Let's talk about the road itself, because it's a legend among drivers. The Coronado Trail is famous as one of the crookedest, curviest, least-traveled federal highways in the entire United States — the people who count such things put the number of curves somewhere north of FOUR HUNDRED, hairpin after hairpin as the road writhes along the mountain crests. It is glorious, and it demands respect. So here's what you need to know: there are NO gas stations, no stores, and essentially no services along the roughly ninety miles between Alpine and Clifton, and little to no cell signal — so if your tank is under half, you should've filled it already. Take the curves slow, watch for elk and rockfall and the odd log truck, and use the turnouts to let the faster locals and the motorcyclists — who absolutely adore this road — slip on past. Don't fight it. The whole point of the Coronado Trail is that it simply cannot be rushed. Settle in, both hands on the wheel, and let it unspool.
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided · Public domain