Photos of a loop hike on the Paradise and Haunted Canyon trails in the Superstition Mountain Wilderness

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The Paradise Trail and Haunted Canyon Trails are in the eastern portion of the Superstition Wilderness with trailheads along FR-287A. This is the road to the Miles Trailhead which can be confusing on your first trip since the drive passes through the BHP Pinto Valley Mine. There's a small parking area at both trailheads. You'll need to walk FR-287a for 1.7 miles to complete the loop. It's not a flat road between the trailheads--there are switchbacks.

The hike was 6.5 miles and took 4 hours. I parked at the Paradise trailhead which has an elevation of 3480 feet with a high point of 4959 feet. This loop hike uses only a small portion of the Haunted Canyon trail. I hiked south on the Paradise Trail, northeast on the Haunted Canyon Trail, and then northwest on FR-287A to complete the loop.

The Paradise trail is noted for it's unusually lush vegetation compared to most of the Superstition Wilderness--thus the name. There are Smoothbark Arizona Cypress, cattails, etc. Only the lower half is lush, the trail climbs into more typical high desert vegetation.
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