Does The Lowdown Guide earn commissions from Mesa or Phoenix lodging recommendations on the Apache Trail page?

Yes. When you click an Expedia link on our Apache Junction & the Superstition Mountains page and complete a booking, we earn a small referral commission at no additional cost to you. The price you pay is identical whether you book through our link or go directly to Expedia. Our recommendations are based on editorial research, not on which properties happen to pay a commission.

Are the Viator tour links on the Apache Trail page affiliate links?

Yes. Links to Viator tours and activities on this page are affiliate links. If you book a Superstition Mountain jeep tour, an Apache Trail scenic-drive tour, or another Viator activity through our links, we earn a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.

Affiliate Disclosure

Last updated: July 2026

How We Earn Revenue

The Lowdown Guide is an independently operated travel resource. To keep our content free for readers, we participate in affiliate programs with select travel partners. When you click certain links on our site and make a purchase or booking, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Our Affiliate Partners

We currently work with the following affiliate programs:

Viator — Tours, activities, and experience bookings. We earn a commission when you book a tour or activity through our Viator links, including Superstition Mountain jeep tours and Apache Trail scenic-drive tours.
Expedia — Hotel and lodging reservations and travel packages. We earn a commission when you book accommodation through our Expedia links, including hotels in Mesa and the wider Phoenix Valley — the practical basecamps for this drive, since there's no lodging on the Apache Trail itself past Apache Junction.

How Affiliate Links Work

Affiliate links look and function like regular links. When you click one, a small tracking code tells the partner that you came from our site. If you go on to make a purchase, the partner pays us a referral fee. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or go directly to the partner's website.

On our site, affiliate links are typically found in:

Lodging booking call-to-action boxes (e.g., "Check Mesa & Phoenix Hotel Prices")
Tour and activity recommendation sections (e.g., "Browse Apache Trail Tours")
Comparison guides and seasonal-timing sections

What Is Not an Affiliate Link

Goldfield Ghost Town admission, Lost Dutchman State Park day-use and camping fees, the Dolly Steamboat cruise on Canyon Lake, and Tortilla Flat's saloon tab and gift shop purchases are all paid directly to those businesses and are not affiliate transactions. We earn nothing from any of them, and we will always tell you plainly when a direct booking or a walk-in is the better call.

Our Editorial Independence

Affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content. Our recommendations are based on published source research and independent editorial judgment, not on which affiliate program pays the highest commission.

We will never recommend a tour or lodging option solely because it offers an affiliate commission. If we feature something, it's because we believe it provides real value to visitors planning an Apache Trail trip — and we say plainly when the unpaved section past Tortilla Flat isn't the right call for a given vehicle or driver.

FTC Compliance

In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, we disclose that this site contains affiliate links. This page serves as our comprehensive disclosure, and we also include brief disclosure notices near affiliate links throughout the site.

Questions?

If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships or how we fund this site, please contact us. We're happy to be transparent about how The Lowdown Guide operates.