The Superstition Mountains:
Standing more than 1800 feet tall and surrounded by cacti and desert, the Superstition Mountains are magical and mysterious. Although geologists continue to debate their precise origin, many believe that volcanic activity formed the mountains approximately 25 million years ago. Next to the Grand Canyon, the Superstition Mountains are Arizona's most photographed and painted landmark. Their name, inspired by Pima Indian legends, has been a source of mystery and myth since early times. Scattered cliff dwellings and caves show signs of former habitation throughout the area. Archaeologists are still unsure who these people were; some believe they were Salado or Hohokam Indians who populated this part of Arizona several centuries ago. Later, Pima and Apache occupied the region. Still, the Apache became closely associated with the Superstitions when the mountains became their stronghold in the 1800s.
Lost Dutchman State Park: This image portrays the classic view of the Superstition Mountains, looking west, from Arizona SR-80 (State Road 80). This view has been used in many books and documentary films telling the Lost Dutchman Mine legend. It was used in the 1949 movie 'Lust for Gold,' starring Glen Ford.
Nestled at the mountains' base, roughly 40-miles east of Phoenix is the Lost Dutchman State Park, named after the fabled lost gold mine. During the 1840s, the Peralta's, a northern Mexican family, supposedly developed several rich gold mines within the Superstitions. Their last expedition to carry gold back to Mexico occurred in 1848. According to folklore, the Apache ambushed the party. Only one man survived. This survivor eventually reached Mexico with a map to the Peralta mine. But none of the remaining Peralta heirs ever dared venture another trip into Arizona to find it. Many others were supposed to have known the mine's location or even to have worked it. Several maps surfaced over the years, only to become lost or misplaced when interested parties pressed for facts. Men who claimed to have found the mine were unable to return to it or some disaster occurred before filing a claim. All these questionable activities added to the lore of a lost mine!
Hieroglyphic Trail #101: This image shows the Superstition Mountains from the southwest, following the Hieroglyphics trail to Hieroglyphic Spring. This trail is one of the most accessible routes into the Superstitions from the trailhead and parking lot on East Cloudview Avenue in Gold Canyon.
In the 1870s, a prospector named Jacob Waltz was believed to have discovered the mine through a Peralta descendant. Although nicknamed 'The Dutchman,' Waltz was, in fact, a native of Germany. He and his partner Jacob Weiser worked the mine and allegedly hid one or more gold caches throughout the Superstitions. Weiser was eventually killed by Apaches, or according to some, by Waltz himself. Most stories place the gold in the vicinity of Weaver's Needle, a well-known landmark. In failing health, Waltz moved to Phoenix, where he died of pneumonia on October 25, 1891—twenty years after his legendary discovery. He purportedly described the mine's location to Dick Holmes, another old prospector, and Julia Thomas, a neighbor who cared for him before death. In the years that followed, neither Thomas, Holmes, or other gold seekers could find the Peralta mine, which became commonly known as the 'Lost Dutchman.' Subsequent searchers have sometimes met with foul play or even death, contributing to the mountains' superstitions and legends. There are 62 variations of the lost Dutchman myth, the source for many books and documentary films.
The Peralta Trail: A view of Weavers Needle from Fremont Saddle. When Buzz Aldrin stepped on the moon on July 20, 1969, he described what he saw as magnificent desolation. I can think of no better way to describe this place; it makes the hike well worth the effort. Sitting here reflecting upon this vista, it's evident there are no roads, no buildings, no power lines, no contrails—nothing! Jacob waltz crested this ridgeline 151-years ago; he saw precisely the same view I see here today. Volcanic rock as far as the eye can see—in every direction; millions of years of earth's geology and history in every layer. It's truly magnificent.
For more than a century, adventurous souls have sought out the Lost Dutchman. Since 1891, more than a hundred people have claimed to have found it. Nevertheless, the mine remains shrouded in mystery, so much so that it might not even exist at all! I first became familiar with the story after watching the 1949 movie 'Lust for Gold,' starring Glen Ford and Ida Lupino. Based on the Dutchman legend, the movie was filmed against the majestic backdrop of the Superstition Mountains. And so, years later, I find myself walking in the shadow of Jacob Waltz through that incredible landscape.
The Peralta Trail: Below the ridgeline of Gold Canyon, how many gold seekers, including Jacob Waltz, used this cave as a shelter? From the first European to arrive in Arizona, Spanish Priest Marcos de Niza in 1539, he was swiftly followed by Spanish explorers looking for gold. Four hundred eighty-two years of gold seekers since de Niza, this cave has more-than-likely sheltered many people seeking their fortune.
Abandoned mines are littered throughout the Superstition Mountains. Shafts dropping hundreds of feet have been reopened by tourists, hoping to find gold residue; sadly, many have been killed in such foolish ventures.  
Artifacts dating from the 1800s to the 1940s are still scattered throughout the mountains—and are constantly being found! This collection is part of the Superstition Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum, located at 4087 E Apache Trail, Apache Junction, Arizona.
The best way to experience the Superstition Mountains is to follow the path many believe Jacob Waltz took to an overview of Weavers Needle, the Peralta Trail to Fremont Saddle. At 1000 feet high, Weavers Needle, the remains of a petrified volcano, plays a significant role in the Dutchman legend. This unique pinnacle of rock is mentioned in several clues that Jacob Waltz supposedly left, which refers to the mine's entrance and a large vein worth millions of dollars. Yet, to date, the gold still goes undiscovered! The Weavers Needle hike into the Superstition Mountains follows the Gold Canyon up a steady incline, rising roughly 1,400-feet in the first 2.5-miles. The views from the top of the canyon (Fremont Saddle) are spectacular. Only people who hike the trail get to experience these landscapes—there's no other way up there.
The Lost Dutchman Mine has remained a famous local story, and many people accept it as fact. However, there is very little proof of the mine's existence besides word of mouth. Each year, up to 8,000 people hunt for the legendary gold mine, guided by cryptic maps and one or more of the story's 62 variants that mainly embellish the basics of the existing oral legend. Whatever the truth, this is one of the most extraordinary treasure hunt tales in modern history; it is a story that has weathered time!
On October 25, 1891, Jacob Waltz died aged 81; he lived as a humble farmer on the North bank of the Salt River, which runs through Phoenix. According to the day's official records, due to heavy storms, the Salt River flooded, and Waltz refused to evacuate. When the flood came through his property, he hung onto a tree for three days; he subsequently caught pneumonia and died. Waltz is buried in the Southwest corner of the Masonic Cemetery section of the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park, at 1317 W. Jefferson Street in Phoenix, Arizona. 
In the strictest sense, the word 'hieroglyphic' refers only to the ancient Egyptian writings, which combined logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements inscribed on their monuments and tombs—as pictures! In many cases, the term has been incorrectly used to describe any ancient writings that use pictures instead of characters. The Hittites and the Mayans are just two of the civilizations that lazy writers have misrepresented. The Hieroglyphic Trail through the Superstition Mountains is another victim of misrepresentation! There are no hieroglyphs on the Hieroglyphic Trail—there are petroglyphs, which the dictionary definition describes as: "A rock carving, especially a prehistoric one."
The rock art found within the Superstition Mountains was created by the prehistoric Hohokam people.  Petroglyphs are cultural images viewed in their original context. These images feature designs and characters pecked into these rocks more than 1000-years ago while hunting and gathering expeditions. Archaeologists still don't know what these petroglyphs mean. They could have religious or ceremonial significance, be solstice markers, clan symbols, decorative motifs, or simply ancient graffiti.
↑Back to Top