please anyone’s imagination. As you emerge from Devil’s Canyon you will find Oak Flat Campgrounds on your left. This road also leads to the Magma Nine Mine hoist. The shaft below the Magma Nine Mine hoist is 4,000 feet deep. The descent from Oak Flats through Queen Creek Canyon is one of the most spectacular drives in Arizona.
Finally, seven miles west of Pinal Ranch you arrive in the old Arizona mining town of Superior. The mining history of the area dates back to 1875 when Aaron Mason discovered silver in the area. The prospect he located turned out to be the fabulously rich Silver King Mine, a mine that produced close to fifteen million dollars in silver. Pinal City served as the mill town for the Silver King Mine because it was located along Queen Creek, a permanent source of water. Today all that remains of Silver King and Pinal City are a few grave markers and the wagon ruts cut in stone by the ore wagons carrying silver ore to the mill. The marker for the wagon tracks can be found about one and a half miles west of Superior on the left side of the road.
Two miles west of Superior is the world-famous Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum. This botanical garden exhibits arid land plants from all over the world. It is certainly a worthwhile visit on the Apache Trail Circle Route. From the arboretum along U.S. Highway 60 you are traveling through a typical Sonoran Desert environment with saguaro cactus, Teddy Bear cholla, creosote, etc.
At Gonzales Pass, about nine miles west of Superior, we will leave the Tonto National Forest. As we descend Gonzales Pass keep an eye to the north and you will see Weavers Needle in the distance. The needle was named after Pauline Weaver, a prospector, guide, and mountain man. The landmark was named in 1853 because it was such an important landmark along the Gila Route.
Once you are down on the desert floor you will soon cross the tracks of the Arizona Magma Railroad. This railroad was first constructed as a narrow gauge railroad in 1915. This turned out not to be an efficient method of hauling mill concentrates so in 1921 a standard gauge railroad was constructed. The Arizona Magma Railroad was the last railroad in the United States to use steam engines on revenue runs. Arizona Magma ended all steam engine revenue runs in 1965 except for emergency runs. One of the Arizona Magma’s old steam engines was used in the motion picture titled How the West Was Won.
At Florence Junction you might want to stop and look around. J.W. Willoughby opened Florence Junction for business on June 15, 1923. From Florence Junction to Apache Junction is sixteen miles. George C. Curtis opened Apache Junction for business on February 2, 1923.
