When you’re on the eastern side of Phoenix, the sight that draws your eyes are the Superstition Mountains. Even people whose idea of a ‘getaway vacation’ is to sit by the pool and drink Margaritas find the Superstitions an eye catching part of the eastern horizon.
We like to take folks out on the trails in the Superstitions because they’ve got breathtaking vistas, and are laden with trails for varying difficulty levels. They’re also tangled up in so much of the history of the Valley of the Sun that you can take a short hike and spend the day asking questions about the Lost Dutchman’s Mine and more.
The Superstitions more or less define the eastern rim of the Valley of the Sun, and the Agua Fria comes from there, providing most of the irrigation water used for the southern half of the greater Phoenix metro area.
Most of the Superstitions are the result of volcanic activity between 35 and 15 million years ago. Geologists have determined that there are 5 distinct calderas in the mountains with the largest forming the east end of the range.
This explains the jagged nature of many of the rock formations in the Superstitions, you can almost visualize how the molten rock was moving as these ancient volcanoes were sending over 2500 cubic miles of ash out over the surrounding landscape. Resulting rock formations include columns like Weaver’s Needle and Miner’s Needle.
Our usual Superstition Mountain day hike for beginners takes us up to Freemont Saddle, which gives a great spot to take photos of the surrounding terrain. We also run longer day hikes and even backpacking trips along the Boulder Canyon , Rogers Canyon and Reavis trails. We even customize treks for intermediate hikers out the back side of the park.
Tags: day hikes, supersititon mountain trails, superstition mountain trails, Superstition Mountains day hikes
Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting
Thanks James. We love the Superstitions and we want to get the word out about them.