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Highway 87: Payson to Clints Well, Mogollon Rim, Arizona
Photo: Coconino National Forest · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped

Drives Arizona The Mogollon Rim and White Mountains

Highway 87: Payson to Clints Well

Mogollon Rim, Arizona · Payson → Clints Well

Leisurely35 mi45 min4,400 ft climbHigh point ≈ 7,500 ftOne way
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The drive

Highway 87 is the road Phoenix drivers take north into the pines. It leaves Payson and runs through forest to the small towns of Pine and Strawberry, then climbs the Mogollon Rim on the long, curving Strawberry Hill grade. At the top it crosses the forested plateau to Clints Well, just short of Lake Mary Road.

Driven north, the rim is a climb, and the bends are broad rather than tight. The curves are mostly gentle, so this is an easy, scenic drive more than a technical one. From Clints Well, Lake Mary Road continues toward Flagstaff.

Along the way

  1. Payson
  2. Pine
  3. Clints Well
Elevation
4,400 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 7,500 ft
PaysonClints Well
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
PaysonClints Well
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The Strawberry Hill grade is steady and curving, and slower vehicles can back up behind trucks.
  • The forest sections run through fire country: brush fires have closed Highway 87 south of Payson briefly before, so check conditions in summer.
  • Weekend traffic from the Phoenix area is heaviest in summer.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Arizona 511 (ADOT).

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 87 from Payson to Clints Well take?

Highway 87 from Payson to Clints Well is 35.4 miles and takes about 45 minutes.

Is Highway 87 twisty?

Not very. It's rated Leisurely, with mostly gentle curves, and the Strawberry Hill grade is the most winding part.

Where does Highway 87 go after Clints Well?

It ends just short of Lake Mary Road, which leads on to Flagstaff.

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.
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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 Highway 87: Payson to Clints Well, from Payson to Clints Well