Second Water Trail

SECOND WATER TRAIL

Mountain vistas on Second Water Trail

Garden Valley, on the western edge of the 160,200-acre Superstition Wilderness, is one of those places that sears vivid images into the memories of those who trek through it. 

Chain fruit cholla in Garden Valley

Rife with otherworldly scenes of desert life in an environment sculpted out of ancient volcanic ash, the area’s story arc spools out from violent origins, cataclysmic geological events, erosion and resurgence.

Globemallow bloom year-round in Garden Valley

Between 25 and 15 million years ago the craggy backcountry was a roiling cauldron of molten rock and white-hot ash that eventually collapsed on itself forming a series of depressions called calderas.  The grand scale “super-volcano” activity was like what’s incubating beneath Yellowstone National Park right now.

Flatiron (center left) seen from Second Water Trail

Ringed by mesas, mountain ranges and bizarre pillars and piles of solidified ash or “welded tuff”, the yawning basins have settled into a quiet old age marked by a slow-motion epoch of falling apart.

Four Peaks viewed from Second Water Trail

 The Second Water Trail offers an approachable option for exploring this haunting hinterland of rugged terrain and mysterious tales of hidden gold caches and lost souls.

Lush desert plants on Second Water Trail

Beginning at the First Water trailhead that’s located roughly 45 miles from Downtown Phoenix near Apache Junction, Trail No. 236 is accessed by following the Dutchmans Trail 0.3-mile to the first signed junction.

Hackberry Mesa (left) rises over Second Water Trail

Twisting over slickrock and sections of crumbling stone, the trail bends northeast, flanking scoured gorges above the course of First Water Creek.

Petrified volcanic ash in First Water Creek

  Recent wildfire damage has left spots of charred cholla and scarred saguaros, but expansive views of the Goldfield Mountains, Superstition ridgeline, the Flatiron and iconic Weaver’s Needle remain as breathtaking as ever.

White bladderpod blooms Jan - May

 The trail swings by the junctions for Black Mesa and Hackberry Spring trails which may be used to build longer loop hikes.

Rugged terrain along Second Water Trail

Second Water trail continues through a series of rocky uphill segments that land hikers in the heart of Garden Valley—a sprawling flatland dominated by chain fruit cholla, prickly pear cacti, jojoba, mesquite, hackberry shrubs and fields of wildflowers.

Desert vegetation in Garden Valley

Superstition Ridgeline on the horizon

This once botanically lush plateau took a major wildfire hit, but many survivor specimens and green sprouts pushing out from deadwood hint at recovery.

Weaver's Needle stands out over Second Water Trail

Here, the massive forms of Hackberry Mesa, Four Peaks and the mountains around Canyon Lake to the north begin to stand out on the horizon. Plant life grows more robust as the route starts a spiral down into a reedy, damp gorge where it intersects the Boulder Canyon Trail, the turnaround point for the hike.

Jojoba shrubs and saguaros on Second Water Trail

A major geological upheaval notwithstanding, the slow-burn erosion and superficial smudges incurred regularly on the Second Water Trail are barely perceivable over a single human lifetime.

A rocky ascent on Second Water Trail

 

Fires, rock falls, flood displacements and seasonal transitions are like costume changes in a long-running show with ear worm tunes that hijack the mind but somehow never get old.

Saguaros clutter a ridge above Boulder Canyon

LENGTH: 7 miles round-trip (out-and-back hike)
RATING: Easy-Moderate
ELEVATION: 1,940 to 2,420 feet (878 feet of accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, go east on US 60 to exit 196 for Idaho Road (State Route 88). Turn left and follow Idaho to SR88, turn right and continue to First Water Road (Forest Road 78), which is located about a half mile past the entrance to Lost Dutchman State Park (between mileposts 201 and 202) and is signed for First Water Trailhead. Turn right and go 2.6 miles to the trailhead. Forest Road 78 is maintained dirt with some potholes and washboard sections passable by carefully driven sedan.

INFO: Mesa Ranger District, Tonto National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recarea/?recid=35525

 

Peralta Regional Park Preview

PERALTA REGIONAL PARK

Trail users spoke. Park developers listened.

