Serenity in the scenery on the Coronado Trail

Terence Corrigan
White Mountain Outdoors

In September 2005 the Federal government recognized the 120 miles of the Coronado Trail, from Round Valley to Clifton, as a National Scenic Byway. That recognition is a shame. The drive is so beautiful you don't want anyone else to know about it.

Work on the road was started in 1916. The proposed passage through the Blue Range Primitive Area was deemed by some to be impossible. "There ain't even a good horse trail," one cowboy is quoted as saying. To drive this highway, arguably one of the curviest roads in the nation, allow at least six hours. (That's an average speed of 20 mph.)

The best way to see a good helping of what this road has to offer is to start out from Round Valley in the early morning. If you start from the north end you'll pass through high alpine meadows and end up late in the day in the cactus country of the sonorandesert.

After Nutrioso and Alpine, the first place to stop is Hannagan Meadow. At the Hannagan Meadow Lodge you can get supplies or a meal and if you feel like stretching your legs there are several trailheads leading into the Blue Range wilderness. (As an alternative, consider spending the night at the Hannagan lodge and start out early for a more leisurely trip down the Coronado Trail.)

The first few miles south of Hannagan Meadow are relatively straight road. When you come to the modestly marked Blue Vista turnoff, stop. This vista alone is worth the entire trip. The scenery both west and east from this perch is without bounds. It is best seen during the hours of the day when the sun is close to the horizon - early mornings or late afternoons. The golden hued light and the distinct shadows created by the terrain create constantly changing scenery. Just when you think you've gotten the definitive photograph the light willchange and you'll see another must-have picture.

From the Vista you head south down a steep, seemingly endless series of switchbacks. Not far down from the Vista on the right side of the highway is the arrow tree. This dead pine is prickled with arrows. It makes you wish you'd brought a bow and arrow to add one of your own. There's even a pull out to park if you want to stick one of your own arrows, or just admire the handiwork of others.

The highway was originally U.S. Highway 666, and was referred to by many as the "Devil's Highway, three sixes being thought of as Satanic numbers. In the last few years the road was redesignated 191. The road's old number suggests Devilish forces at work. Trying to navigate the Coronado Trail at night or during a snowstorm is indeed a devilish task, but viewing the vistas of the ponderosa forests and meadows outside Alpine to the copper mines at its southern end is God's work not Satan's.