US Highway 191: Get ready for twists &
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US HIGHWAY 191, ARIZONA—
[Getting There][Lodging][RoadTrip
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Eastern Arizona is reputed to have one of
the curviest stretches of pavement in the continental forty-eight.
I set out to see just HOW twisty it is.
The route lies between Clifton and Alpine,
Arizona, on US-191. From Phoenix, I picked up the route at Clifton.
This road trip goes past mining towns, the Blue River Primitive
Area, and the White Mountains. The "twisties" begin north
of Clifton and mostly end at Hannagan Meadow. Beyond Hannagan, the
curves are lazier and the road meanders through the forest the last
few miles into Alpine.
Clifton and neighbor Morenci are mining
towns. Copper mining is a depressed industry, so these towns appear
to be slowly dying. But there is history here. Geronimo, the famous
Apache war chief, may have been born here, and the dramatic cliffs
that surround these towns give ample evidence for the original name:
"Cliff Town." I stopped at the old railroad depot, and
at the "cliff jail," blasted into solid rock. The plaque
nearby says it was "built" in 1881 or 1882, and the first
person confined was the guy that blasted it out. Some reward for
his labors!
Morenci "Open Pit"
Copper Mine
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Leaving town, you pass the Phelps Dodge
mine. I can't say an open pit mine is beautiful, but this one is
impressive. Everything is on a huge scale: the ore trucks, for example,
have 10-foot tall tires. It is one of the largest open pit mines
in the world, and you can get a bird's eye view from an overlook
along the highway.
From Morenci, US-191 winds into the mountains.
I counted 435 curves between the city limit and the town of Alpine,
92 miles away. There are twice that many lesser curves, what I'd
call "directional adjustments." You climb from about 3500
feet to almost 9000 in elevation. The route passes the vast lands
of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Blue River Primitive Area, and
the pine and aspen forests of the White Mountains.
Next> The
Blue River Primitive Area 1|2
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