This loop doesn’t have an official name, so I gave it one! “Lost Mesa” Loop starts at First Water Trailhead and connects #104 (Dutchman’s Trail), turns back on #241 (beneath Black Mesa), and returns on #236 from Garden Valley.

It looks small on the map but the loop is a nearly perfect 10 miles with 1500+ feet in elevation gain. Nothing extreme, but come prepared.

First Water Trailhead

The Superstition Wilderness is my favorite. I hike there, I backpack there, I even got married there, and First Water is my go-to trailhead. It gets less traffic than the Peralta Trailhead — the popular launch spot for Weavers Needle — and it’s right next to Lost Dutchman State Park and an old western town that serves a mean burger.

First Water Trailhead is off Arizona Highway 88 (the same road that goes to Tortilla Flat) and down a few miles of dirt road. You don’t need a truck or SUV, but you’ll want to take it easy in a car. There’s a main lot up front with an overflow lot just a quarter-mile away.

Park where you can, sign in, and head west towards trail #104. There’s usually a ranger or two that can tell you about trail and water conditions if you plan on filtering water along the way (don’t count on running water as a given).

Dutchman’s Trail

104 spans the length of the Superstition Wilderness and delivers different elevations and vegetation that make hikers feel like they’re changing climates along the way. It rained the night before our hike so there was water flowing through the washes — places that are otherwise bone dry.

It’s easy to keep the way along Dutchman’s Trail. It’s clearly marked and worn through, and cairns will guide you across open washes. You’ll stay on this section for roughly four miles before a junction where you’ll take a hard left onto trail #241.

Black Mesa Trail

This is where you’ll stretch your lungs. Most of the elevation gain happens along #241 and the climb to Black Mesa. This is a great backpacking destination with several sites that overlook most of the wilderness. It’s called Black Mesa (I think) because of the black rock that covers the mostly flat plateau.

It should have been called Green Mesa (amiright) during this hike because the heavy rain helped green grass cover most of the mesa — a rare sight for that section of the Superstitions. You’ll eventually climb your way back down where another junction sends you home on trail #236.

Second Water Trail

The home stretch. The last 1–2 miles of the hike along trail #236 is also part of the Hackberry Springs/Garden Valley Loop — one of my favorite short backpacking trips in the desert.

Most of the hard work and climbing behind you. Some of my favorite Superstition sights are along Second Water Trail and it’s a great way to wrap up a 10-mile loop. The end of #236 will put you right back where you started at Dutchman’s Trail and towards the trailhead.

A Fraction of the Wilderness

10 miles is a decent hike but the Lost Mesa Loop covers only the tiniest portion of the Superstition Wilderness. It looks small on the map, but the wilderness is massive and has a weaving web of trails to explore. Hiking all of them would be an impressive feat.

I wouldn’t recommend this during the summer heat (these pictures are from January) but if you catch a cool morning after a monsoon or wait until autumn, this is a great 10-miler close to Phoenix.

• Location: Apache Junction, Arizona
• Distance: 10 miles (loop)
• Elevation Gain: 1566 feet
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Cautions: Some steep trails, heat, water not guaranteed, watch for snakes
• Highlights: Beauty of the Superstition Wilderness, lots of vegetation after a rain, tons of changing rock formations
• Nearby Campground: Lost Dutchman State Park
• PTO Days Required: 0 (day hike)
• Nearest City/Town: Mesa, Arizona
• TOTAL SCORE: 1 infinite loop