This ride starts in Phoenix or Mesa. Head east on US Highway 60 (the Superstition Freeway), exiting at the Power Rd. exit in east Mesa. Go north on Power Rd. (back over the freeway) and follow this out about 9 miles. Here you will crest a hill and begin dropping down a steep hill to the Salt River. The road runs along the riverbank for a mile or so and the country begins to be great upper Sonoran desert. Follow the road past Blue Point which is where you cross the river on to where the sign says Saguaro Lake. Turn right and drop down to the lake. There is a restaurant that serves OK food at the marina. It used to be that you could drive another mile or so down along the lake to a turn around point, but like all things the government now charges you to do this. There are several nice picnic tables along this road if you do decide to go in. Go back out the way you came to the lake. Now you turn right or north on what is known as Bush Highway. Continue traveling north to the stop sign and intersection with Hwy. 87. If you turn right you would be heading toward Payson, but we are not going that way today. Turn left and go eight miles down Hwy 87 aka the Beeline Highway to the light at the Fort McDowell casino. Turn right and follow this north to East Mohave Rd. and follow this left as it veers off. In about 3.7 miles from the turn off of Hwy 87 near the casino you will tee up with N. Saguaro Blvd. Take this for .6 of a mile to N. Fountain Hills Blvd. Again take a right turn and follow this road out of Fountain Hills. This road becomes N. McDowell Mountain Rd. and shoots north 8.5 miles or so to Rio Verde. Rio Verde is a rich retiree’s golf playground. Lots of nice houses and seniors running around in golf carts. So, as you come into this area be on the alert for not-so-alert seniors! There are not many services out here so don’t plan on stopping. Another mile north and you come to a 90 degree left turn. You have to take this or straight ahead is only gravel. There often is gravel on this turn so again watch your speed. Now the pavement is called E. Rio Verde Drive, and it heads straight up the hill for 9.8 miles. At this point you have crested the hill and are going down again. Before you leave this area look back for a huge view of Four Peaks and the surrounding mountains. Magnificent. Now turn left or south on N. Alma School Rd. and travel about .6 of a mile past Reata Pass (a very good steak house) and down to a small sign on your left saying Greasewood flats ¼ mile. Take this left and VERY carefully negotiate the dirt road to its end. You are now at Greasewood as we call it. This place is best visited on a Sunday afternoon, when it becomes full of people on motorcycles, cowboys and tourists. It really is an interesting mix! The burgers are big and delicious and there is live country music on the weekends. In the winter months it does get chilly at this elevation above the valley, so they put out 55 gallon oil drums on their sides with part of the side cut out to burn wood in. Novel but it works. Be sure you have packed appropriately or you will have a cold run back down to town, guess how I know. When you do leave Greasewood, take a left and follow the road on past Pinnacle Peak Patio (another great steak house with thousands of cut off ties hanging inside to prove they don’t want you dressed up out here) to the stop sign. Here take a right onto E. Happy Valley Rd. for two miles down to the light at Pima Rd. On the way down you can see the Phoenix metro area spread out beneath you. At night it is especially outstanding as you can see millions of lights! Once southbound or left on Pima, just follow it back into town.

Visit MapQuest for the maps of this ride
Click on the web addresses below
Note: You will always want to click on “Big Map” which is on the upper right hand corner of the initial map to get your proper starting map.

mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?zoom=5&city=Mesa&state=AZ

MapQuest showing Rio Verde and then E. Rio Verde Drive
mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?zoom=6&city=Rio%20Verde&state=AZ

For this and other great rides, check out my book 25 Greatest Southwest Motorcycle Rides available on my web site at southwestmotorcyclerides.com or at finer motorcycle stores in the Valley. The book makes a GREAT Christmas gift for those who ride in your life!

Enjoy the ride, enjoy the cooler weather, and keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down. Catch you on the road!