Overall Route Rating
speedo-meter speedo-arrow
speedo-meter-grey
3.45 out of 5 Rider Rating 3.45
41 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

profile Image
By 18Bravo (5 McR Points) on Dec 30, 2011

Rider Reviews

fairbanksdmt
6 McR Points
February 11, 2017
This road simply put is a total waste of time for…
Thumbsup
mudbug63
2 McR Points
June 21, 2018
As of 6/9/18 this road has been resurfaced. Nice…
Thumbsup

Written Directions

Begin at the Old West Highway and Apache Trail in Apache Junction, Arizona. Take Apache Trail Northeast and stay of Apache Trail. The route ends a couple of miles past Tortilla Flat where the pavement turns to a dirt road. If you have an enduro bike, feel free to continue on the dirt road all the way to Roosevelt lake, otherwise turn around and have lunch at Tortilla Flat.

Scenery

This route covers scenic desert landscapes with desert mountains and even Canyon Lake. If you continue on the graded dirt road there are high wall canyons and some of the most beautiful scenic areas you can find in Arizona. But I don't recommend the dirt road for street bikes. HDBIKERRIDER added the following in Nov of 2013: RUNS THRU DESERT CANYONS BEGINNING ON FLAT STRETCH PASS GOLDFIELD MINE GHOST TOWN INTO INCREDIBLE UP AND DOWN TURNS, SWITCHBACKS AND PASS CANYON LAKE TO TORTILLA FLATS.

Drive Enjoyment

The road is curvy with a few switchbacks and one lane bridges. The pavement is decent. The dirt road is only recommended for enduro style bikes. HDBIKERRIDER added the following in Nov of 2013: 4 MILE BEGINNING OF FLAT AND STRAIGHT LEADS TO UN-ENDING SERIES OF HILLY TURNS, SOME SWEEPING AND SOME DEALY HAIRPINS. PAVEMENT GOOD EXCEPT STEEP FALLOFF ON SOFT SHOULDERS ON THE CANYON LANE SIDE. FEW SECTIONS OF GUARDRAILS ON SHOULDER LANE SIDE OF THIS 2-LANER.

Tourism Opportunities

Fun little stage coach stop in Tortilla Flat. The food and ice cream is good. Other than that, nothing but scenery to stop for. HDBIKERRIDER added the following in Nov of 2013: NOTHING TO STOP YOU BUT GOLDFIELD MINE GHOST TOWN AT THE BEGINNING, 1 VISTA POINT, CANYON LAKE MARINA BRIDGE AND TORTILLA FLATS RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE RIDE.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

HDBIKERRIDER added the following in Nov of 2013: NOT A BEGINNER ROAD!! ABSOLUTELY DO NOT TRY THIS RUN IF IT HAS RAINED WITHIN A DAY OR LOOKS LIKE IT WILL THAT DAY (RAINS ARE TREACHEROUS IN AZ)
 

Top Images

Share Your Comments ( 41 )
  Earn McR Points
fairbanksdmt
February 11, 2017
6 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport
This road simply put is a total waste of time for motorcyclists in it's current condition. The route and scenery are 5 stars, however the quality of the pavement is renders it worthless. The surface is 100% washboards, tons of gravel and littered with tourists from the Minnesota, Canada, Michigan and such who go 15 miles per hour. With that said, even if said tourists were absent, the washboards ruin the experience and make it unsafe.

HOWEVER, ADOT has posted that this beautiful route is to be resurfaced in 2017, starting in March and should be completed by October 2017. So if this road does get smoothed out, you will be able to run endless twisty turns and take in amazing scenery. If you're a beginner, you might stay clear of this road. If a mistake is made at the wrong place you will be on a helicopter ride out of the canyon (if you're lucky) because there are areas that literally drop off several hundred feet.

The food at Tortilla Flats is nothing to write home about, but will do in a pinch if you are starving. The ideal situation would be a resurfaced road, and then go in the summer months when it's cooler out as the snowbirds will be gone.

Be sure and fuel up before you get on the Apache Trail because there is not a gas station of any sort. You will need enough fuel to get you 50 miles minimum.

Many people get to Tortilla Flats and turn around. Mistake. The best part of the run is an 8 mile or so stretch of pavement from Tortilla Flats to the dirt road where you can turn around. If you have an enduro bike you can continue to Roosevelt, but again you better have plenty of fuel to get you there because it's an unforgiving and desolate region, yet filled with gorgeous scenery. Don't get in a hurry or things will turn tragic.

Go to google earth and pull up the area and view it from your computer if you have never seen this route before.
Was this road review helpful?
Thumbsup
5 riders found this road review useful
mudbug63
June 21, 2018
2 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Other
As of 6/9/18 this road has been resurfaced. Nice and smooth....granted the older reviews regarding rough and nasty road surface were accurate at the time of posting but no longer.

Nice and smooth and worth the trip.
Was this road review helpful?
Thumbsup
3 riders found this road review useful
No Image Found
Shadytunes
April 21, 2014
2 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
This used to be one of my favorite rides because it was close. Not so much anymore. The road is absolutely horrible and very poorly maintained, if it is maintained at all. If you want to shred your tires, then this is the road for you.Washboard, pot holes and all. Lots of marbles, and sand on the road. This combined with sharp turns and improperly banked and graded turns, proves at least a deadly combination for a date with road-rash...or worse. Definitely not for a novice rider. Tortilla Flat is cool and touristy, but the food lacks anything exciting.
Was this road review helpful?
Thumbsup
2 riders found this road review useful