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Usery Pass Road and Bush Highway, Usery Mountains, Arizona
Photo: Z Glyph · CC BY 3.0 · cropped

Drives Arizona Phoenix and Central Arizona

Usery Pass Road and Bush Highway

Usery Pass · Mesa → Saguaro Lake

Leisurely10 mi15 min500 ft climbHigh point ≈ 2,100 ftOne way
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The drive

Usery Pass Road climbs out of east Mesa through saguaro over a low pass in the Usery Mountains. It passes Usery Mountain Regional Park, on Usery Pass Road, and then joins the Bush Highway, which sweeps down toward the Salt River with Four Peaks and Red Mountain in view.

The drive ends on Bush Highway at the turnoff to Saguaro Lake. It's short and gentle, a nearby desert-mountain run for people in the Phoenix area.

Along the way

  1. Mesa (McDowell Road)
  2. Saguaro Lake
Elevation
500 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 2,100 ft
MesaSaguaro Lake
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
MesaSaguaro Lake
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Parking at the river recreation sites along Bush Highway needs a Tonto Pass.
  • Usery Mountain Regional Park is on Usery Pass Road and has its own hours.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Tonto National Forest alerts.

Questions about this drive

How long does Usery Pass Road and Bush Highway take?

Usery Pass Road and Bush Highway from Mesa to the Saguaro Lake turnoff is 10 miles and takes about 15 minutes.

Is Usery Pass Road twisty?

Not very. It's rated Leisurely, with mostly gentle curves.

Where is Usery Mountain Regional Park?

The park is at 3939 N. Usery Pass Road in Mesa, on this route.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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More drives near here

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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Usery Pass Road and Bush Highway, from Mesa to Saguaro Lake