From Payson head east on to Highway 260 to the Young Highway.  Take Cherry Creek Road (road 203) from 288.  Proceed to Cherry creek road.

Warning
This road is strongly recommended for high clearance, 4x4 vehicles with the emphasis on "high clearance" such as Jeep and All Terrain Vehicles (ATV/UTV). Further, it would be wise to include a winch and tow straps to winch boulders and/or trees from the road or your own vehicle back onto the road.

The entire area is "out of range" for cellular phones and AAA wouldn't come out here on a bet.

Road maintenance has long since ceased on the Northern half of the road, travel is at your own risk.

Travel on this road is not advisable during the Monsoon Season. Long wheelbase 4x4's (Suburban, etc) are not recommended.

This 40 mile road passes through some of the most remote and inaccessible terrain in Arizona. Many of the canyons feeding into the main Cherry Creek Canyon are known to have centuries old cliff dwellings hidden high on the walls tucked under protective overhanging cliffs.

Around the year 950 AD, a new people, called the Salado, appeared and settled in the area we know today as the Sierra Ancha's. These people built their multiple family dwellings high above the floor of the 4,000 ft deep canyons to better ward off attacks from outside warring elements. Access to these dwellings is extremely hazardous but doable and they should be treated with the utmost respect when approached. Remember, this is our heritage, once it's gone, it's gone forever.

Other activities in the area included mining for minerals such as Uranium and Asbestos. Many of these now abandoned mines have open shafts and tunnels that can be explored. These mining areas are hazardous and caution should be exercised, remember, help is a long way off.