Canyon Lake is a long, narrow reservoir tucked into the Sonoran Desert about eighteen kilometres north-east of Apache Junction, and it is the first real surprise on the Apache Trail. After the saguaro cactus and dry rocks, the water is a startling blue, with red canyon walls rising straight out of it. The lake was created in the 1920s by Mormon Flat Dam on the Salt River, one of a chain of dams that provide Phoenix with water and power, and it has become a favourite for boating and fishing. A small paddle-wheel boat, the Dolly Steamboat, takes visitors on cruises along the canyon.
The Apache Trail itself, Highway 88, was built in the early 1900s as a construction road for Theodore Roosevelt Dam, and the stretch past Canyon Lake is where it starts to twist. The road runs along the north shore in a series of tight curves, with the Superstition Mountains forming a jagged skyline to the south, and pull-outs let you look out over the water. It is paved up to this point and slightly beyond, and the surface is generally good, though the verges are soft and rock falls happen. Weekends, particularly in spring, can be busy with cars and boats.
The Superstitions are famous for the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine, a story about a prospector who supposedly found a rich vein and died without revealing its location. Many have searched, a few have died looking, and the mountains still hold their secrets. Whether or not you believe in the gold, the scenery is impressive, with saguaro, cholla and brittlebush covering the slopes and, in a wet spring, a carpet of poppies.
Summer is brutally hot, with temperatures well over forty degrees, so the best months are October to April. Carry plenty of water, wear sun protection, and take care on the hairpins. Apache Junction, about seventeen kilometres to the south-west, is the nearest town of any size and has fuel, supermarkets and restaurants, so fill the tank and your bottles there. Tortilla Flat, further along the road, has a small shop and restaurant with dollar bills pinned all over the walls. The pavement ends beyond that, and the rest of the trail is graded dirt, which suits a dual-sport better than a cruiser.