Peralta Regional Park will open Jan. 12, 2023

The footprint of Peralta Regional Park isn’t visible from the access road. That was the idea.

The master plan for the Pinal County Park that’s scheduled to open to the public on January 12, 2023, leaned heavily into stakeholder input that advocated for a minimally disruptive footprint and preservation of the natural landscape.

Park is located just outside Tonto National Forest

“The less development, the better,” says Kent Taylor, Director Pinal County Open Space and Trails of input received from stakeholders.

Kent Taylor, Director Pinal County Open Space and Trails

Pre-construction feedback from government agencies, and trail users like bikers, hikers, and equestrians, helped ensure that park planners thought of everything.

“A couple of things that we never considered came out of our conversations with stakeholders,” Taylor said. “First was an idea for stargazing which we incorporated into the plans with a trail and stargazing node.

Trail to the Stargazing Node

Second, the potential for rock climbing came up and that will be addressed in the park’s future phase two planning.”

The park offers a primitive, pristine and safe outdoor experience.

Occupying a natural pocket of Upper Sonoran Desert at the edge of the Superstition Mountains and Tonto National Forest a few miles north of U.S. 60 near Gold Canyon, the site is a unique outdoor recreation hub that straddles the gap between an amenity-rich park and bare bones backcountry experience.

A drive-up tent camping site

Roads are dirt and picnic, and camping sites are simple and designed with profiles and colors that blend into the landscape.  There’s no electricity or water.

Hike-in backpacking campsites are bare bones.

“The park is 500-acres, but only 22 acres were disturbed for construction,” Taylor said. “We used existing dirt roads where possible and didn’t want to over develop.”  Extra care was taken to preserve the native vegetation and soils as well. “We harvested 100 saguaros during construction. Eighty of those were replanted in the park and another 20 were given to Tonto National Forest to use in forest restoration projects. Disturbed ground was restored and planted with native seeds."

It's located near popular recreation hubs.

While the park is new, the surrounding desert has long been a popular destination for outdoor recreation. The park sits just a few clicks down Peralta Road (Forest Road 77) from the Lost Goldmine Trail, Carney Springs Trailhead, and the Peralta trailhead--a busy jumping off point for the Peralta Canyon, Dutchmans and Bluff Spring trails in the Superstition Wilderness.

Stargazing node, under construction on Dec. 16.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not glamping (No glamorous hot showers here, kids.)

Camping in the park embraces the low-impact theme. “Glamping” it’s not. There are no RV accommodations or cabins. Only tents are allowed.  There are two types of tent camping opportunities to appeal to those in search of an authentic roughin’ it style experience with the comfort of being within a managed space with a nearby site host and rangers in case of an emergency.  The choices are simple or primitive. Traditional “car camping” sites are drive-up clearings with a picnic table and fire pit.  Hike-in backpacking sites are accessed from non-motorized trails and are no more than small clearings where pack-hanger posts are the only luxury afforded.  Neither have electricity, water, or trash service so campers must pack in what they need and pack out all waste.

The Desperado Trail in Peralta Regional Park

All camp and picnic sites have easy access to 9 miles of non-motorized trails and a quarter-mile barrier-free interpretive walking path. “Even in a compact space we were able to build trails with good diversity from easy to difficult.” Taylor says.

Except for the Desperado and North Star Trails, which have some difficult sections, park trails are rated moderate and link up nicely for creating loop options.

Barrier-free interpretive trail has educational signs

The stargazing node will be a big draw.

The park’s shiny penny is its stargazing node. Equal parts vortex, sanctuary and educational launch pad, the tiny gathering place is tucked into a natural bowl-like amphitheater with big sky views.  The science-centered node features a circular siting area with directional posts and room for telescopes.

The park was built with minimal environmental disruption

A short trail leads to the cliff-bound site that flanks a tree-cluttered wash. It’s a beautiful little spot that oozes as much spirituality as it does science.  

