Photos of a hike in the eastern half of Haunted Canyon to Tony Ranch Cabin

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The Haunted Canyon Trail is in the eastern Superstion Wilderness near the BP Pinto Valley Mine east of Superior, Arizona. This half of the Haunted Canyon trail is the more popular half although it's outside the Superstition Wilderness. My trip was 13.4 miles and took 8 hours. I explored 0.7 miles south of Tony Cabin. Without that, the hike is 12 miles and 7:20. The first 1.9 miles and the last 1.9 miles are on a mostly level gravel road so it's closer to an 8 mile hike plus a 30 minute walk at both ends. The start is 3140 feet, the turnaround point at Tony Ranch is 3907 feet, and the end is 3140 feet.

This is a popular backpacking route with an overnight stay at Tony Ranch Cabin or it can be done as a day hike.

Tony Cabin is not on the Haunted Canyon Trail but 0.3 miles south. The route to Tony Cabin is unsigned but there are multiple faint paths paralleling the creek bed in that direction. There's a reliable spring: Tony Ranch Spring, about 0.1 miles south of the Haunted Canyon trail.

This is bear country so keep food out of and away from tents. Hiking through the Haunted Canyon portion can be slow and treacherous during the fall because of sycamore leaves. The leaves hide the rocks and are slippery and make it harder to find cairns. Be aware of rain in the area. Heavy rain can make the multiple creek crossings dangerous and there's the possiblity of a flash flood. On March 13, 2006 a group of Boy Scouts were snowed in Haunted Canyon by 3 feet of snow. They were rescued by Superstition Search and Rescue.
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