1. Lost Dutchman State Park
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (480) 982-4485
Address: 6109 N. Apache Trail
Description: You will be in the midst of legends and lore about down-on-their-luck gold miners at this 70-site park for tents and RVs, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, about 5 miles north of Apache Junction. Campers will find shower facilities but no hookups. The cost for sites is $15 to $25, depending on the type.
2. Lost Dutchman State Park
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (480) 982-4485
Address: 6109 N. Apache Trail
Description: You will be in the midst of legends and lore about down-on-their-luck gold miners at this 70-site park for tents and RVs, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, about 5 miles north of Apache Junction. Campers will find shower facilities but no hookups. The cost for sites is $15 to $25, depending on the type.
3. Lost Dutchman Days
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (602) 540-6524
Address: 1590 E. Lost Dutchman Blvd.
Description: The legend of Jacob Waltz—the Lost Dutchman—and his futile quest for gold in the Superstition Mountains has been celebrated since 1964 in Apache Junction. Lost Dutchman Days features a parade, a senior pro rodeo, various vendors, a carnival, gold panning, and food booths. The series of events are held around the end of February. Ticket prices vary based on the events.
4. Lost Dutchman Days
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (602) 540-6524
Address: 1590 E. Lost Dutchman Blvd.
Description: The legend of Jacob Waltz—the Lost Dutchman—and his futile quest for gold in the Superstition Mountains has been celebrated since 1964 in Apache Junction. Lost Dutchman Days features a parade, a senior pro rodeo, various vendors, a carnival, gold panning, and food booths. The series of events are held around the end of February. Ticket prices vary based on the events.
5. Lost Dutchman State Park
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (480) 982-4485
Address: 6109 N. Apache Trail
Description: Jacob Waltz, known as the “Dutchman,” traveled through the Superstition Mountains east of the Valley in the 1880s, searching for gold. The name of the park is a bit of a misnomer because it makes it sound as though the Dutchman was lost. Waltz claimed he found gold in the Superstitions, and as proof he used gold to buy supplies when he returned to civilization. Waltz always eluded anyone’s attempts to follow him to the mine, and when he died, the location of the mine was “lost”—if it wasn’t a figment of Waltz’s imagination, which seems most likely. Ever since, people have searched for the “Lost Dutchman Mine.” Some people have died trying, and local media often do stories on rescues of stranded hikers in the nearby Superstition Wilderness of Tonto National Forest. For the record, Waltz was German, not Dutch.The park was established in 1977 after the US Bureau of Land Management sold the Lost Dutchman Recreation Site to the state. The 320-acre park’s facilities include a visitor center, picnic areas with tables and grills, a campground with 35 units, a dump station, trails, restrooms, showers, and group-use areas. Saguaros are everywhere in this desert park. At night the lights of the Valley are visible. A hiking and equestrian trail leads into the rugged Superstition Wilderness. Park rangers advise that the grade of the trail makes it tough on horses and recommend the park’s lower-level trails, on which hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding are all permitted. One of the most accessible hikes is a pretty tough 4.5-mile round-trip route that gives stunning views of Weaver’s Needle, an imposing outcrop of volcanic rock. The entrance fee is $7 per vehicle with up to 4 adults. To get to the park, take the Superstition Freeway (US 60) east to the Idaho Street (AZ 88) exit. When AZ 88 becomes the Apache Trail, follow it about 5 miles northeast to the park entrance.
