I try to make sure that, at least once during the Fall season, we drive the Rim Road. This is a Forest Service road (#300) that goes from Hwy 87 above Strawberry to Hwy 260 near Woods Canyon Lake.
The road starts out in forest, tall Ponderosa pines, with Oak that turn nice yellows and golds. There are spots along where one gets glimpses of reds and oranges where there are pockets of other tree types. The road then winds closer to the edge of the Mogollan Rim. At spots, it also passes through areas of past forest fires.
This picture is the view from an outlook point. The day I took it the wind was blowing like a son-of-a-gun! Even on a calm day the wind pours up the side of the Rim, but this day I could hardly stand against it.
Depending on the light and the lookout point one can see many, many layers of mountains. From over near Hwy 260 one can even see the top of Superstition Mountain, down near Phoenix. It's like being on top of the world!
The map below follows the Rim Road. I added the blue line to make it a little easier to see. (Use the "hand" to move it down a touch- for some reason it isn't centered). Try looking at it in the "terrain" version.
The road IS dirt, and can be rough. You don't need 4 wheel drive, but you DO need something with some ground clearance that can take the bumps.
View the Rim Road, Northern Arizona in a larger map
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