Gila-Pinal Scenic Road

Gila-Pinal Scenic Road is a stretch of US Highway 60 climbing from the Sonoran Desert floor between the Pinal and Superstition Mountains toward Globe and Miami, Arizona. Sources differ on the exact mileage, with the core scenic segment measured at roughly 26 miles and a fuller stretch through Superior closer to 35, but either way the drive packs in a dramatic elevation change in a short distance. Leaving the desert floor east of Florence Junction, the highway passes beneath Picketpost Mountain's distinctive silhouette, threads through the old copper-mining town of Superior, and climbs steadily through four distinct biotic communities, from saguaro-studded lowland desert to oak woodland and chaparral, before reaching Globe and neighboring Miami. Allowing two to three hours lets travelers stop at the overlooks that mark the transition between desert zones, rather than just driving the grade. It's one of the more dramatic short elevation climbs in Arizona's scenic road system, connecting the Phoenix side of the Sonoran Desert to the mountain mining towns of the Copper Corridor.

• US Highway 60
• ~26-35 miles
• Florence Junction to Globe/Miami
• Picketpost Mountain
• Superior copper-mining town
• four biotic communities