@@JayPoo1321They are still waiting for some approvals to come through because the road passes through government property, but they are expecting to clear them out late summer or fall.
I have driven it twice once at night about 30 - 35 years ago. We stopped several times at night just to admire the stars. We also saw several campfires at the bottom of the canyon during the drive. My wife has made it clear she will not be going on that trail again.
I drove it - once, in a Grand Marquis. My trip was from Roosevelt Dam to Tortilla Flats, so of course the passenger was looking at all that empty space next to her. And we met an occasional boat or motor home - interesting.
I’m a dude, done this road a dozen times and I always say it’s my last time lol I was there the day before it opened hoping to experience it while the road was smoother but no luck
In 1999 I was 1/2 way up Fish Creek Hill when the transmission in my 1978 VW Westfalia gave up and died. A tiny 4 cylinder truck squeezed by me and towed the bus using two climbing ropes the rest of the way up (barely). Once I got to the top, I went on a hike to comptemplate my predicament. Once I was done with the hike, I put the bus in neutral and rolled downhill 10+ miles downhill to Tortilla Flat. What a day and what great memory! Thanks for the video!
Thank you so much!! My first time on Fish Creek Hill was when I was 12 years old in the late '50's. Fishing with Dad. Since then I have made dozens of journeys on the Apache Trail. All of them pulling my boat. Thanks again for the views and the memories.
Thank you posting this video. My Dad and I drove this road many times in the 60s through the 80s Hunting and camping around Roosevelt Lake. I was just 13 when he would let me drive his truck up and down "The Trail" as we called it. Meeting another car at one of the blind corners was always an adventure. Fish Creek Hill and bridge will always be a fond memory of time spent with my Dad.
Why thank you @sandiwilliams7101 Arizona is truly one of those unique states in the US. The terrain varies all throughout the state.....endless scenic views!
What a trip, thank you for a great DIFFERENT adventure, one of those for which you ask HOW HAVE I NEVER SEEN ANYTHING OF THIS BEFORE??? Guess not enough time in Arizona? Beautifully choreographed and video'd, drones allow incredible experiences now!!! The road made me think a bit of Schaefer Trail outside of Moab, but enhanced by the greenery and the DIFFERENT from other memories. I will be watching this again, and hoping they do the restoration (high clearance is fine) in time for my bucket list trip back west before I move on to the canyons in the sky. Thanks again and Well Done !!! Edit: Wow upon wow, thought the Roosevelt Dam was the Glen Canyon Dam, went and googled a look and it was another place in memory. So I realized I had been to Roosevelt Dam before, with that distinctive bridge above it...... Shoot, folks, I've got memories even I can't remember! Bucket list? SEE IT ALL AGAIN!
Thank you so so much for those kind worse! after reading all these comments its quite surprising how many people that live in AZ have either never been here or heard of it. but hey, now you know! Appreciate you checking out the video! fun fact! I'll be in Moab next month!
Thank you! it's a place like no other. Hoping to make it down there again the next few weeks and go further up the trail to see what else is down there
A couple miles past the bridge is an old highway department camp. In the 1920s my grandfather worked out of that camp pulling a road grader. Twice a week he ran the grader up to Tortilla Flats and back to the camp. On alternative days he would run the grader the other direction up to the dam and back. As a young boy my Dad spent the summers at the camp with hid Dad..my grandfather. Dad would recall how one of his favorite things to do was to ride his bike back to the bridge from the camp and then push his bike up fish creek hill. He would then ride the bike back down fish creek hill doing his best not to fall down the steep drop off.
I think that camp is owned by SRP these days. At least it was when I left in 2000 . I used to camp in the cove right next to the camp. Until I had an encounter with Bigfoot … yeah you read that right 😮😮 .. I’ll just say I never went back , and was there about every other weekend until that night. Moved about a month later. Never been back to Az.
Past Fish Creek Bridge is Burnt Corral. It was a stop-over for the mule trains hauling hydro generation equipment and supplies to Roosevelt Dam. The mule train left Mesa and laid over at Tortilla Flat, then stopped at Burnt Corral then finally arrived at Roosevelt . I travelled that road many times working for SRP. There's the other road down Fish Creek that leads to Horse Mesa Dam but it's only accessible to certain SRP employees thru big ass locked gates and sternly worded signs warning against trespassers.
Moved here 9 years ago went to Roosevelt Damn 2x until it was destroyed by the fire and rock slides. It's being redone thank goodness 😀. The most beautiful road in the state.
