Mountain motoring:
HIT THE ROAD ON THESE 5 GORGEOUS ROUTES
September is a great month to take a drive in the White Mountains.
Among all their other attributes, the White Mountains are road-trip heaven.
The recreational options — hiking, biking, fishing, boating and more — have been well documented. But when it comes to the simple old-fashioned pleasure of driving, it’s hard to conjure a more ideal setting. And the shoulder season of September is a great time to visit. Summer crowds have begun to dissipate, it’s too early for autumn leaf-peepers and an active monsoon season has turned the region lush and green.
So pile in the car, roll the windows down, crank up the tunes and hit the road for some of Arizona’s most delicious scenic drives. Here are a few basic routes to get you started. All are paved unless otherwise stated.
Pinetop to Eagar
From Pinetop, State Route 260 heads east across the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Beyond Hon-Dah Casino the road quickly passes through McNary, a small burg clustered in the pines.
Just a few miles east of town, lush meadows sweep back portions of the forest. That’s what makes this the quintessential White Mountains drive, that combination of meadow and forest in rich shades of green. And, of course, lakes at every turn. You can’t throw a rock in the White Mountains without hearing a splash.
Horses graze in pastures near the junction with SR 473, the turnoff to Hawley Lake. They look fat and sassy after a monsoon season when grass grew faster than they could chomp it.
You’ll soon reach the turnoff to Horseshoe Cienega. It’s just a mile down a dirt road to the beautiful curved lake covering 121 acres. This is a great fishing spot for those with limited mobility. Some anglers back their cars up to the water’s edge and set up lawn chairs. There’s a small campground and store. Permits are required from the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Find out more at wmatoutdoors.org.
Back on 260, the road continues to climb through dense groves of aspen and pine. Intimate A-1 Lake sits just off the highway at 8,900 feet. It’s named for the Apache leader Alchesay, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His name proved difficult for U.S. Army officials to pronounce so they simply referred to him as A-1. Reservation regulations apply.
The road pushes on through big aspen stands (it would be a beautiful fall drive as well), finally topping out at vast meadows surrounding the turnoff for Sunrise Park Resort. Cattle graze alongside snow fences that resemble the skeletons of billboards.
Expansive meadows are the norm for the rest of the drive into Eagar, with forest crowning distant hills. Keep an eye peeled for bighorn sheep as the road makes a steep drop into the picturesque Round Valley bisected by the glistening curves of the Little Colorado River.
Springerville to Alpine
Pulling south of Round Valley where Springerville and Eagar nestle on U.S. 191, the road immediately begins to climb and winds through forest in long lazy bends. You’ll soon pass the turnoff for Sipe Wildlife Area. Located 5 miles down a dirt road, Sipe has a nice network of short hiking trails if you get the urge to stretch your legs.
A few miles farther south, the road curls along the edge of Nelson Reservoir. Stocked with rainbow trout, the narrow channel of water is popular with anglers in all seasons. Continue past the little creekside hamlet of Nutrioso, snugged against green mountains. Climb through the forests to Alpine Divide before descending into the beautiful valley of the San Francisco River.
It’s not hard to figure out how Alpine earned its name surrounded as it is by mountains that resemble the Swiss Alps. The town sits at the crossroads of U.S. 191 and U.S. 180. You’ll find a quaint collection of mom-and-pop stores, restaurants, lodges and cabins. Luna Lake sits 3 miles to the east with campgrounds, picnic tables and a trail along the water’s edge. This segment of U.S. 191 is part of the Coronado Trail National Scenic Byway that continues south all the way past Morenci Mine to Clifton.
Alpine to Big Lake
Beginning just north of Alpine, the paved Forest Road 249 swoops through lush forest and past winding curves of the Little Colorado River. While there is plenty of greenery this route also puts the damage wreaked by the 2011 Wallow Fire on display. Entire hillsides are covered with stick-like trees. So this 17-mile road may not be for everybody.
Yet those looking closer will see the remarkable recovery that’s underway. Unobstructed sunlight allows new plants to thrive, most notably the aspen saplings that are already several feet tall. In a few years, this road will be ablaze with autumn colors.
FR 249 ends at Big Lake. With a surface area of 450 acres stocked with rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout, five campgrounds and ringed by a swath of forest, this is one of the most popular lakes in the White Mountains.
Eagar to Crescent Lake/Big Lake
Starting about 3 miles west of Eagar, State Route 261 immediately crosses the Little Colorado River then curves and climbs through heavy juniper woodlands into ponderosa pine forest.
About 6 miles into the drive, pull over at the Point of the Mountain Scenic Overlook to enjoy far-reaching views across Round Valley. There are restrooms, picnic tables and informational signs here.
After that, it’s big meadows all the way. These are top-of-the-world meadows, where trees are marginalized, shoved back to the horizon by a sea of rolling grasslands. The sky feels immense. The road ends at the junction with SR 273 at Crescent Lake, a beautiful little body of water filling a shallow basin. Big Lake is 3 miles south of Crescent.
McNary to Hawley Lake
From SR 260 east of McNary, turn south on SR 473 for the 9-mile drive to Hawley Lake. The road climbs through a beautiful forest of aspen, pine, spruce and fir. Keep an eye peeled for cattle because this is open range and they’re often in the road or on the shoulder. You soon spot the water shimmering through the treetops.
Hawley Lake gained notoriety on Jan. 7, 1971, when temperatures plummeted to a bone-chilling -40 degrees. That’s the coldest temperature ever recorded in Arizona. So come prepared. Temperatures can drop below freezing even on summer nights.
The 300-acre lake offers camping, a lodge, cabins and boat rentals but most amenities close by mid-September. The road is paved to the edge of Hawley Lake but is dirt for the 2 miles to the lodge and store.
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