Picnic ramadas are designed to blend into the landscape

While it's not yet designated an official International Dark-Sky Association location, certification work is on the agenda. Taylor, who has camped out in the area, says nights here are free of light pollution and extraneous sound. So stars, planets and galaxies will be  really pop against the inky darkness.  

 “We anticipate a lot of interest in night sky viewing here as well as requests for weddings, which can be arranged by permit.”

Celestial events will shine at the Stargazing Node

When asked if there’s going to be a prize for the first person to site a UFO, Taylor laughed.

“We hadn’t thought of that.”

Park map

  

KEY PARK FEATURES:

• 9 miles of non-motorized trails that range in difficulty from barrier-free to challenging.

• Stargazing

• Car and tent camping sites

• Picnic ramadas

• Interpretive trail

• Equestrian staging area

• Waterless restrooms

PARK HOURS: dawn to 10 p.m. daily for day-use

FEES:

Day-use:  $7 daily. Pay in advance online, or at park entrance by scanning a QR code or with exact change at the self-serve kiosk.

Camping & Picnicing:

Camping and picnic sites are first-come-first served but may also be reserved online.

Camping reservations: $10 per night

Picnic ramada reservations: $10 per day or $35 for group ramadas.

GETTING THERE:

From U.S. 60 in Gold Canyon, turn left at the Peralta Road (Forest Road 77) stoplight and Peralta Trailhead sign just past milepost 204.  Follow Peralta Road 5 miles to the park entrance on the right. Peralta Road is maintained dirt suitable for all vehicles.

INFO:

Peralta Regional Park

https://www.pinal.gov/1204/Peralta-Regional-Park

International Dark-Sky Association

https://www.darksky.org/

 

Lower First Water Creek

LOWER FIRST WATER CREEK

The rugged course of First Water Creek near Canyon Lake

In the ragged wilderness below Canyon Lake, the gorge of First Water Creek embodies an otherworldly character that’s somewhere between Tolkien’s Middle- earth and the surface of an asteroid.  The raw, craggy waterway doesn’t spill its wonders easily—it takes work to get into the heart of the remote, obstacle-ridden north end of the creek that flows between the lake and the Garden Valley area in the Superstition Wilderness near Apache Junction.  But once inside, the journey serves as a sort of gateway adventure to technical canyoneering.

Water lingers in a cove south of Canyon Lake

Inside the narrows of First Water Canyon

While this hike doesn’t require climbing gear (at least in dry conditions), it does require a fair amount of scrambling and route-finding.  Right from the start, it’s a challenge.  At the parking area located on State Route 88, the trail begins by the wood power line pole at the south end of the dirt lot.  Cluttered with brush and loose rock, the first few yards can be difficult to find. After that though, the well-worn route that drops 400 feet to the creek becomes easier to follow.  A few sections of slick rock and some minor down-climbing are interspersed with easy passages and drainage jumps. 

A hiker admires jasper band embedded in volcanic rock

A pair of good nubby boots, long pants, a hiking stick and the composure to spot your moves are all that’s needed to get through without a scratch.

At the half-mile point, the route passes a barbed wire fence that marks the wilderness boundary just a few drainage hops above the creek bed.

Desert tobacco blooms year round in the creek bed

A group of massive, round boulders mark the entryway to the creek.  The house-high volcanic globs that are replete with foreign rock inclusions and cavities, signal the start of a two-part exploratory trek that’s rich in geological interest.

Water pools in a rock cavity in First Water Creek

The first part is a short hike to a cove at the south edge of Canyon Lake. Head north (go left from the entry point) and hike 0.2-mile through a wide corridor of sand and cobbles surrounded by pillars of tuff--compressed volcanic ash flows.  Underfoot, look for colorful bands of jasper that fill cracks in the tuff and “lithic waves” of white ash worn smooth by millions of years of exposure and running water.  As the route snakes its way to the cove, the cliffs abruptly close in to contain a tiny green oasis where cottonwood, mesquite and ash trees, hackberry shrubs and buffalo bur soak up moisture from the ebb and flow of lake water that seeps into the damp box canyon. 

