Roosevelt Lake is accessible using the Apache Trail and is 80 miles northeast from Phoenix. The lake can also be reached by a 20-mile drive on the paved Highway 88 from Globe, Arizona, or on the Beeline Highway, also known as State Route 87, from Mesa via State Route 188. To access the 25-mile long lake and its 112 miles of shorelines, visitors must purchase a Tonto Pass. In 2011, the fee was $6 per vehicle. ATV riders may need to obtain a free permit to ride in certain areas.
The Apache Trail is a scenic route between Apache Junction and Roosevelt Lake. The paved portion of the trail ends just after Tortilla Flat, but ATV riders can expect a well-graded route. The trail is accessible from Phoenix via U.S. Route 60 traveling east to State Road 88. The winding trail is 39.3 miles long from the Lost Dutchman State Park to Roosevelt Lake. Campgrounds are available along the route at Canyon Lake, Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake.
A three- to four-hour journey from Four Peaks Road to Roosevelt Lake gives riders a scenic ride through the desert, mountainous landscape. The trailhead is accessible from Mesa, Arizona, via State Route 87 until reaching Four Peaks Road, also known as Forest Route 143. Riders can also explore smaller trails that branch from the main route. Anyone picnicking, camping or hiking in the area should be aware that the area has one of the highest concentrations of black bears in the state.
Just south of the Four Peaks Road trail, riders can explore the expansive Rolls Off-Highway Vehicle Area. The trail system covers 27,000 acres and passes through the Sonoran Desert and a section of the Great Western Trail. The mountainous routes can be sandy at times and are found just west of Lake Roosevelt. From Phoenix, the trail system can be reached using State Route 87 and then traveling on the Bush Highway or Four Peaks Road to the trailheads.
