Reviewed Nov 11th by Ed.
Now that the weather in the area has cooled down I’m following up on something I promised to do in a post this summer. Go hiking. Now since I am new to the area, I was not sure where to go that would be fun and new. I was debating on reviewing Camelback Mountain but that will be a review for a later date. I was taken out by a lovely lady who is very familiar with hiking in the Phoenix area to the Superstition Mountains.
Just about 5 miles north of Apache Junction on Highway 88, as you are driving towards Lake Roosevelt, is Lost Dutchman State Park. Nestled at the base of the Superstition Mountains, Lost Dutchman State Park is a combination of Day Hiking and Overnight Camping (just about 70 spots from what I can see on the map given to me by the Park Ranger).
Once you arrive at Lost Dutchman State Park, you pay $5 for parking and park usage and $12 for non-electric camping. We were given a map by the Park Rangers and decided to hike the Treasure Loop Trail.
The trail started out moderately flat but rose in elevation pretty quickly one you were about a mile or so into the hike. Every once in a while I had to stop, turn around and take a look at the simply breathtaking scenery such as the image below:
With the weather cooler in the area, the hiking conditions were perfect but I needed water as I went up. There is plenty of opportunity and room to talk side by side as the trails, for the majority of the hike, were pretty wide. This makes hiking at the Lost Dutchman State Park perfect for dates or taking your significant other out for the afternoon.
With the hiking experiences I had in Seattle coupled with watching all the stories on the local news of idiot hikers who went into the mountains in the middle of the summer without water, I brought more than enough water. The inclines were somewhat steep but nothing that’s impassable. Once you got to the apex of the trail you had a simply amazing view of the entire valley from the perspective of the base of the Superstition Mountains.
The Treasure Loop hike is indeed a workout but nothing that’s going to leave you soaked in sweat when you get back to your car….unless you are out of shape.
Lost Dutchman is a great place to go in the middle of the week as there was hardly anyone there when my date and I went. Furthermore, there is the Saloon at the Goldfield Ghost Town just down the road which is perfect for a post hike beer and/or meal. My date grabbed a bite to eat there and checked out the town afterwords.
All in all, the hiking at the Lost Dutchman State Park is a MUST SEE/DO!!! It’s the perfect quick getaway from town for the day and can be the basis for a really fun date or day with a group of people. It’s also a fun time if you want to just spend some time by yourself. There are plenty of benches along the trails to just sit down and read a book if you wish.
For more information and other events that go on at Lost Dutchman State Park, please refer to their official website:
http://azstateparks.com/Parks/LODU/index.html
For more information about Goldfield Ghost Town please refer to their site:
http://www.goldfieldghosttown.com/
Popularity: 31% [?]