Inside the narrows of First Water Canyon

How far hikers can get into the stony lagoon depends on the season.  Dark stains and tell-tale wear on the vertical cliff faces record how water levels fluctuate over time in this finger inlet.  Make the last walkable sand bar your turnaround point and double back to the entryway big boulders. 

The hike into the canyon follows a sketchy route

The hike into and out of the canyon requires some scrambling

Part two of the hike is more challenging.  Head south following the creek bed into an imposing slot canyon and get ready to pick your way through a quagmire of stone.  From the entry point, it’s possible for experienced hikers to follow the creek bed south for 6 miles, give or take depending on workarounds, to where it comes out near Hackberry Spring at the horse trailer parking lot on Forest Road 78 (First Water Road).  But don’t be fooled by the short length. With continually changing conditions that require creative path finding and hand-over-foot maneuvers on an extremely rocky base, the full trek takes all day.  Know what you’re getting into and head out fit and prepared.  For a less arduous day hike, just go as far as you feel able and turnaround before the intimidating route overwhelms.

"Picture rocks" are among the hike's many points of interest

 

A hiker finds a workaround in the narrows of First Water Canyon

Within a few yards of entering the slot, the scrambling begins with a crawl over a six-foot boulder jam that lands above a scoured drop pool that usually has some water.  It’s slow going for the next half-mile where the creek course is completely bound by soaring columns of jointed volcanic stone, crusty, lichen-covered pillars, acres of rock slabs, flood debris and scattered “picture rocks”--boulders laced with brilliant inclusions that have been tossed and tumbled into gem-like specimens. 

The route goes south to the Hackberry Spring area

There's nteresting geology throughout the hike

Exiting the cove box canyon

Finding a route through the narrows is tricky

Cottonwood trees at the cove entry

Wildflowers like desert pea, desert tobacco and lavender add spots of purple and green to the rough, buff-and-russet colored gorge.  

Buffalo bur grows from the sandy creek bed

Regardless of how far you end up hiking along this fractured, fabulous desert creek, the stunning beauty born from tumultuous volcanic eruptions makes for a memorable trip.

Mounds of volcanic tuff line the course of First Water Creek

Huge boulders at the beginning of the creek hike

 

 

LENGTH:  3 miles roundtrip as described here or 6 miles one way to the First Water horse lot.

RATING: moderate-difficult

ELEVATION: 1,983 – 1,582 feet as described here or 2,300 to the horse lot.

GETTING THERE:

North end: Canyon Overlook Trailhead as described here:

From Phoenix, go east on U.S. 60 to the Idaho Road exit 196. Turn left at the bottom of the off ramp and go 12 miles on State Route 88 (Apache Trail) to the Canyon Overlook trailhead at milepost 208.

There are no signs or facilities at the trailhead.  Roads are 100% paved. 

South end: First Water horse lot:

From Phoenix, go east on U.S. 60 to the Idaho Road exit 196. Turn left at the bottom of the off ramp and follow State Route 88 to First Water Road (Forest Road 78) which is just past Lost Dutchman State Park between mileposts 201 and 202 on the right.

Follow FR78 for just over 2 miles to the horse parking lot (NOT the First Water trailhead) on the left and park there.  From the lot, hike 0.1 mile up FR78 to an unmarked dirt road on the left where there’s a closed gate. Pass through the gate and continue down into First Water Canyon and the corral area. From the corral, hike east (straight ahead) along the informal paths that lead to First Water Creek. Hike north in the creek bed. FR78 is maintained dirt with a few rough spots but suitable for all carefully-driven vehicles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massacre Grounds Trail

Massacre Grounds Trail

Weaver's Needle on the horizon seen from Massacre Grds.

It’s curious that even though geologists say that the Superstition Mountains are an unlikely source for rich deposits of gold, myths and legends of finding, loosing and raiding the precious mineral in the unforgiving back country persist. 

Hill 2636 is a distinctive feature along the trail.

From territorial times to the present day, people have been fascinated by the strike-it-rich rumors and tales of ill-gotten gains that ring as loudly and off-key as cymbals in the hands of a restless kid.

Rock pinnacles (L) above Lost Dutchman SP.

