I've done some exploring in hopes of finding new bike
routes. I found 3 that are worth passing along. Note that
I only drove the roads - I haven't biked them. Maps with
profiles of the routes are in the BRAG-AZ files area. I
hope someone will decide to try these routes on a bike and
send in a report.

**SR-238** ("GB CG.PDF" )
Did you know there is a good paved road (not I-8) between
Gila Bend and Maricopa, then on to Casa Grande? SR-238
west of Maricopa is a find! It connects Maricopa with Gila
Bend and is paved all the way.

From Maricopa Rd (SR347) it goes west 40 miles paralleling
the railroad. It is 2 lanes chipseal with tarred cracks
with no paved shoulder for the first 15 miles, then it
improves. The road is new asphalt with wide paved shoulders
except for the last 3 miles next to the Gila Bend airport.
Going west from Maricopa, there is a gradual rise of 445'
to the high point at 23 miles, then descent of 873' for 18
miles into Gila Bend.

Because it follows the train tracks, the grades are very
gentle. Traffic is fast but light. Scenery is desert with
mountains in the distance and Saguaros in the higher areas.
No towns or services from a little west of the Estrella
Gliderport. It could be used as part of a Phx-GB-CG-Phx
loop route, and the Ak-Chin Casino is only about 3 miles
off the route.

SR-238 going southeast 19 miles from Maricopa to Casa
Grande is rideable, but not desireable. It climbs 260' in
20 miles, following the train tracks to Casa Grande. It is
2 lanes, no shoulder, with fast traffic including heavy
trucks. Road surface has tarred cracks. Scenery is boring
with dairy cows south of the road and farmlands to the
north. The road starts in Maricopa at the "California
Zephyr" train exhibit and only passes a couple paved cross
streets (White-Parker, Anderson) till it reaches Cottonwood
Rd in Casa Grande.

**Salome Rd** ("Salome Rd.PDF")
There is a very good bikeable route out to Salome that
avoids US60 and the hills of Wickenburg by going through
the Harquahala Plain. It is a county road variously named
Salome Rd, Buckeye-Salome Hwy, and Hassayampa-Salome Hwy.
I drove it from Wintersburg (near the Nuke) to Salome. It's
the "Dead Cow route."

The route is very good. Fairly interesting scenery - better
than I expected. It is much flatter and gentler than the
climbs on US 60 via Wickenburg. Little to no traffic -
similar to Vulture Mine Rd. Lots of gentle rollers. There
are a few cattleguards to watch out for. Roads are brand
new asphalt surface - no cracks, chuckholes or washouts.

There are a couple things to watch out for. At mile 5
there is a Y at 411th Ave/Tonopah Rd. Don't go right! You
make a left to go straight! At mile 10, turn left onto
Courthouse Rd. No other choice, since Salome Hwy pavement
ends. Spectacular mountain scenery, then farmland. At mile
18, turn right (N) on Harquahala Valley Rd (515th Ave) to
I-10 Fwy. Mile 24, cross I-10 on the bridge and you are
back on Salome Rd.

Mile 49 is the high point with the Salome outskirts in
view. Mile 51 has an Historical Marker - good rest stop.
Mile 55, Salome High School (on left). Mile 56,
intersection with US60. Salome has 3 motels, 2 restaurants
& a Quickie Mart, and there a few more amenities up the
road at Wenden.

**Vulture Mine Road** ("Vulture Mine Rd.PDF")
GABA used to have a 2-day Vulture Mine Century that used
this road, and Lynn & Donna did it one year. I'd never
been on the road until a couple months ago.

Vulture Mine road goes south 40 miles from Wickenburg to
I-10 a few miles to the east of the White Tanks and Sun
Valley Parkway. Vulture Mine Rd is a scenic, newly paved,
clean 2-lane road with a great surface, but not much
shoulder. There was no traffic. We saw less than 10 other
vehicles in 43 miles.

Vulture Mine Rd starts from at US60 at the Safeway 2 miles
from downtown Wickenburg. The road climbs for about 5 mi to
the high point of the route at 2740', then descends to the
low point of 840' at Palo Verde School over a distance of
48 miles. The steepest downhill is the 8 miles from the
high point to Vulture Ranch Rd.

We followed Vulture Mine Rd 22 miles, then turned SE on the
Wickenburg Rd for 13 miles and connected to 355th Ave and
continued South to the I-10.

tom adams




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