Great video that brings back a lot of memories. When I was a kid growing up in Phoenix in the late 50's and 60's, my dad went fishing almost every weekend. I went with him frequently. Apache Lake was his favorite lake to fish in. He would load the boat on top of the 56 Chevy station wagon and out McDowell Road towards Apache Junction we would go. As we were driving, I can still hear him call out the checklist.....boat, motor, oars, life preservers, fishing poles, water dogs, etc. Over the years, I'm sure I traveled fish creek hill well over 100 times. Something that you never forget.
My Grandpa used to go fishing at mostly Bartlett back then but I'm sure he was at most of them. He had a little boat he put on a rack on the back of his '65 Chevy truck. He worked for the Bureau of reclamation so he was all over the state for work. I actually found his Dad's white mountain Apache fishing license from when he came out to visit in 1960.
We drove it on a whim from Roosevelt Dam to Apache Junction literally a few months before the storm that caused the closure. We drove it in our 24 year old 2WD Toyota Tacoma. We passed several vehicles coming down this section. Tight when you’re on the drop off lane
Great Job Jessie! Travelled this road literally hundreds of times over the years and it never ceased to amaze and sometimes frighten, our visiting family members and friends! I must admit I'm not a fan of the 80 plus million dollar plans to make it accessible to all forms of travel, but to open again for high clearance vehicles with the shorter-term plan is an awaited and welcomed experience! Change is inevitable however and thanks to your dedicated efforts, these views should transcend those changes to come. Well, done!
Thank you so much for checking out the video! I agree with you on the price tag too, making it accessible enough just for certain vehicles would probably be best, and heck, people can still hike it if they choose!
It used to be open to “all forms of travel” except for over-length vehicles. I took my Dad down it in his Caddy and he left a brown strain in his seat when we finished.
I've driven that road 3 times. Once pulling a tent trailer, it was definitely a white knuckle drive. We camped at Apache lake, very beautiful place to stay. Another white knuckle drive is the road in Kings canyon national park, from Grants grove to Cedar grove.
First time I drove that, I thought everything was cool until I reached the hairpin at the top. It was nearly dark and after I made the turn and headed down, I realized it was a sheer drop on the left. I've been on roads like it before, but there is no warning on this one. You can't see any of the terrain until you make that turn. Then it's just a super steep one lane road carved out of a cliff face. Pretty amazing.
We hiked the section of Apache Trail that is closed off today. Oh my!!! So beautiful. Saw the vehicles that went over the edge. The walk down was super easy and totally enjoyable, but that hike back up was killer on this old gramma! Lol...I kept singing that old Rudolph song in my head... Put one foot in front of the other...and soon you'll be walking up that hill!" Totally worth it!!! Another one off the list! Thanks for giving me a push. Love your videos!
Amazing views which we didn’t get to see when we did this hike, this hike was one of the best hikes we have done since visiting Arizona, it was a pleasure meeting you while we were there, thank you for including us in your video
Hey Thank you so much! it was a pleasure meeting the both of you and chatting in the parking lot! Hope you enjoyed your stay in Arizona and got to take in all the sights that you could 👍
Thanks Jessie. Loving the videos. When I drove my wife down the trail, when we got to the bottom she told me if I ever took her down there again she would divorse me.
Hey thank you! fun fact, I got some drone footage from up in the canyon back in 2019....."last time I was in the area" but the quality of it wasnt that great. I made it my mission this time around to see whats further up the canyon as I know a lot of people that ask themselves " gee, I wonder what it looks like"....That for watching! glad you enjoyed it1 hoping to make it out here again in the next few weeks
Very interesting video! The drone footage is really terrific, you get to see parts of the canyon that you never would otherwise, especially nice by the bridge at the bottom. 👍🏻
Thank you! I was really eager to get my drone out here and finally get some good aerial shots of these canyons!.........thanks for checking out the video!
Apache Trail was one of my go to sights when company came to town in the winter along with Wrigley manor, Harvey's Wineburger and South Mountain TV road to Gila Valley Lookout. Only Wrigley and Harvey's remain open. And Rawhide Western Town has been ruined too!
@14:28 when I was in my early teens my best friends dad took us to go fishing at Roosevelt and we took the Apache trail all the way there. His dad suddenly stopped right about where you were and let us look over the edge at that car. From what I remember, he said that it was a late 60"s model car and had been there since he was a teen. He told us that it would be there for hundreds of more years until nature finally rusted it away. I just remember being so blown away by this and super excited to see that it was still there. I'm 45 now so it's been there for a very long time.
Thank you for the video.Fishcreek was always our favorite place to go.Parked at the side of the bridge and hiked in,along the creek.Or just walked into the large cave and watched the baby bats learning to fly ,at dusk.
