| Alpine Highlights |
| Hannagan Meadow Lodge23150 US 191, Alpine, AZ 85920(928) 339-4370hannaganmeadow.com |
The Coronado Trail
Before 1992, the stretch of US 191 south of Alpine was part of old US Route 666, sometimes called “the Devil’s Highway.” There was nothing sinister about the road, just a lot of superstition about the number—the “number of the beast” specified in the Bible. The crazy curves in the road begin below Alpine and get serious just south of Hannagan Meadow. From that point on, they are relentless, and the scenery is just extraordinary: a wonderland of pine-clad mountains rippling off into the distance, as far as the eye can see. Fifteen miles from Alpine, you’ll be skirting the edge of the Mogollon Rim, a cliff-like escarpment that runs for 200 miles along the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau, a line of demarcation between the desert and these mountain forests. Thirty miles from Alpine you’ll reach Blue Vista, a scenic viewpoint well above 9,000 feet. On a clear day you can see 100 miles or more, all the way to Mount Graham in the south and across the remote valley of the Blue River and trackless Blue Range Primitive Area to the east.
View of Morenci Mine from Coronado Trail
After you’ve taken a break to enjoy the view, push on, because you’re only a third of the way along this infamous stretch of hairpins. Our Interstate Highways are marvels of engineering, as straight and as flat as roads can be, built for trucks and traffic, efficiently funneling vehicles from point A to point B—no surprises. But this road here, this Coronado Trail, or Devil’s Highway, or whatever you’d care to call it—this is a road that’s built for driving, and it couldn’t be any less efficient if it had been designed that way on purpose. Because of all the switchbacks, half the time you’re looking straight ahead across a chasm at a place where you’ve already been!
By the time you get to Morenci, you will have descended over 4,000 feet and left the Ponderosa pines far behind. Morenci is, to put it bluntly, a hole—a very large hole: an open-pit copper mine that happens to be the richest copper mine in the United States, producing as many as 450,000 tons of the metal annually, with a value well in excess of $2 billion. Keep that in mind as you drive across the ridge that straddles two humongous scars in the earth. These open-pit mines are the largest of all the works of man, among the only works of man visible from outer space.
Working pit, Morenci Mine, Arizona
Most of the original town of Morenci has been swallowed by the big dig; the modern-day town is an ordinary suburban enclave for people who work for the mine. More interesting is Clifton, just beyond Morenci, which retains a bit of 19th-century mining town ambience, particularly in the Clifton Townsite Historic District. There you can see a number of original buildings, including the escape-proof Clifton Cliff Jail, whose cells were carved out of the granite cliff behind it by a local stonemason who became its first prisoner; it seems he celebrated his payday too exuberantly, and was arrested for shooting up the local dance hall.
Coronado Trail, US 191, Arizona
Leaving Clifton, you’ll come down out of the mountains into the broad Gila River valley, where you’ll reach the town of Safford. The majestic Pinaleño Mountains loom sharply to the southwest, making a spectacular backdrop. Mount Graham, the most prominent peak, is one of the “Sky Islands” of southern Arizona, mountains that rise so high from the desert floor that their upper reaches contain isolated, island-like ecosystems in which unique plants and animals have evolved. (For more on the Sky Islands, see the sidebar “Sky Islands”). You’ll skirt the base of the Pinaleños as you make your way south from Safford on US 191 to Willcox.
The small town of Willcox owes its existence to the railroad. For a time, it was one of the busiest livestock depots in the U.S., shipping cattle to market by the trainload. Its biggest claim to fame in later years was its native-son cowboy star Rex Allen, one of the last of Hollywood’s singing cowboys. Rex is gone now, but they celebrate him every year during Rex Allen Days in October and year round at the Rex Allen Museum, which has movie-star memorabilia and historical exhibits from the surrounding area. Interstate 10 passes through Willcox, and that junction marks the end of this route.
Both Safford and Willcox have lodging, with most of the national chains represented. In Safford, the Cottage Bed and Breakfast (formerly known as the Olney House), comes well recommended. It’s a historic property that dates to 1890. For more about Safford and Mount Graham, see Scenic Side Trip 4.
| Coronado Trail Highlights | |
| Morenci Mine4521 US 191, Morenci, AZ 85540Clifton Townsite510 Coronado Blvd., Clifton, AZ 85533(928) 865-4146cliftonaz.com | Rex Allen Museum150 N. Railroad Ave, Willcox, AZ 85643(520) 384-4583rexallenmuseum.orgCottage Bed and Breakfast (formerly the Olney House)1104 S. Central Ave, Safford, AZ 85546(928) 428-5118cottagebedandbreakfast.com |
Willcox and Beyond
From Willcox, you can travel straight on to Tucson, 80 miles away on Interstate 10. Or, if you have time, you can drive all, or portions of, Scenic Side Trips 4 through 7, each of which begins and ends on I-10; a fifth route, Scenic Side Trip 8, takes you from Tucson to Phoenix on the back roads. Allow a minimum of one full day for each of these trips.
Scenic Side Trip 4
Lordsburg to Phoenix
via Duncan, Safford, Globe, and Superior
237 miles, 5 hours 30 minutes for drive time, more for optional routes, stops, and sightseeing
A shortcut over the top of the world always takes a little longer
This scenic alternative route from Lordsburg to Phoenix is actually 29 miles shorter than the same drive on Interstate 10, and it bypasses Tucson and all that big-city traffic. Even so, allow a little bit of extra time; it may be a shorter distance, but there are mountain roads and beautiful views worth slowing down for.
Lordsburg to Safford
Leaving Lordsburg, take Exit 22 off I-10, and follow Main Street north to Motel Drive. Turn left and follow the signs for US 70/NM 90, toward Globe and Silver City. When NM 90 splits off to the right, just beyond the town limits, stay on US 70.
Twenty-five miles or so outside of Lordsburg, the highway angles in toward a low range of mountains dominated by a jagged peak known as Steeple Rock. To get a closer look, take the back road to Duncan by turning off US 70 north onto NM 92, toward the tiny town of Virden. It’s a small detour that will add 4 miles and 10 minutes to your travels, but hey—if you were in a hurry, you’d still be on the Interstate! The views in this area are outstanding. NM 92 leads you down to the Gila River, right at the point where it crosses into Arizona. Stay on that road, called Virden Road on the Arizona side. It will take you all the way to Duncan and reconnect you to US 70.
Duncan has a little bit of history and a few picturesque old buildings. Founded in 1882, the small town continues to serve a region still largely dependent on ranching and farming. The Lazy B, a prominent ranch just south of town, was the family home of Sandra Day O’Connor,