Small Group Apache Trail Day Tour with Dolly Steamboat from Phoenix
Description
Spend the day following the historic Apache Trail on a guided true wilderness adventure. Enjoy a visit to Goldfield Ghost Town, Tortilla Flat, and a boat ride on Canyon Lake. It's a perfect day out in the Sonoran Desert. Enjoy this small-group tour limited to just 13 people in a custom van with leather captain's chairs.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Only minutes from the city, the Apache Trail is the perfect way to experience the beauty of the Sonoran desert. Arizona’s first designated “Historic Highway” and a scenic byway, the original Apache Trail was a footpath by which the local Apache Tribe traveled through the Superstition Mountains.
View these stunning desert mountains as you drive along the Apache Trail
During your tour along the Apache Trail, you will also be treated to a steamboat cruise on Canyon Lake by the famous Dolly Steamboat.
As part of the six mile narrated nature cruise, there may be opportunities to see bighorn sheep, bald eagles, and a host of other desert animals as well as unforgettable views of 1,300 ft. volcanic cliff walls of Canyon Lake.
Tortilla Flat has become a fixture of the Apache Trail since its inception in 1904. Not fire, drought, or bandits could destroy this hearty stage stop which holds onto its rich tradition through its architecture and unique decorating sense. If you get too warm, you can quite literally “saddle up” to the bar and enjoy a cold beverage to cool you down. This rugged landscape in the Sonoran Desert has been the jewel that some men were looking for with the most famous involving the Lost Dutchman Mine. Rumored to have found the largest gold vein in the west, German immigrant Jacob Waltz trusted his newly found gold deposit to no one and the secret of its location was buried with him. If you have the “golden eye” maybe you can spot it while on tour!
Two of the more colorful stops along the Apache Trail are Goldfield Ghost Town and Tortilla Flat.
Goldfield, aptly named after the precious metal found in the area, was incorporated in 1892. For five long years this town was a gold miner’s paradise, however, soon after the vein stopped producing Goldfield quickly turned into a gold mining ghost town. During the tour you will have a chance to spend time in this restored ghost town practicing your gold panning techniques, marveling at the original mining gear, or even spending some time at Lu Lu’s Bordello if you dare.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please note: We do not pick up at private residences and we do not guarantee pickup for all hotels. Even if your hotel is on the list, there may be a chance you'll need to meet at an alternate location. If need be, the supplier will determine a location you can meet to be picked up for your excursion. Tour supplier contact details will be provided on your pre-paid voucher. FOR LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS: Any tours booked after 7:00PM Arizona time the night before the tour date might not be confirmed. You will likely have to meet at another hotel for pick up. Our office will contact you prior to 6:00am on the tour date.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- DETOURS American West is not responsible for road or viewing conditions due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.
- Arizona state law requires children under 8 years to have either a child seat or booster. Child seats are not provided, please bring your own and notify supplier ahead of time.
- Minimum age is 3 years - you must notify supplier if you have any small children and confirm you will provide car seats.
- Wheelchairs or walkers that can fold up are acceptable on tour - you must notify supplier ahead of time
- You must let the supplier know if there are any mobility concerns that they should be aware of.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- FOR LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS: Any tours booked after 7:00PM Arizona time the night before the tour date might not be confirmed. You will likely have to meet at another hotel for pick up. Our office will contact you prior to 6:00am on the tour date.
- A snack bar is available on board the Dolly Steamboat with water, sodas, snacks, and alcohol. Cash only.*
Reviews(275)
The guide was friendly, informative, and great. The tour bus was top notch. Steamboat was relaxing. The entire tour was perfect. Strong recommendation for all future guests to Scottsdale.
Very enjoyable tour. 13 people all together, so not a small group. The tour guide/driver was very knowledgeable and navigated the winding roads like a pro. The steamboat Dolly ride on Canyon Lake was really nice. Make sure you board early so you can sit outside on the upper deck for the best view. Tortilla Flats was a really nice lunch spot. Goldfield Ghost Town stop wasn’t really our thing , others seemed to enjoy. It was nice to see everything and definitely came away with great info about the dessert.
This tour is a relaxed, see-a-lot-of-places tour. Our guide was really friendly, knowledgable about the area and superstition mountain, kept us on pace, and I could tell he enjoyed being a guide. Some highlights were the Goldfield Ghost Town, a great you-pay lunch at Tortilla Flats ( once a stage coach stop), and a boat ride on Canyon Lake and the Salt River aboard the Dolly Steamboat. We were flying home the next day, so this was a perfect, low stress tour to wind down our week in Arizona.
Great day with fun driver. Very informative and knowledgeable and you can see his compassion for life and its beauty. Highly recommend. Aldo was our guide!
A beautiful and well-organized tour. I really appreciated that they came to pick me up at the hotel even though it was not on the list. The guide was helpful and explained a lot of things. The cooler with water included was also very appreciated. The boat ride was nice, and especially having everything booked in advance and not having to wait in line.
Very beautiful scenery and informative. Our guide Jordan was great! He took it nice and slow around the winding road which was appreciated!
We had a great time and Jay our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. The steamboat trip was spectacular.
Fun adventure we took as a family, it lasted 8 hours, driver did a great job talking about history and locations of places we was going to and things along the way, We booked this as a way to see some places we wouldn't find on our own and I didn'thave to drive, the steam boat ride was a blast. The tour bus fit 14 people so it definitely was a small group
More communication on pickup location would be great! At least a day ahead of time. So people can plan accordingly. I checked my email and found the pickup location that morning. I was lucky to make it there in time to be picked up!
Enjoyed seeing more of the beautiful sites and learning more film history. The guide seemed to be in a hurry during the tour. The cost seemed high but did include admission to all of the sites visited. The entire tour lasted approximately 9 hours. 13 people on the tour. I would recommend this tour for anyone that can walk with minor aid.