The Air Force used to have a recreation area on Apache Lake and I had the chance to a 90-day TDY (Temporary Duty) at that recreation center. I used to drive this section of Route 88 at least once a week to go back to Williams AFB (now Williams Gateway). This was always a nerve-wracking experience, especially if it was raining. Great video!
This brought back so many memories of when I was growing up in the '50's and 60's. We traveled this road soo many times, either to go to Roosevelt Dam (it was still the old stone dam, then), or to go on through Globe and Miami up to the White Mts. to camp, or to Whiteriver, Cibecue, and Peridot, because my parents worked with missionaries up there. My dad had a bit of a lead foot. I would see the wrecks below, and I was on the edge of my seat, afraid to look down, till we got out of the canyon. I see it now, how beautiful it is, and wish I could have appreciated as a child. I miss Arizona, except for Phoenix and the blast furnace heat. Thanks so much for the memories. ☺️
hey no problem! I enjoyed reading this story. It's always interesting to read these and get everyones perspective on this road. Glad you enjoyed the video!
I have driven this awesome road a few times when it was open. Not for the faint of heart and certainly not after sundown. Once, I ran out of daylight and was forced to spend the night in my SUV at a rest area. It was pitch black, no light. Then the stars and planets came out and the milky way swirled. Awesome spectacle I will never forget and it was quite bright! But not enough to drive. Resumed at dawn. I hope they fix this road as it's an awesome trip to the dam and SE AZ. Drone took awesome pics!
I remember towing a 25-foot deck boat on the back of a 31-foot Class-C motor home. One major issue is that this is only a one-lane road. Opposing passing vehicles are a real issue; it takes skill and quick thinking to travel on this stretch of road. It is not for the faint of heart. This was back in the mid-2000s time frame. I have not traveled on the road ever since.
thanks for the video. we drove the trail a few years back - very beautiful ... Fish Creek Hill section looks a lot scarier in your video than I remember driving it. a few minutes down the trail from the dam we passed a lone black bull casually walking down the road.
Great video. It's always scary to see all the vehicles that have gone over. I was thinking when I saw the Jeep, did they stop putting a big X somewhere when search/rescue had checked the accident site? I've traveled that road twice. First time, I drove. The second time I rode with someone else, scared the crap out of me. I said never again! But you are right, the views are breath-taking. It's amazing when you compared the old photos and recent ones, very little change, love it! Thanks for sharing such an awesome video.
Hey thank you so much! glad you enjoyed the video. I was thinking about that too. No white x on the jeep. Maybe ADOT hasnt had a chance to make it down there and mark it? who knows. Thank you for checking out the video!
I drove the Apache Trail in my 1976 Cutlas Supreme back in '81. It was pretty wild back then. As I recall, back then, Roosevelt dam was big granite blocks and was an impressive sight. I was disappointed to see that they had refaced it with concrete.
I was looking forward to driving this road back from my camping trip to Payson, only to find it closed at the dam... Hopefully it get's re-opened soon!
Very nice video, great history lesson! As for those barriers, you know they are intended to visually mark the edge of the road not to physically keep you from going over the edge.
My Dad drove his 73 Crown Vic down that road! He didn't even break a sweat. LOL! I took my 2wd Nissan titan and a 21' boat down it just before it washed out! Lots of fun! I learned a lot from that Man! Beautiful area, a must see!
Fantastic video...I lived in chandler back in the 70s the military base know as Williams air force base owned apache Lake..there were some old wood cabins an a few boats to rent..but 90% of the road was all dirt lot of good memories up there...would always stop at fish creek hill ..I remember a bus an old r.v being down there
I accidentally pulled our 34 foot triple axle fifth wheel camper through here in the middle of the night. That was a hoot! Took 3 trys to get it over the bridge.
We were on this road in 2010 and the rear wheel on the Drivers side went off the road and we thought we were Gonners. But we Were Ok and Finished the Trip 😬😬‼️🙏🙏
Hey thanks! glad you enjoyed it! fish creek hill and the entire apache trail seemed like a hot topic now days...figured everyone would enjoy an update!
Cool adventure! Enjoyed all the history and drone work🤙 Going to have to add this one to our road trip list! Felt sad seeing that little red TJ smashed up down the hill though... now I'm wondering the story behind that accident🤔
Hey thanks! and yes! you should definitely add it to your road trip list. so much to see out there.....I went back out there again a few after I listed this video....its a pretty addicting hike, and of course those views!!! next time I hope to do this with an E-bike and I want to go further up the trail to see if i can find anymore vehicles....Thanks again for tuning 🙏
I delivered an 8 by 45 foot trailer house to apache lake using this road before it was blocked by the landslide back in 1990's. My company; Good News Transporting still delivers mobile homes and park models although I myself being 75 years young have stopped driving the big trucks that deliver these mobile homes for people to live in.
