| when | February 21, 2026 Saturday | ||
| Trip Report : March 16, 2013 | |||
| where | Tonto National Forest, Desert Area | ||
| the hike |
We will be hiking off trail in the Superstition Mountains. The route starts where
FR 80 ends at the vehicle gate. We will descend into Crucifix Canyon and follow it downstream
to near its termination at the lake. Before we reach the lake we will ascend the left side of the
canyon and return to our starting point by following the ridges on the south side of the canyon.
Opposite where we leave the canyon, there is a large bat cave in the cliffs on the right side. We
will not be going into the bat cave: the smell from outside is bad enough. These bat caves were
once mined for fertilizer. That must have been a bad job. Be prepared for desert weather. If we have rain prior to the hike, we may have too much water in the canyon, in which case we will do Black Cross Butte to the Salt River overlook. This hike starts at the same place, but follows the ridgeline on the north side of Crux Canyon. We may have dinner in Tortilla Flat on the way back. Required: Sturdy hiking boots At least 3 liters of water Rain poncho Hat, sunblock Recommended: Camera Long pants |
||
| distance | 7 miles | ||
| EC | +2000' elevation change | ||
| time | 5-6 hours | ||
| type | loop | ||
| starting at |
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| on trail | None | ||
| rating | "A" Rate yourself as a hiker. | ||
| dogs? | no | ||
| cost | Sharing gas expenses with the driver. The club also allows voluntary contributions of $5 per non-member. |
||
| weather | Apache Junction | ||
| leader | Email the leader to confirm. | ||
| meet | 8:00 AM, maybe earlier depending on weather forecast, at
Home Depot in Mesa on the southeast corner of Power and US 60. We will leave promptly at 8:05 AM. |
||
| drive |
Take the Superstition Freeway (US 60) east to Idaho Road. Make the left turn and go north to the intersection with the road to Canyon Lake, AZ 88. Turn right onto AZ 88 and go northeast past Tortilla Flat. Turn left on FR 80, the dirt road that goes to the dam for Apache Lake. Most cars will have no problem on this dirt road |
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| updated January 17, 2026 | © Copyright 2026, Arizona Trailblazers. All rights reserved. |