Photos and GPS coordinates for the Superstition Mountain Wilderness: Hikes, Plants, Animals, and Landmarks

This site features photos and GPS coordinates for the Greater Superstition Wilderness defined by US 60 on the south, SR-88 on the northwest, and SR-188 on the northeast. These roads enclose 430,000 acres of which the current Superstition Wilderness makes up 160,200 acres. While the area outside the wilderness isn't unspoiled, it has its own beauty and can be even more remote than the wilderness area. There are few paved roads and cell phone service is rare once you leave Apache Junction.

Superstition Mountain anchors the western edge of the wilderness and abruptly rises 3000 feet above the valley floor to form spectacular cliffs just east of Apache Junction (Phoenix) Arizona. The Superstitions were born of volcanic eruptions on a vast scale that hasn't been duplicated in millions of years.

Most visits to the Superstition Wilderness are to the portion west of Miner's Needle which has a hiking season of October to May when daily highs are below 95°. The hiking season in the high country of the Eastern Superstitions can be several weeks longer at both ends. You'll have to fight for a parking spot at the First Water and Peralta Trailheads on spring weekends and you're likely to meet a hundred other hikers on the trail from Peralta to Fremont Saddle. On the same weekends, there are nearby trails that see only a few hikers.

The Western Superstitions are in the Lower Sonoran Desert with summer highs of 110° and annual rainfall of around 8 inches. This is the land of Saguaro Cactus, Paloverde, Mesquite, and spring wildflowers. The highlands of the Eastern Superstitions are in the Upper Sonoran Desert with summer highs usually under 100° and annual rainfalls around 20 inches. There are few Saguaros but Juniper, Pinon Pine, and Manzanita are common.

The Superstition Mountains are steeped in history and legend. It has: volcanic flows, prehistoric ruins, tales of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, trails named after prospectors and cowboys, open pit copper mines, currently active ranches, and some of the most rugged, beautiful, and varied scenery on earth.

Superstition Mountain Hikes (Map of Area)
This site features photos and GPS coordinates for the Greater Superstition Wilderness defined by US 60 on the south, SR-88 on the northwest, and SR-188 on the northeast. These roads enclose 430,000 acres of which the current Superstition Wilderness makes up 160,200 acres. While the area outside the wilderness isn't unspoiled, it has its own beauty and can be even more remote than the wilderness area. There are few paved roads and cell phone service is rare once you leave Apache Junction. Superstition Mountain anchors the western edge of the wilderness and abruptly rises 3000 feet above the valley floor to form spectacular cliffs just east of Apache Junction (Phoenix) Arizona. The Superstitions were born of volcanic eruptions on a vast scale that hasn't been duplicated in millions of years. Most visits to the Superstition Wilderness are to the portion west of Miner's Needle which has a hiking season of October to May when daily highs are below 95°. The hiking season in the high country of the Eastern Superstitions can be several weeks longer at both ends. You'll have to fight for a parking spot at the First Water and Peralta Trailheads on spring weekends and you're likely to meet a hundred other hikers on the trail from Peralta to Fremont Saddle. On the same weekends, there are nearby trails that see only a few hikers. The Western Superstitions are in the Lower Sonoran Desert with summer highs of 110° and annual rainfall of around 8 inches. This is the land of Saguaro Cactus, Paloverde, Mesquite, and spring wildflowers. The highlands of the Eastern Superstitions are in the Upper Sonoran Desert with summer highs usually under 100° and annual rainfalls around 20 inches. There are few Saguaros but Juniper, Pinon Pine, and Manzanita are common. The Superstition Mountains are steeped in history and legend. It has: volcanic flows, prehistoric ruins, tales of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, trails named after prospectors and cowboys, open pit copper mines, currently active ranches, and some of the most rugged, beautiful, and varied scenery on earth.
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