|
 I
taught a class about the history, geology, fauna,
flora and legend of the Superstition Wilderness Area
for more than twenty years here in Apache Junction.
As a result of teaching this class, I put together
the twenty most commonly ask questions about the
area along with my answers. Last week, I ran the
first ten questions— here are questions eleven
through twenty.
11. Are there any working gold mines in the
Superstitions?
There are no working (profitable) gold mines
operating within the boundaries of the Superstition
Wilderness Area. The only gold mines that ever
existed in the immediate area were the mines
associated with the Superstition Mining District,
such as the Mammoth, Bull Dog, and Black Queen, just
to the west of Superstition Mountain proper.
12. What is a wilderness area?
A wilderness is a piece of public land set aside in
its natural state and preserved for future
generations of Americans to see and experience. The
Superstition Wilderness Area encompasses some
159,780 acres of land in the Tonto National Forest.
13. Where can I see Weaver’s Needle from the
highway?
Weaver’s Needle can be seen from both State Route 88
(Apache Trail) and U.S. Highway 60. Approximately
7.0 miles northeast of Apache Junction at a new
vista point is the best view of the “needle” from a
paved highway.
 14.
Are permits required to visit the Superstition
Wilderness?
The Superstition Wilderness Area does not require a
permit to visit. First Water and Peralta are very
popular trail heads to visit .
15. What agency regulates the Superstition
Wilderness Area?
The Tonto National Forest Ranger District under the
supervision of the United States Department of
Agriculture.
16. What is the easiest way to see the
Superstition Wilderness?
The quickest and easiest way to see the Superstition
Wilderness is by helicopter, but this method is very
expensive. The cheapest method is hiking the
enormous trail system of the wilderness. There are
more than 140 miles of improved trails in the
Superstition Wilderness Area. To use the trail
system you must be prepared to do a lot of hiking or
horse back riding.
17. How many miles of hiking trails are there in
the Superstitions?
There are 140 miles of improved hiking trails in the
Superstition Wilderness Area and approximately 100
more miles of unimproved trails that do not appear
on maps.
18. How high is Superstition Mountain above sea
level?
The highest point on Superstition Mountain above sea
level is 5,074 feet. This is Southeast Superstition
Peak. Summit 5,024 is the second highest point on
Superstition Mountain proper.
19. What is the difference between Superstition
Mountain and the Superstition Wilderness Area?
Superstition Mountain is one specific geographical
location within the Superstition Wilderness Area,
immediately east of Apache Junction. The
Superstition Wilderness Area is a region of some 242
square miles or 159,780 acres containing many lesser
mountains and some even higher mountains than
Superstition Mountain.
20. Where can I get information on the
Superstition Wilderness Area?
Mesa Ranger District
26 N. MacDonald
P.O. Box 5800
Mesa, Arizona 85211-5800 |
