Roosevelt Dam is a monument to the idea that the desert could be made to bloom. Completed in 1911 and dedicated by Theodore Roosevelt himself, it was among the first big projects of the new federal reclamation programme, designed to capture the Salt River and send its water to the farms and growing towns of the Phoenix valley. It was built of rough stone blocks, quarried on the spot, and is still one of the biggest masonry dams in the world, though later work has raised it and covered the stones in concrete.
Behind it lies Theodore Roosevelt Lake, the largest lake in Arizona, a long, blue, branching reservoir in the middle of the brown desert hills. The contrast is startling, and the lake is a favourite for boating, fishing and camping, with bald eagles nesting nearby in winter. A graceful arch bridge carries the highway across the water just below the dam, giving a good view of both structures, and on a still day the reflection is lovely.
The road here, the end of the Apache Trail, was built to carry the stone and supplies for the dam, and the old route is a wild piece of work, with steep, dusty hairpins and canyon walls, and the dam itself appearing suddenly around a bend. The last section of the trail is gravel and demands care, with loose surfaces, blind curves and big drops. It is a journey into the past, with much the same landscape the builders saw, studded with saguaros and ocotillo, and little traffic.
The area has few services, though the marina has a small store and cafe, and the village of Tonto Basin, about twenty kilometres to the east, has fuel and basic supplies. It is wise to arrive with a full tank and plenty of water, and to remember that mobile signal comes and goes. Tonto National Monument, a few miles away, protects cliff dwellings built by the Salado people some seven hundred years ago, and is well worth a visit. Summer heat is intense, so the best time is from October to April, and sunsets over the lake are glorious.