Apache and Roosevelt Lakes...
Just returned from a quick 2 day/night trip to Roosevelt Lake to celebrate my 71st birthday. The windy Hill CG is just 50 miles from home so accessing its beauty is all too easy. For this trip we towed our 10' cargo trailer hauling our Polaris Rzr SXS. I had long wanted to explore the Apache trail {AZ 88 west} fromRoosevelt Dam down to Apache lake.
The dirt road is heavily wash boarded with lots of steep climbs and drops but the scenery is awesome making the effort involved worth it. The 12 mile ride down to Apache Lake took nearly an hour and consider we were driving a UTV. Lots of folks drive full size RV's and or tow trailers and boats but doing so is not for the faint of heart.
There are a number of places where the road is one lane with no room to pull over. if you are going downhill you must be prepared to stop and back uphill until you reach a wide enough spot for both vehicles to pass {uphill vehicles have the right of way}.
The road is currently closed to through traffic due to serious fire and monsoon damage over the last 3 years. While the turnoff for Apache Lake is 12 miles south of the dam the road continues another 14 miles coming out at Tortilla Flat east of Apache junction. Sadly this section of road remains closed pending the needed repairs. That section is almost all one lane and squeezing by oncoming traffic gets down right spooky though the views are amazing.
Just 4 miles south of the dam is the Burnt Corral campground with most of its sites right on the river/lake. I will probably attempt it next fall in our 24' Class C {but not towing} when the water is still warm and the weather mild. The wash boards will require going very slowly but those 4 miles seem doable. The CG is gorgeous and has flush toilets but no electricity.
Here are a few pics from our ride:
expect one lane bridges:
Burnt Corral CG:
:B
The dirt road is heavily wash boarded with lots of steep climbs and drops but the scenery is awesome making the effort involved worth it. The 12 mile ride down to Apache Lake took nearly an hour and consider we were driving a UTV. Lots of folks drive full size RV's and or tow trailers and boats but doing so is not for the faint of heart.
There are a number of places where the road is one lane with no room to pull over. if you are going downhill you must be prepared to stop and back uphill until you reach a wide enough spot for both vehicles to pass {uphill vehicles have the right of way}.
The road is currently closed to through traffic due to serious fire and monsoon damage over the last 3 years. While the turnoff for Apache Lake is 12 miles south of the dam the road continues another 14 miles coming out at Tortilla Flat east of Apache junction. Sadly this section of road remains closed pending the needed repairs. That section is almost all one lane and squeezing by oncoming traffic gets down right spooky though the views are amazing.
Just 4 miles south of the dam is the Burnt Corral campground with most of its sites right on the river/lake. I will probably attempt it next fall in our 24' Class C {but not towing} when the water is still warm and the weather mild. The wash boards will require going very slowly but those 4 miles seem doable. The CG is gorgeous and has flush toilets but no electricity.
Here are a few pics from our ride:
expect one lane bridges:
Burnt Corral CG:
:B