Exposure, accidents and violence have claimed the lives of many who followed the lure of greed toward the proverbial mother lode.  For those who believe in ghosts, Massacre Grounds is a good place to find them. 

This rough chute is the most difficult part of the hike.

If you could pick a place to meet your maker, the yucca-studded volcanic mesa surrounded by rolling grasslands, abrupt canyons and sheer cliffs would make for a glorious sendoff.  

The hauntingly beautiful spot at the far northwestern edge of the Superstition Wilderness near Apache Junction is the site of a legendary 1848 ambush where a group of Spanish miners met their demise at the hands of a band of irate Apaches.  Hazy historical accounts suggest that the Apaches took the miner’s pack animals but left the gold—further stoking the quest for hidden treasure.  A good place to tease out the vague, conflicting but always intriguing history of the area’s rough-and tumble past is the Superstition Mountain Museum. The small, but packed space located along State Route 88 not far from major trailheads has regular educational events and exhibits. 

Hikers on the saddle. (R) beneath Hill 2636.

The museum’s new exhibit “The Gold Seekers” uses photos and artifacts to give an overview of the area’s infamous fortune hunters while adding incentive to take a hike into them thar hills.

Gory history notwithstanding, Massacre Ground Trail is a real treat to explore.

Yucca and agaves at the massacre grounds.

View from Massacre Falls

Volcanic structure of the Massacre Grounds site.

Climbing gently along a well-defined path, the route cuts through the remnants of 35-million-year-old volcanic activity. Contorted lava flows, volcanic necks and rugged washes shaded by desert trees and shrubs complement wide-open views of the surrounding wilderness. 

Desert holly grows in  moist drainages on the trail.

The first mile makes a mild ascent of the foothills at the base of craggy mountains. Acres of chain fruit cholla cover the flats that provide a platform for viewing the Four Peaks on the northern horizon and the colorfully layered mounds of the Goldfield Mountains to the west. 

Chain fruit cholla frame views of Four Peaks.

Once past the wilderness boundary fence, the climbing intensifies as the route swings over the saddle of Hill 2636—a dominant conical butte. 

From this point, the distant urban profile of Downtown Phoenix is barely visible to the southwest. 

Four Peaks are visible throughout most of the hike.

Goldfield Mountains on the western horizon.

After a dip into a damp, shady corridor, the trail meets its most difficult challenge—a 0.1-mile slick rock chute. The loose rock and high-steps of this short section look intimidating but getting through isn’t too tough for anybody with nubby footwear and the smarts to take it slow.  

A primitive trail leads to the base of Massacre Falls.

With the climbing mostly in the rear view, the final trudge to the massacre site is a breathtaking journey up a sloping mesa to a junction above a precipice that meets a hoodoo-topped wall of stone. To the south, the signature stone pinnacles of Lost Dutchman State Park appear as giant slabs falling away from the massive cliffs that encompass the Massacre Falls. Dark stains on the rock veneer show where waterfalls cascade over the cliffs after heavy rains. A well-worn path to the right heads down the escarpment to the base of the falls. To the left, a slender footpath traces the edge of the mesa’s broken brim, culminating at the purported location of the miners’ bloody last stand.  Trail’s end is a desolate platform at the cusp of sky and stone with no signs of conflict and no pot of gold.  But the site’s aura resonates in eerie canyon echoes and the calls of ravens passing overhead.

View from Massacre Grounds.

The trail to the massacre site.

LENGTH: 6 miles round trip (including side trip to the falls)

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 2116 – 3185 feet

GETTING THERE:

From U.S. 60 in Apache Junction, take the State Route 88 (Idaho Road) exit 196 and continue 7.5 miles on SR 88 to First Water Road (Forest Road 78) located just past Lost Dutchman State Park on the right.  Go 0.5 mile on FR78 to the signed Crosscut-Massacre Ground Trailhead on the right.  FR 78 is rough dirt passable by carefully-driven sedans.

INFO:

http://superstitionmountainmuseum.org/

Tonto National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tonto/specialplaces/?cid=fsbdev3_018739

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