Published August 30, 2022, for State 48 A2Z
The legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine is nearly as old as modern history in Arizona. The mine is believed to be an extremely plentiful gold mine located somewhere in Southeastern Arizona and generally believed to be somewhere in the Superstition Mountains. To this day, some 125-plus years since German immigrant Jacob Waltz purportedly discovered the mine and kept it a secret, no one has ever been able to discover his find. In fact, many have died in their quest for the Lost Dutchman’s secret stash.
The story of the Lost Dutchman gold mine is legendary not only in Arizona but around the world. Some people have spent decades searching for this 125-year-old possibly fabled stash from Waltz who emerged from the mountain with a satchel of gold. As the legend goes, Waltz, when asked about the location of the mine said that no miner would ever find it.
Waltz’s story has been told so many times that I am sure anything I would say here would be just regurgitated info on probably the old west’s biggest legend. Suffice it to say that Waltz was either an amazing prophet or an absolute genius at practical jokes that stand the test of time. Personally, I feel that if it was out there it would have been found by now, but, it’s a great story no matter what.
Named after a gold mine that may or may not have ever existed, the Lost Dutchman State Park is in Apache Junction, at the base of the Superstition Mountains that offers several hiking/biking trails into the Superstitions and Tonto National Forest, a Native Plant Trail, campground with RV hookups, shaded ramadas with grills, wildlife viewing, and more. If you are feeling up for the hike, challenge yourself to conquer the Siphon Draw Trail and reach the mountain's iconic Flat Iron Peak for some of the most stunning views you’ll ever see.
In all the park has six trails ranging in distance and rated from easy to moderate difficulty. The Native Plant Trail is an easy 0.2-mile trail with a beautiful collection of plants native to the region. The Treasure Loop Trail is a 2.4-miles roundtrip moderate trail with a 500-foot elevation change. Prospectors View trail is a moderate 0.7-mile trail. Jacob’s Crosscut Trail runs an easy 0.8-miles along the base of the mountain, while Siphon Draw is four miles roundtrip (5.8-miles if you make it to the Flat Iron Peak).
For mountain bikers, there are four miles of single-track lay at the bottom of the Superstition Mountains rated from beginner to intermediate. Bikes’ can also use multi-use trails.
One thing for sure is that this park and its trails provide an amazing backdrop to your pictures and videos of your time there, especially from the trails. The trails can also be a great place to catch local wildlife such as coyotes, javelinas, deer, and bobcats to name a few.
Camping is also available if you are so inclined. The Park offers a total of 135 sites for tents and RVs camping. Pets are also allowed but will need to be leashed while on the park grounds. Additionally, the Park also has five cabins available for rent which provide you with amazing views of the mountains. Plus, depending on the year’s annual rainfall, you could be treated to a carpet of desert wildflowers in the spring. But there are plenty of beautiful desert plants to see year-round.
The Superstitions are probably the most recognizable mountain range in the country, if not the world, and the Lost Dutchman State Park captures it in all its beauty while providing a great place to bike, hike, run, picnic, camp, or just simply get away from things for a few hours. The park’s stunning backdrop is completely addictive. Click on the link to learn more about the Lost Dutchman State Park and its services.
That’ll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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