This is a marvelous time to travel the wildly curving, up-and-down hills of wooded eastern Arizona. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado came through this area of Arizona in 1540 in an attempt to find the Seven Cities of Cibola where streets were paved with gold.  The area named after him, is not filled with gold, but with natural wonders, and never-to-be-forgotten fall scenery this time of the year. 

The Coronado Trail will take one through the sills of an area known as Springerville , once a trading post for Mormon travelers.  Located in Northeastern Arizona, the Town of Springerville is at the heart of the growing southwest. Springerville’s is located at the junction of US 60 and State Highways 180 and 191.   Originally established in 1879, Springerville sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Growing around Henry Springer’s trading post, the town was incorporated in 1948. Along with its neighbor Eagar, both communities reside in the Round Valley. 

Out of Springerville south on 191 it is hills, canyons, and more beautiful scenery as you enter the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.  Lakes, creeks, forest, and fall colors await your arrival.  “The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest cuts a sickle-shape arc across east-central Arizona's highlands, all of it astride the high-elevation country of the Mogollon Plateau and the White Mountains. This is an Arizona that bears little resemblance to the arid, sun-blasted deserts of southern Arizona. It's characterized by cool temperatures, Douglas-fir and Ponderosa-pine forests, green meadows grazed by elk and pronghorn, and small cold streams alive with cutthroat, brown, and rainbow trout.”  Reference.

The Apache-Sitgreaves has 34 lakes and reservoirs and more than 680 miles of rivers and streams - more than can be found in any other Southwestern National Forest. The White Mountains contain the headwaters of several Arizona rivers including the Black, the Little Colorado, and the San Francisco.

The Sitgreaves was named for Captain Lorenzo Sitgreaves, a government topographical engineer who conducted the first scientific expedition across Arizona in the early 1850's. On the Sitgreaves, the major attractions for visitors from the hot valleys of Phoenix or Tucson are the Mogollon Rim and the string of man-made lakes. From the Rim's 7600-foot elevation, vista points provide inspiring views of the low country to the south and west.

Big Lake at SunsetIn the last century, the US Army established a series of forts in New Mexico and Arizona. To supply these forts and settlements, a military road was built linking Sante Fe, New Mexico and Camp Verde near Prescott. Part of this road, called the General Crook Trail, runs almost the length of the Sitgreaves and in many places follows the brink of the Rim.

The Apache National Forest is named after the tribes that settled in this area. It ranges in elevation from 3500 feet near Clifton to nearly 11,500 feet on Mount Baldy. The congressionally proclaimed Mount Baldy, Escudilla, and Bear Wallow wildernesses and the Blue Range Primitive Area make the Apache one of America's premier backcountry forests. The Apache is also noted for its trout streams and high-elevation lakes and meadows.

The management concerns on the Apache-Sitgreaves include the health and restoration of the watersheds, sustaining the Forest's ecosystems, improving customer service in our recreation areas, reducing the dangers associated with wildfire in the urban interface, and maintaining the National Forest road system to desired standards…The Apache-Sitgreaves has 34 lakes and reservoirs and more than 680 miles of rivers and streams - more than can be found in any other Southwestern National Forest. The White Mountains contain the headwaters of several Arizona rivers including the Black, the Little Colorado, and the San Francisco.

Traveling on south one will come to the 10,877 Escudilla Mountain where large groves of aspens cover the slopes.  “ Finding a scenic drive on the Alpine District is easy. Just get a map of the district, pick any road on it and you're sure to be amply rewarded with views that people have traveled thousands of miles to see. Pick another route and you'll most likely see something quite different but every bit as spectacular.”  Two good trips in the area are:  East Escudilla Loop ~ Escudilla Mountain/Terry Flat Drive. 

Blue Canyon Drive  “This drive follows the meandering Blue River about 22 miles down the canyon it has cut through the Blue Range. A number of picturesque ranches and homesteads are clustered along the stream, which winds through stands of cottonwoods and sycamores. Return by way of Red Hill Road (FR 567) and enjoy sweeping panoramas of the canyon you’ve just toured and the Blue Range that surrounds it.”

The Mogollon Rim is a continuous cliff that towers some feet in height and almost reaches to the Grand Canyon. 

Rose Peak Lookout is an isolated forest tower that can be reached after traveling an unpaved road, that is bumpy, steep, and rough.  The view is worth the trip if you are not traveling in your new luxury automobile. 

From here it is all downhill.  Along the way is a roadside lookout that show the beauty of the western edge of the chasm, two miles in diameter.  Don’t miss a stop at Clifton, the historic town.

Happy Traveling.