Swift Trail Scenic Drive

Swift Trail Scenic Drive starts in the desert valley and climbs Mt. Graham to dense forest and cool temps compared to the valley. The highway, beginning 7 miles south of Safford, shoots straight through the desert scrubland toward the Pinaleno Mountains and the sky island of lush, forested mountain peak rising from the desert. The sweeping parkway quickly gives way to dramatic switchbacks and tight turns as it begins to climb the diverse mountains, home to 10,720-foot Mount Graham, the tallest peak in the range and the third tallest in Arizona. In less than 35 miles, travelers find themselves about 6,000 feet higher and 20 degrees cooler than when they started from desert to spruce, and everything else in between, in an hour-and-a-half. But this stunning drive deserves far more than 90 minutes. Travelers should plan at least four hours for the 72-mile round trip. From November 15 to April 15, the Forest Service closes the top of the Swift Trail near Hospital Flat, about 22 miles from US Route 191, due to winter weather. At the junction of State 366 and US 191, motorists should reset their odometers to better pinpoint destinations along the trail. At about 3,200 feet, the area around the junction thrives with the resilient plants that are signatures of the desert: paloverdes trees, ocotillo, prickly pear and saguaro cacti. But the scenery outside the car window rapidly changes as the road heads into the peaks. About 4 miles into the drive, the parkway enters Coronado National Forest and the scrub gives way to Sonoran grassland. The gently rolling hills change to cliffs and canyons. A dirt road turns off the parkway around mile 6, leading 1 mile to Jacobson Overlook, an impressive panoramic view of the Gila River Valley. Sage and dense stands of oak now cover the steep slopes alongside the road, though prickly pear, yuccas and smooth, red-barked manzanitas still stand alongside them.