I went there often about 20 years ago, no guard rails then. Very sketchy, RVs and boats back and forth all the time, during that time it was suggested to go early to eliminate massive traffic jams
cool video man, personally i dont think the road is scary but ive been on some gnarly roads. i miss going on this road up to my parents house in roosevelt i used to just haul butt through dirt road section now im stuck going through globe. i feel like its been an eternity since they closed this.
Hey thanks for sharing! I feel the same way, the last time I was down at fish creek bridge was early 2019......feels like forever ago. Thanks for checking out the video
I hope they don't pave it from Roosevelt Dam. We love taking our quads up and down teh hills with their sharp turns , drifting around the bends. Leave the road as an adventure road... Paving it will only destroy its charm .... We used to be able to go down to Fossil creek from Strawberry down yet Another great adventure road but the State closed that road off permanently also
Fun fact: there are fish in Fish Creek! The other fact is when I hiked down stream to see where it connected with the Salt River, the water disappeared not far beyond the bridge, and it still was a long ways to the river! Those fish are isolated in their own riparian habitat.
I lived in Apache Junction for a year and have driven this road quite a few times. The bug guts on the windshield made the drive back towards the evening somewhat annoying.
Good luck getting there . I was there about 2 weeks ago and they have the road closed about 1/2 way there. They do have this site that you can go to the top of this mountain and overlook everything . I was told that the road had been closed for a couple of years and did not know when they would reopen the road. Still a lot to see even an old town that you can stop and get something to eat at.
Yes Amazing beauty, & More Amazing is Those Boulders on the Road that Fell from such Great High heights Didn't Momentum-ly Keep Bouncing Down Further. Like a magnet Drew Them there a Final Resting Place From the gods....
Great grandfather helped build the Roosevelt dam. Also my mom took my 1983 mustang through apache trail in the 80s. My dad was pissed cause she got lost.
We used to race out that road. I’ve gone from AJ to the SRP camp in 20 mins. In my 78’ Monza wagon that had a 383 stroker/4speed. Went camping and fishing in the cove next to the camp (facility) every other weekend for several years , until that night … what night ? You ask .. the night me and a friend had a Saba’ (Bigfoot ) about 10 feet from our camp. We both sensed it somehow 🤷♂️🤷♂️ I jumped up with two pistols in hand . I never fired , but heard it stand , turn , and run up the wash then up the hill to the SW. then later that night we saw Two of them down at the waters edge . And it looked like one of them had a small one on its back. The next morning we found it’s tracks running up the wash. Each foot print was easily 18-20” long , and I could put my fist in the impression left by the big toe. We tracked it up the wash to where it turned up the hill. The stride at full run was 15-20 feet between prints. A month later I moved to Tx. , and have never gone back. I’ll swear on a stack of bibles to the truth of this .. there’s more than muley’s ,and rattlesnakes in those mountains. Be safe. Edit: those cars could’ve been stolen then dumped off the cliff also. Happens quite a bit in that area.
Wouldnt surprise me....especially out in those parts. Just finished up a book on the Superstition mountains......Lots of crazy stuff went on there back in the day
The truck wreck had 4 people in it when it plunged 250 feet. They all survived but with injuries and the driver scaled down the side and onto a road in the dark and then was given a ride six hours later for help. They life flighted one of the 2 injured females. The jeep I don't know about. Doesn't look good though.
And to think my grandfather drove horse-drawn freight wagons up and down that road to the construction site in the summer when school was out. It took 5 days up and back from Mesa.
Used to drift here quite a bit with my trucks since dirt was easier to slide around on. Was a wonderful place to drift on. Of course, making sure it was dark enough to be able to see oncoming cars.
Thanks Jesse, Drove FishCreek quite a few times in the 80s as a young airman in the Air Force. Near Davis Wash, was a recreation center called "WaterDog" where military folks could rent cabins and waterski boats, spend some time. I tried recently to get to Davis Wash from the Roosevelt side, but could not....is it approachable from the Phoenix side? Love your content, thanks!
Hey thanks for checking out the video. I never heard of Davis wash till you mentioned it, but i googled it and the only way you would be able to access it now is on the Dam side.....for now
Been over that road many times years ago in a full size Dodge Ram pickup, and my Jeep TJ. And a Class C motor home a couple of times to camp at the lake. Hiking it looks like it would be nice to do so you can actually look around at the scenery.
