Basics
- Location:
- Safford to Mammoth
- Setting:
- Mountainous
- Surface:
- Rough Dirt or Gravel
- Suitable Vehicle:
- 4wd Vehicle
- Length:
- 20 miles oneway
- Season:
- Drivable year round, but summer is hot
Description
Rug Road got its name from the remnants of carpet that people have used to fill holes and ledges along the road to make it more passable. The road is one of the roughest roads in the southeastern Arizona - it is not for the faint of heart. Travel on the Rug Road requires a good high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle and experience driving in these conditions. The road transverses Table Mountain between Turkey Creek on the east end and Mammoth on the west end. It is only about 20 miles long but will take a full day to traverse. You may want to plan for two days to be safe and to let your body recuperate from the rugged road!
Details
Location:
Safford to Mammoth
Setting:
Mountainous
Surface:
Rough Dirt or Gravel
Suitable Vehicle:
4wd Vehicle
Length:
20 miles oneway
Main Roads:
Klondyke Rd
Season:
Drivable year round, but summer is hot
Additional Details:
This is a serious four-wheel-drive road.
Map + Directions
Basic Directions
To reach Turkey Creek, drive 15 miles northwest of Safford on Highway 70. Turn west on Aravaipa-Klondyke Road and go approximately 45 miles, passing through the town of Klondyke, to the Aravaipa Canyon trailhead parking lot. Turn left and travel up Turkey Creek for two miles. The Rug Road leaves Turkey Creek just below the confluence of Oak Grove Canyon and Turkey Creek. The west end of the road begins across the San Pedro River from Mammoth.
