Control Road #38 Scenic Drive

This rough, winding road that snakes up the northeastern slopes of the Santa Catalinas was the first major access route built to the upper reaches of the Santa Catalina Mountains. While some residents refer to the road as the Old Mt. Lemmon Highway, the name Control Road is as old as the route itself. When this was the only road up the mountain, it was so narrow in some places that, if two cars met going in opposite directions, they would be unable to pass. The only way to avoid total gridlock was to control the road by making its narrow upper segment a one-way road on which the direction of travel was switched at regular intervals. Though the paved Catalina Highway is now the major access route to the mountain top, the control road still serves as a popular sight-seeing route for those willing to brave a little rough driving.  In addition to the fact it is not paved, the Control Road differs from the Catalina Highway in another significant way. The highway, and most of the trails that scale the Santa Catalinas, are concentrated on the range’s southwestern slopes. The Control Road winds down Mt. Lemmon’s northeastern shoulder, offering a different perspective on the mountain and its surroundings. If you approach the old road via the Catalina Highway, it drops off a high ridge just north of the Loma Linda Picnic Area. As it winds its way down the mountain, through an area of old mines and ranches, the road provides broad overlooks of the grassy, oak-covered foothills to the east. In the distance, the San Pedro Valley stretches to the Galiuro Range. Farther in the distance, the upper slopes of the Pinaleno Mountains and their northern neighbors, the Santa Teresas, are visible through low passes in the Galiuros.

At a Glance