6. Lost Dutchman State Park
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (480) 982-4485
Address: 6109 N. Apache Trail
Description: Jacob Waltz, known as the “Dutchman,” traveled through the Superstition Mountains east of the Valley in the 1880s, searching for gold. The name of the park is a bit of a misnomer because it makes it sound as though the Dutchman was lost. Waltz claimed he found gold in the Superstitions, and as proof he used gold to buy supplies when he returned to civilization. Waltz always eluded anyone’s attempts to follow him to the mine, and when he died, the location of the mine was “lost”—if it wasn’t a figment of Waltz’s imagination, which seems most likely. Ever since, people have searched for the “Lost Dutchman Mine.” Some people have died trying, and local media often do stories on rescues of stranded hikers in the nearby Superstition Wilderness of Tonto National Forest. For the record, Waltz was German, not Dutch.The park was established in 1977 after the US Bureau of Land Management sold the Lost Dutchman Recreation Site to the state. The 320-acre park’s facilities include a visitor center, picnic areas with tables and grills, a campground with 35 units, a dump station, trails, restrooms, showers, and group-use areas. Saguaros are everywhere in this desert park. At night the lights of the Valley are visible. A hiking and equestrian trail leads into the rugged Superstition Wilderness. Park rangers advise that the grade of the trail makes it tough on horses and recommend the park’s lower-level trails, on which hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding are all permitted. One of the most accessible hikes is a pretty tough 4.5-mile round-trip route that gives stunning views of Weaver’s Needle, an imposing outcrop of volcanic rock. The entrance fee is $7 per vehicle with up to 4 adults. To get to the park, take the Superstition Freeway (US 60) east to the Idaho Street (AZ 88) exit. When AZ 88 becomes the Apache Trail, follow it about 5 miles northeast to the park entrance.
7. La Casa Blanca
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (480) 983-1344
Address: 2208 W. Baseline Rd.
Description: This gated, 198-space community has pools and other recreation amenities and hosts hiking and golfing trips, potlucks, and lectures. About 70 percent of the residents call it home all year. A sister community, Desert Harbor, is nearby, with 207 spaces.
8. La Casa Blanca
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Retirement
Telephone: (480) 983-1344
Address: 2208 W. Baseline Rd.
Description: This gated, 198-space community has pools and other recreation amenities and hosts hiking and golfing trips, potlucks, and lectures. About 70 percent of the residents call it home all year. A sister community, Desert Harbor, is nearby, with 207 spaces.
9. Goldfield Ghost Town
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (480) 983-0333
Address: 4650 N. Mammoth Mine Rd.
Description: Goldfield was a booming town back in the 1890s, thanks to a gold strike at the base of the Superstition Mountains. For 5 years, millions of dollars worth of high-grade ore was excavated by eager miners who dreamed of striking it rich. In Goldfield’s heyday it boasted a hotel, boardinghouse, and 3 saloons. The boom went bust, of course. Now, as a tourist attraction, Goldfield offers mine tours, gold panning, a nature trail, and exhibits of antique mining equipment. It is also the site of Arizona’s only operating narrow-gauge railroad, which takes you on a short scenic tour of the town. The town’s Main Street has a steakhouse/saloon, an ice cream parlor, and several shops to find an Arizona memento. If you’re there on a weekend, you might catch a gunfight (staged, of course). From Apache Junction in the far East Valley, Goldfield can be reached by driving north on Apache Trail (AZ 88). Admission is free, with mine tours and other attractions priced individually.
10. Goldfield Ghost Town
City: Apache Junction, AZ
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (480) 983-0333
Address: 4650 N. Mammoth Mine Rd.
Description: Goldfield was a booming town back in the 1890s, thanks to a gold strike at the base of the Superstition Mountains. For 5 years, millions of dollars worth of high-grade ore was excavated by eager miners who dreamed of striking it rich. In Goldfield’s heyday it boasted a hotel, boardinghouse, and 3 saloons. The boom went bust, of course. Now, as a tourist attraction, Goldfield offers mine tours, gold panning, a nature trail, and exhibits of antique mining equipment. It is also the site of Arizona’s only operating narrow-gauge railroad, which takes you on a short scenic tour of the town. The town’s Main Street has a steakhouse/saloon, an ice cream parlor, and several shops to find an Arizona memento. If you’re there on a weekend, you might catch a gunfight (staged, of course). From Apache Junction in the far East Valley, Goldfield can be reached by driving north on Apache Trail (AZ 88). Admission is free, with mine tours and other attractions priced individually.