Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Road Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Road

From the Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Road is a 76-mile Arizona byway climbing from the Sonoran Desert near Globe to the Ponderosa pine forests around Payson. It follows State Routes 260, 288, and 188 along with a stretch of Forest Road 512 through the Tonto National Forest. Locally it's also known as the Young Highway, for the small, remote community of Young that sits roughly at its midpoint. The road gains more than 5,000 feet of elevation over its length, starting among saguaro and prickly pear at 2,100 feet, climbing past McFadden Peak, dropping into Young, and rising again toward the pine-covered Mogollon Rim before descending into Payson. Along SR 288, the route offers wide views over Theodore Roosevelt Lake, one of the country's earliest large-scale water reclamation projects, and passes near Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, home to what's believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. Much of the route is paved, but the stretch near Honey Creek Divide turns to dirt, so high-clearance vehicles and dry weather are worth planning around before setting out.

• Globe to Payson (~76 miles)
• SR-260 / SR-288 / SR-188 / FR-512
• aka Young Highway
• Theodore Roosevelt Lake views
• Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
• 2,100 to 7,600 ft elevation gain
• Tonto National Forest