Best Of Tucson®

Best Desert Road Segment to Feel Terror and Joy Simultaneously

Gates Pass

Have you ever felt absolute fear for your life and total exhilaration at the same time? Maybe you have. But if you haven't done it at the top of a pass between two enormous mountains, you'd better get to Gates Pass. When you go, don't be the driver, so you can concentrate on the beautiful view as you reach the pass: a vast valley bordered by towering mountains, jutting cliffs and saguaro forests. While you're looking, you'll likely also be visualizing careening over the cliffs. In any case, at Gates Pass, seeing "the other side of the mountain" is worth it.