Published November 29, 2022, for State 48 A2Z
Arizona is not short on interesting monikers for its towns with names like Why, Snowflake, Fairbanks, Bagdad, Surprise, Carefree, Nothing, and Tombstone, among many others. They all have interesting stories (or legends) surrounding how they were named and some of these stories may even be true. That is also the case with this once stagecoach stop nestled in the Superstition Mountains on the Apache Trail.
While the town of Tortilla Flat’s modern history dates to 1904 when it started serving as a stagecoach stop along the Apache Trail, its deeper history can be traced back to early Native American occupation, in addition to Spanish expeditions back in the 1700s. Pre-modern history of Tortilla Flat indicates there was a creek running through it that was used by the Yavapai to move freely through the Superstition Mountains. In the 16th century, the area saw Spanish expeditions make their way through searching for gold. More specifically, they were searching for the legendary “Seven Cities of Gold”. In more recent pre-US history, it has been reported that Don Miguel Peralta of Mexico supposedly managed to amass a large amount of gold from this area in 1847 and 1848.
But modern-day Tortilla Flat got its start because of the need to build a road through the Superstitions heading northeast to provide access to crews that building the Roosevelt Dam. As stagecoach travel was extremely slow, it was necessary to place a stop between Phoenix and the new dam site for the freight haulers delivering materials to the site. This was the dawn of Tortilla Flat. As the dam was complete, the resulting Roosevelt Lake became a large tourist attraction and that meant an increase in stagecoach travel and travelers through this mountain town through the 1930s.
Most of Tortilla Flat was severely damaged by a flood in 1942 resulting in many of its residents moving away. In the 1980s a fire destroyed the mercantile store, restaurant, and motel. Most of the existing buildings today were reconstructed following that fire with the mercantile being rebuilt in 2009.
But why the name Tortilla Flat? According to the legends, there are two possible explanations, and either could be true or, maybe they are both true.
The first explanation, which to me is the most plausible, is that it was named from a nearby Butte that has a flat “tortilla” shape to it. The second, and the most fun explanation, is that the name was given by Tonto Basin pioneer, John Cline who claimed to be stranded in the area for several days due to flash flooding back in 1867 with nothing to eat but tortillas. This group quickly ran out of food and had nothing left to eat except flour, so they made Tortillas to get them through.
No matter how it was named, Tortilla Flat today is a well-preserved, last of the stagecoach towns in Arizona. The town today has a population of six people. However, it swells daily (Especially on weekends) as locals and tourists still flock to the area while driving the Apache Trail from Apache Junction to Roosevelt Lake, or maybe visiting the nearby Canyon Lake.
In 2019, Katie Ellering and RTDK Management (according to a 2021 Article from the Arizona Republic), bought the town as a 20-year lease from Tonto National Forest, and have spent roughly half a million dollars on improvements to the two-block town, keeping it as it was while modernizing where they needed to such as on electrical and restrooms.
The result of their hard work is shown daily as vehicles line the street to visit, shop, and dine. The existing buildings include a mercantile shop, a saloon/restaurant, an old schoolhouse, a jail, and more. While you’re here, stop by nearby Canyon Lake for some boating or fishing to fill out your day.
The Apache Trail leading to Tortilla Flat is not for the squeamish. If you cannot handle narrow switchback mountain roads with limited guardrails and a couple of one-lane bridges, then this is not the trip for you. For the others, the views are amazing and photographic, and it is well worth the experience if for nothing else but the scenery.
That’ll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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