Bush Highway is a
scenic highway
A scenic route, tourist road, tourist drive, scenic byway, or holiday road is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by scenic viewpoints. The designation is usually det ...
in the US state of
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
. It begins at the northern end of
Power Road in
Mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...
and extends northeasterly through the
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing , is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the ninth largest national forest in the United States. The forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet (427 m) in ...
to the Beeline Highway. The highway was named for local resident Harvey Grandville Bush in the 1930s.
The road continues south beyond its terminus as Power Road, a major road within the cities of Mesa,
Gilbert, and
Queen Creek
Queen Creek is a town in Maricopa and Pinal counties, Arizona, United States. The population was 59,519 at the 2020 census, and is at a population of 83,700 as of 2024. It is a suburb of Phoenix, located in the far southeast area of the Ph ...
.
Route description
Bush Highway begins at the northern end of Power Road at the northern boundary of
Mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...
and continues northward. Near the
Salt River, the roadway turns to the northeast into
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing , is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the ninth largest national forest in the United States. The forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet (427 m) in ...
. The highway runs over the
Arizona Canal
The Arizona Canal is a major canal in central Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County that led to the founding of several communities, now among the wealthier neighborhoods of suburban Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, constructed in the late 1880s. ...
and past the
Granite Reef Dam. The highway continues along the Salt River near its confluence with the
Verde River
The Verde River ( Yavapai: Haka'he:la) is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about long and carries a mean flow of at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona.
Description
The ri ...
and past
Red Mountain. It crosses the river on the Blue Point Bridge, which is a location used traditionally as the start of tubing trips down the river. From there, the road continues northerly past the
Stewart Mountain Dam and
Saguaro Lake to connect with
State Route 87 (Beeline Highway).
History
The highway was named after Harvey Granville Bush, a Mesa lumberman. Construction on what was then called "The Harvey Bush Highway" began on March 21, 1933. The road opened to the public in 1934.
Major intersections
See also
*
*
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
Tonto National Forest Recreation Areas
Roads in Arizona
Transportation in Maricopa County, Arizona