Drives

Bureau of Land Management, Kingman Field Office

There are times when the roads that lead to a scenic drive are anything but scenic. And some roads seem endless, even boring. “Are we there yet?” becomes the mantra of those stuck in the car. Yet you drive on because the payoff — endless vistas of stunning Arizona wilderness — is worth it. The drive to Six Mile Crossing has a definite payoff, but the scenery along the way is impressive, too. This trip is all about beautiful landscapes, from start to finish.

Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, Yuma

Depending on which poll you believe, 5 to 10 percent of Americans think the Apollo moon landings were a hoax. That observation might seem like an odd lede for a Scenic Drive, but as you head up Red Cloud Mine Road in the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, north of Yuma, the reference makes more sense. The views along this rugged, isolated back road are a different kind of scenic: There’s almost no vegetation, and the rocky buttes could easily pass for a moonscape with a little 1960s-era color correction.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

It’s indisputable (in the opinion of one Arizona Highways writer, anyway) that I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is the best song U2 ever made. And maybe Bono and his buddies had a route like the one to Pearce Ferry — near the eastern bank of Lake Mead — in mind when they recorded 1987’s The Joshua Tree, where that song is found. You’ll climb a few mountains and run through some fields on this drive, but the real stars of the show are the Joshua trees. And there are a lot of them.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Maybe you’re on your way to Las Vegas for the weekend and you’d like a little peace and quiet before you hit the casino floor. Or maybe you’re on your way back from a weekend in Vegas, your foolproof roulette strategy (“Put it all on 36; I’ve got a feeling about that number”) having left you without money for a hotel room, and you’re looking for a place to camp. Either way, you’ll find what you need on this drive, but it doesn’t have to be a Sin City side trip. As you’ll see, Cottonwood Road is a safe bet almost anytime.

Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District

With an afternoon to kill during a visit to Tucson, my husband and I decide to explore Redington Road (Forest Road 371). A popular destination for hikers and off-highway-vehicle enthusiasts, the former military supply route makes a beautiful half-day drive that offers recreation, ranching and history. The graded dirt road winds its way up from the desert east of Tucson between the Santa Catalina and Rincon mountains and through oak- and juniper-dotted grasslands.

Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District

Tucson is one big city — not as big as Phoenix and nowhere near as big as L.A., but big enough. That’s why it’s so surprising that Mescal Road, a nearly 16-mile stretch of scenic byway, is so close to the city limits. Literally, it’s just over the creek and through the woods.

Coronado National Forest, Douglas Ranger District

On a late-July morning, my husband picks through a basket of local peaches at the Portal Store while I pore over recent bird sightings. Summer entries are sparse, but two signature species are still among them: the elegant trogon and the Mexican chickadee.

Mount Lemmon, Santa Catalina Mountains

As Arizona Highways contributor Craig Childs will tell you, going from the Colorado River to the rim of the Grand Canyon is the ecological equivalent of walking from Mexico to Canada in less than 10 miles. Plants, animals, weather ... they all change dramatically as you gain elevation. There’s no journey like it on Earth. But you can’t do the Canyon in a car.

San Rafael Valley

On screen, the Sonoita-Patagonia area has doubled as Oklahoma (Oklahoma!), Texas (Red River) and ancient Israel (David and Bathsheba).

People claim it looks like Montana, and when you catch glimpses of the vineyards and cypresses, you might reach unconsciously for your Italian phrasebook. But with its pastoral landscapes dotted with pygmy forest and crumbling ghost towns, one thing this region doesn’t resemble is the typical coffee-table images of Arizona.

Tonto National Forest, Globe Ranger District

Crawl. Walk. Run. The evolution of human movement seems simple enough. But it’s a formula that also can be applied to other, non-bipedal modes of getting from one place to another — like driving. Creep. Cruise. Fly.

In the case of this drive, which curls in a loop through the Pinal Mountains near Globe, you’ll be tempted to fly. Instead — thanks to the ruggedness of the road (yes, you need a four-wheel-drive) and the draw of the scenery — you’re better off cruising, even creeping, in parts.