
Aztec Peak is a road to the highest point of Sierra Anchas
Usa, north-america
160.9 km
2,361 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! Deep in the heart of Arizona's Tonto National Forest, you'll find Aztec Peak, a whopping 7,746 feet high. This bad boy is the highest point in the Sierra Anchas!
Getting to the top is an adventure in itself. You'll be tackling Forest Service Road 487 (aka Workman Creek Road), which kicks off from the Arizona 288-Globe Young Highway. Fair warning: this isn't a Sunday drive. We're talking unpaved roads that are typically closed from mid-December to the end of March (snow depending!).
You'll definitely need a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive beast to make it. Once you pass the waterfall, the road gets seriously steep, narrow, and a little nerve-wracking if you're not a fan of heights. The final stretch is a single-track forest road that's rocky in parts. If you're lucky and the gate's open, you can drive all the way to the top.
Now, for a little heads-up: this area has naturally occurring uranium and radium-266. In other words, low-level radiation. So, a HUGE no-no to going into any of the mines!
But, the views! At the summit, you'll find a fire lookout tower built in 1956. And the 360-degree panoramic views? They're mind-blowing, stretching over 100 miles in every direction. It’s tucked away in the Salome Wilderness. Trust me, it's worth the white-knuckle drive!
Where is it?
Aztec Peak is a road to the highest point of Sierra Anchas is located in Usa (north-america). Coordinates: 41.9078, -101.3300
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 160.9 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,361 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 41.9078, -101.3300
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