Lost Dutchman's Syphon Draw

The Lost Dutchman State Park is a treasure we like hiking and camping in the East Valley of Phoenix, AZ. There are several hiking trails but steepest and most hiked is the Syphon Draw.

Mike is on the easy part of the trail that is shady in the mornings

We found hiking during the week is a quieter hike. Everyone in the Valley seems to hit the trails on weekends and holidays. Believe me, we found out on a Thanksgiving holiday in the past.

The Superstition Mountain Museum is near by and displays the artifacts, history and folklore of the Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction and the surrounding region. Perhaps nowhere in the entire United States is there an area full of legend, history and intrigue as the rugged 160,000 acre Superstition Mountain range in the Tonto National Forest in Central Arizona. Archeological evidence indicates that people were here some 9000 years ago. Later inhabitants included the Salado, Hohokam and Apache Indians, followed by Spanish explorers and Mexican Gold Miners. Early American trappers and adventurers migrated to the area and were soon followed by cattlemen and farmers. Eventually, the U.S. Cavalry was sent in to establish forts to protect this rapidly growing population. As modern times approached, men and women began searching for what they believed was the richest gold mine in the world. This mine was made famous by Jacob Waltz, known as “the Dutchman”, who took the secret of “his mine” to the grave in 1891. Even today, treasure hunters scour the mountains searching for the Lost Dutchman Mine, but now they share the region with campers, hikers, horseback riders and conservationists in what has officially become the Superstition Wilderness Area. (Taken from the Lost Dutchman Museum Website)

Once a person gets above the draw, there is some scrambling to get to the Flat Irons and quite a view.