Coronado Trail Scenic Byway (original) (raw)

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Coronado Trail Scenic BywayBy Ways2021-10-26T19:32:22-04:00

Coronado Trail Scenic Byway

State: Arizona
Length: 120 miles / 192.0 km
Time to Allow: Allow four to five hours of driving time. The road includes several stretches of 10 mph curves, for a total of over 400 switchbacks.

The Coronado Trail Scenic Byway covers 123 miles of route 191 in southeastern East Arizona, right next to the border of New Mexico. While you can drive the byway in only four or five hours, you may want longer to explore the area. Expect to see deserts, forests, and Native American footpaths along with tons of historical sites. It’s the perfect road trip for those on a motorcycle as the route has over 460 curves making for an exciting adventure.

Starting in the north, the trail pick-ups in the town of Eagar with several places to spend the night for those looking for a mountain stay nearby. The Sunrise Park Resort offers a variety of outdoor activities not far away in the town of Greer. Take the kids to the R Lazy J Wildlife Ranch and the Heritage Center to learn about the region. The whole family might like the Little Bear Archaeological Site or fishing at Big Lake.

Continuing south, stop at the Nelson Reservoir for a day of fishing or camping. Nearby is the Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area with a trail to a small village called Rudd Creek Pueblo occupied since 1225 AD inside two large kivas. As the byways goes around the edge of the white mountains, the landscape fills with gorgeous views of aspen forests and wild meadows. The Escudilla Mountain is the third tallest peak in the state.

Near the town of Alpine, where 191 and 180 meet, sits Luna Lake, ready for vacationers looking for camping. The lake offers fantastic fishing, mountain scenery, and walking trails. Grab an ATV and enjoy some off-roading through the forest in Alpine or go cross country skiing in the winter. Kids will enjoy treasuring hunting with high-tech geocaching games.

As the byway continues south, the area ignores the world with massive amounts of scenery and very few modern amenities dotting the landscape. The Blue Range Primitive Area takes up a large part of the east side of the highway with tons of options for hiking, camping, biking, fishing, horseback riding, and nature viewing. Follow the Blue River down for even more adventure all the way to the San Francisco River that leads into New Mexico.

Along the route, you can stop at several camping grounds like the Granville Campground, with 11 campsites 16 miles north of Clifton. Horse corrals at the north end of the camp give vacationers more options. The Juan Miller Campground offers more amenities, and it’s close to Mitchell Peak and the Chase Creek Overlook. Stop for copper at the Morenci Mine before finishing the trip in Clifton.

The town offers amenities and the Greenlee Historical Museum, and even the Old Clifton Jail. A ton of unique architecture makes this a great place to stop for the night before ending with a slice of pizza at El Corralito. Before finishing the byway, make sure to hike the Pigeon Loop Trailhead. With several unique stores in town, you can grab some unique souvenirs before planning your next trip.

More Arizona Byways

You can check out additional Byways in Arizona by clicking on the list of byways below, or by going to the Arizona Byways home section. To find even more of scenic byways in the United States, visit our scenic byways map.

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