Is the Apache Trail (AZ-88) a good drive in a supercar?

The Apache Trail (State Route 88) is a great supercar drive for its first half and a bad idea for its second half. The paved run from Apache Junction to Tortilla Flat is about 18 miles of tight canyon corners, big desert views, and a swing past Canyon Lake. That part is made for a fast car. Pavement ends at Tortilla Flat, and past it SR 88 drops into a rough, one-lane dirt road through the Superstition Mountains. A low, expensive supercar has no business on that surface. The right move is to enjoy the pavement out to Tortilla Flat and turn around. Renters often ask about the Apache Trail, and the short version is the same every time: the pavement is the drive, and the dirt past Tortilla Flat is where a rented supercar gets hurt.

Which part of the Apache Trail should you actually drive?

Drive the paved section from Apache Junction to Tortilla Flat, roughly 18 miles one way. SR 88 begins at U.S. Route 60 in Apache Junction, on the east edge of the Phoenix metro, and the road stays paved from there to the tiny stop at Tortilla Flat. This is the good stuff: the road climbs and twists along the flanks of the Superstition Mountains, with real elevation change and corners that ask something of the car.

The scenic high point comes about halfway, at Canyon Lake. The route runs right past the water near Mormon Flat Dam, and the approach curves are tight enough to be fun and open enough to be safe at a legal pace. From Scottsdale, the drive to the SR 88 start is short. Take the Loop 202 or surface roads southeast to Apache Junction, then pick up SR 88 north. Figure about 45 minutes to an hour from central Scottsdale to the trailhead, then the paved 18 miles out and back.

This is a corner road, not a straight-line road. That matters for car choice, which we get to below. It rewards steering feel, strong brakes, and a car that changes direction cleanly, more than it rewards raw top speed. A round trip on the paved section is under 40 miles, so it fits easily inside a normal daily mileage allowance, with plenty of room to add other driving.

Why you must turn around at Tortilla Flat

Pavement ends at Tortilla Flat, and everything past it is unpaved dirt. Per Wikipedia's route description, SR 88 "becomes an unpaved dirt trail winding eastward through the Superstition Mountains" once it leaves Tortilla Flat. This is not smooth graded dirt. The stretch beyond Tortilla Flat includes Fish Creek Hill, a steep, narrow, one-lane section of switchbacks with rockfall, ruts, and sheer drop-offs.

The history tells you how rough it is. A 5-mile unpaved segment of SR 88 was closed from 2019 until September 2024 after the Woodbury Fire and the flooding that followed tore up the road. When the Arizona Department of Transportation reopened it, the agency told drivers to "check the weather forecast before traveling, be confident in their vehicles and be comfortable negotiating the 1.5-mile section at Fish Creek Vista," which ADOT calls "steep and more winding and narrow than other parts of SR 88." That is rough, unpaved mountain terrain, and a low Ferrari 458 or McLaren 600LT is the opposite of what it takes.

Two hard reasons to stop at Tortilla Flat:

1. Clearance and damage. A supercar rides low. The Ferrari 458 Italia and the McLaren 600LT sit close to the ground by design, with front splitters built for smooth tarmac. On rock and washboard dirt, you scrape, crack the underbody, curb the wheels, and pepper the paint with stone chips. Under an exotic rental agreement, damage in your care is billed at the actual repair cost plus an administrative fee, and significant damage can add a diminished-value charge on top.
2. Prohibited use. Exotic rentals limit where the car can go. Taking a rented supercar off pavement onto a dirt mountain road is the kind of prohibited, off-road use that can void the insurance and leave you responsible for the whole bill. That risk is not worth a few miles of dirt you did not come to drive anyway.

So the drive plan is clean: run the paved 18 miles, park at Tortilla Flat, take in Canyon Lake and the mountains, and turn back. You get the best of the road and none of the risk.

Weather and timing that make or break the drive

Time the drive around Arizona's monsoon. The National Weather Service sets the monsoon season on a fixed calendar, June 15 through September 30. In those months, afternoon storms build fast and bring heavy rain, blowing dust, and flash flooding. The Apache Trail runs through canyons and washes where water rises quickly, which is exactly why the road flooded out after 2019. The fix is simple timing: go in the morning and be back before the late-day storms fire.

If you do hit weather, know the rules. If blowing dust cuts your visibility, ADOT's guidance is to pull fully "off the paved portion of the roadway," not stop in a travel lane or on the shoulder, and wait it out. On flash flooding, ADOT's own advice is blunt: "don't drive through a desert wash that is flooded." The National Weather Service reports that just 12 inches of moving water can float and carry off most cars, so if you see water running across the road, turn around. A rented supercar does not change that math.

Heat is the other factor. Phoenix summers routinely pass 110 degrees, and the metro set a record of 31 straight days at or above 110 in 2023. Start with a full tank of premium fuel, carry water, and never leave a person or pet in a parked car. If you are driving in high heat with a passenger and want comfort over a sharp coupe, the Lamborghini Urus S is the easy pick: a 657-horsepower SUV with all-wheel drive, a 22.5-gallon tank, and real air-conditioned space. Just remember the Urus is a road SUV, not an off-roader for the Tortilla Flat dirt.

Speed, the law, and the kind of driving the road rewards

The paved Apache Trail is a place for smooth, legal driving, not speed. It is a two-lane road with blind corners, oncoming traffic, cyclists, and sightseers pulling over for photos. The reward here is the rhythm of the corners, not a number on the speedometer. That plays to a certain kind of car.

Keep it legal, because Arizona treats big overages as a crime. Under state law (A.R.S. 28-701.02), driving more than 20 mph over the posted limit is criminal excessive speeding, a class 3 misdemeanor that can carry up to 30 days in jail, not a simple civil ticket. In a rental, the citation follows the driver. The rental company hands over your information and the ticket and the points land on your own license. A loud, bright supercar draws eyes, so the calm drive is the smart drive.

Because this is corner work, a light and precise car shines. The Porsche 911 GT3 is built for exactly this: a 9,000-rpm naturally aspirated flat-six, rear-axle steering that tightens its line through slow bends, and a light, precise chassis. The McLaren 600LT is the same idea taken further, with a lightened carbon-tub body and a fixed rear wing tuned to plant the car in fast corners. If you want the value pick, the BMW M2 Competition is a compact, rear-drive coupe with a 405-horsepower twin-turbo inline-six that is happy to be flicked through canyon curves all day.

Which car should you take on the Apache Trail?

Match the car to a paved canyon road, and keep it off the dirt. For pure driving on the paved 18 miles, a 911 GT3 or a 600LT turns the corners past Canyon Lake into the highlight of the day. For heat, luggage, and a relaxed cruise with a passenger, the Urus S or the Corvette Z06 covers the ground in comfort while still sounding like an event. Whatever you pick, the plan is the same: enjoy the pavement, stop at Tortilla Flat, and turn around before the road turns to dirt.

Daily rates, specs, and mileage terms can change, so confirm current pricing and your car's mileage allowance when you book. Tell us the Apache Trail is your plan and we will steer you to the right car for a paved canyon run, confirm the day's mileage, and have it ready anywhere in Scottsdale. Call or text (623) 400-3031, or send a DM to @grantmotorgroup on Instagram, and we will get you pointed toward Canyon Lake.