National Scenic Byway · Arizona

Coronado Trail Scenic Byway

US 191 winds 460 curves from the copper mines of Clifton-Morenci up to 9,000-foot forests and mountain meadows.

Also known as US 191 (Clifton to Springerville)

Coronado Trail Scenic Byway: Autumn Colors along the Trail

Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source

  • Length123 miles[1]ADOT's scenic roads list gives 103 miles for the designated road.
  • Drive timeFour to five hours of driving[1]FHWA's "time to allow"; ADOT calls it a three-hour road trip
  • RoadsUS 191 and US 180[2]
  • Start and endClifton-Morenci to Springerville-Eagar[3]
  • Fees and passesNo fees on the road itself; some campgrounds charge.[1]
  • Best seasonNot verified
  • SurfacePaved; the highway was completely paved by 1962.[3]
  • Vehicle notesVery twisty mountain highway: ADOT counts 460 curves, and FHWA notes more than 400 switchbacks. It climbs to about 9,000 feet.[3]
  • Seasonal closuresNot verified

Before you go

Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.

About the drive

The Coronado Trail follows US 191 north from Clifton and Morenci, climbing out of high desert past one of the world's largest open-pit copper mines and into the pine, fir and aspen of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

It's a slow road on purpose. ADOT counts 460 curves, traffic is light, and the top of the climb reaches about 9,000 feet. Plan on four to five hours and use the pullouts for the views.

Hannagan Meadow, where the road was dedicated in 1926, makes a good break. The drive ends in the Springerville-Eagar area, home to the Casa Malpais archaeological park.

Stops along the way

  1. Hannagan Meadow

    Mountain meadow where the road was dedicated in 1926.

    Official information · 33.64228, -109.32398 · about 0.0 mi from the route line

  2. Nelson Reservoir

    Lake along the highway in the Apache-Sitgreaves forests.

    Official information · 34.05645, -109.1909 · about 0.1 mi from the route line

  3. Casa Malpais Archaeological Park

    Archaeological park in Springerville.

    Official information · 34.13243, -109.28168 · about 0.0 mi from the route line

Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

Sources

  1. America's Byways: Coronado Trail Scenic Byway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
  2. List of Scenic Roads (Arizona Department of Transportation) (checked 2026-10-22)
  3. Coronado Trail leads to Arizona's heavenly high country (ADOT blog, Oct 7 2016) (checked 2026-10-22)
  4. Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.

Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).

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