There are some hikes and backroad trips in that 26 miles that are fascinating. I’d start with Devils canyon hiking and the back roads from the Top of the World.
I wish I had had time to get out and hike and take some back roads. There are a few square miles there that could take a lifetime to explore. Seriously rugged country.
Hear! Hear! A fascinating drive it is.
Setting aside all the copper mining -- which, evidently, is simply a matter of turning a mountain inside out -- the drive down Queen Creek Canyon is a trip.
For one thing, it's all rock. Just 100% ROCK!. And there are no rounded edges on the rock. All squared-off, sharp edges (nicely complimenting the only vegetation -- yucca). One of the most inhospitable geographys I've ever seen. <
And, then, there is that remnant of the old road thru the canyon, after the tunnel, below and behind the one soaring, arching, curving bridge over the creek. It's down at creek level and there is a parking lot before it narrows to one lane and winds its way up a steep grade to the old tunnel (also one-way).
You can almost see the model Ts, Pierce Arrows and Hupmobiles in the parking lot, waiting for their radiators to cool before they attempt that grade when the right-of-way reverses at the top of the hour. <
One of the best 26 miles in the USA. Competitive with, say, Oak Creek Canyon, Mulholland Drive, CA-1 on the Monterey Coast, the Verazzano Narrows bridge, Trail Ridge Road, the Million Dollar Highway et al.