The Abbott Ridge Trail in British Columbia's Glacier National Park (often confused with Montana's national…
A Day Hike in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains
Hiking the Superstition Mountains in Arizona for a few hours, a day or via a multi-day backpacking trip is a great way to experience the beauty of the landscape for locals and visitors alike. The mountains are located less than an hour’s drive away from both Phoenix and Scottsdale. Plan to start in Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction. Most of the trails in the park take you into the Superstition Wilderness and Tonto National Forest in short order.
Early spring and late fall is the ideal time to go hiking in the Superstition Mountains. Avoid the summer when the heat can be brutal. If you love wildflowers, make a point of hiking in spring.
The Siphon Draw Trail
We had planned to hike the Siphon Draw Trail. Although it starts off on level ground via the Discovery Interpretative Trail in no time you start to gain some altitude. All told there is a gain of 1000 feet over two miles one way.
The option to hike to the top of the Flatiron in the Superstition Mountains
The trail offers scenic vistas over the desert but as you hike higher the scene in front of you becomes particularly interesting.
If we’d had more time and enthusiasm on the day we hiked we could have continued from the end of the maintained Siphon Draw Trail to the top of the Flatiron – a hike that would be a total of 6 miles round trip.
The final mile to the top of the Flatiron is steep with an elevation gain of another 1,000 feet. You need a solid 5-6 hours to hike to the top of the Flatiron and back.
The Jacob’s Crosscut – Treasure Loop Trail
We elected to vary our return and chose to hike the Jacob’s Crosscut Trail to the Treasure Loop Trail. Both were much easier than the Siphon Draw Trail and very pretty with some flowers blooming even in late December. It would be a spectacular area to visit in the spring.
Camping in the Superstition Mountains
There is an entrance fee of $7 per vehicle to Lost Dutchman State Park. It’s also possible to camp.
Campsite reservations are available online or you can call the Arizona State Parks Reservation Desk at 1-877-MY PARKS from 7 AM to 7 PM Arizona time. There is a non-refundable reservation fee of $5 per campsite.
You’ll find 138 campsites, about half of which have hookups while the others are for tents or RV’s not requiring hookups. Each site comes with a picnic table and fire pit. Pets are allowed on a leash.
Longer trips hiking in the Superstition Mountains
The Superstition Mountains offer the possibility of much more than just day hikes. Several companies offer hikes including a 4 day backpacking trip with REI and then you don’t have to retrace your steps.
After looking at their trip description – which includes hikes past the Miner’s Needle and a traverse of the Boulder Canyon Trail with views of the Weaver’s Needle, I am thinking that one winter John and I need to do a whole lot more exploring.
If you have time
While it’s a drive rather than a hike I highly recommend driving the stunning Apache Trail as it starts from nearby Apache Junction. It’s one of the most scenic drives in the state and a good add-on to a shorter hike.
And don’t miss a stop in nearby Mesa as there’s plenty to do here. I particularly recommend the night sky experience.
Further reading on hikes in Arizona
- The Camelback Mountain Hike in Phoenix, Arizona
- A Stellar Hike in the Dragoon Mountains of Arizona
- A Downloadable Guide to Hiking in the Grand Canyon
- Hiking Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale, Arizona
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
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Beautiful photos, Leigh. This one goes in the Arizona ‘futures’ file!
@Jackie The beauty of a visit to the Superstition Mountains is that you don’t have to hike very far or high to get some awesome views and it’s a particularly beautiful area.
The Superstition Mountains are a familiar sight for me since my sister lives in Apache Junction and has a view from her house. I’ve never hiked there (she has) and will have to do that next time. Great views.
@Cathy You only need a few hours to get a taste of the mountains. Have you done the Apache Drive? That was a real highlight on one of my last visits.
This is so awesome, Leigh, and brought back more great memories. You’ve been doing that lately in your posts! I already shared as to why I was in Phoenix a lot many years ago. And we absolutely hiked up into The Superstitions (as the locals called them) a couple of times. Just a casual jaunt nothing hard core. I got a huge smile on my face first when I saw the title of the post then especially when I saw the picture with the Wilderness sign! Thank you 🙂
@Mike I would have loved to go to the top of Flatiron Mountain for the view – and the exercise but it was not the day for us to do it. After reading about REI’s 4 day tour I feel like I have a whole lot more to explore in the area.
@Mike I was pleasantly surprised with how pretty the area was but would like to get deep into the mountains and away from all the people.
Hi Leigh, what a spectacular day hike. The landscape looks dramatic the further up you go. I’d love to explore this area one day. I looked up the REI link you provided. It’s definitely something to consider.
@Marisol Doesn’t that REI 4 day hike look awesome especially at this time of year or perhaps in the spring when it’s still cool enough to hike without worrying so much about dropping dead from heat stroke.
Love the clear blue sky in the photos. Quite a beautiful place so close to Phoenix. I now know where to go the next time I find myself in Arizona. It definitely looks like a 3-4 day hike is in order.
@Ted I first heard about them a few years ago when someone on Twitter pointed me to the Apache Trail – a fantastic drive that begins close to the park. I definitely recommend some time in here – when it’s cold and miserable in Chicago.
We want to head to Phoenix and Tucson early this spring. Great to know about these. Love the photos.
@Billie Of you have the time go for at least a short walk and definitely DRIVE the Apache Trail. It is an outstanding drive – mostly on gravel.
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