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SILLY MOUNTAIN PARK
Apache Junction
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| High Point Trail go to the summit of Silly Mountain |
Sandwiched between the US 60
freeway and the rough-cut mountains of the Superstition Wilderness,
Silly Mountain Park straddles the worlds of hot
pavement and rugged back country. A web of 11 trails meander along the
the mountain's humps, slumps and points of interest including an old
grave site and an abandoned mine. The park is the result of a
restoration project funded by public and corporate donations and
managed through a partnership between the City of Apache Junction and
the Superstition Area Land Trust--a non-profit educational
corporation created to protect and preserve Arizona State Trust Lands
around the southern slopes of the Superstition Mountains. Up until
2008, Silly Mountain was being used as an off-road vehicle
playground which took a heavy toll in the terrain. The decimation of
native vegetation and deep trackway scars were becoming an eyesore
and a public safety concern. Restoration of the site involved
stabilizing trails for long term sustainability, re-establishing
indigenous plants and restricting travel to non-motorized use. The park's most resent addition is a barrier-free, interpretive Botanical Walk
that features 280 species of Sonoran Desert plants.
LENGTH: 3.5 miles of trails plus a
barrier free Botanical Walk
RATING: easy to difficult
ELEVATION: 1550 - 2139 feet
GETTING THERE:
From Phoenix, travel east on U.S. 60 and
turn left onto Mountain View Road just past milepost 199. Go 0.3
miles on Mountain View, turn right onto 32nd Ave and
continue 0.2 mile to Silly Mountain Road. Turn right and go 0.4 mile
to the trailhead on the left.
INFO & MAP:
Superstition Area Land Trust
(SALT)
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