Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
Garden Valley Loop Day Hike

when	Saturday, December 10, 2022
where	Superstition Wilderness
the hike	We take an access trail from the horse parking lot strolling through the Sonoran Desert with spectacular views of the Superstitions to the northwest. After a mile, we intersect the Hackberry Springs Trail. We travel north on the Hackberry Springs Trail a short distance where we reach Hackberry Springs at the base of a basalt cliff. We will pause for a photo op and some exploration, before continuing north along the Hackberry Springs Trail.     The trail circumvents the basalt outcrop and after about a mile we come to a junction and pause for another photo op.     We take the trail left (east) for about ¼ mile with a view of Hackberry Mesa to the north. The trail curves south through the Garden Valley to the Second Water trail (#236) junction.     We continue south then west on Second Water Trail about 2 miles to the junction with the Dutchman (#104) trail and travel ½ mile back to the First Water trailhead. We walk ½ mile back along a trail that parallels the road to the First Water Trailhead horse lot.     This hike is described in Footloose from Phoenix by Ted Tenny, pages 132-139.
distance	5.5 miles
time	4 hours
EC	+-570' elevation change
elevations	2,050' (First Water Creek) to 2,434' (Garden Valley)
type	loop
starting at	First Water Horse Staging Area 33° 28.964' N,  111° 26.932' W  [NAD27]
on trail	100% — Access Trail 20%, Hackberry Springs Trail 45%, Second Water Trail #236 (25%). Dutchman’s Trail #104 (10%) (Hackberry is a creek bottom and can be wet).
rating	"C"     Rate yourself as a hiker.
dogs?	no
cost	When car-pooling, pay your share the cost of gas. The club also allows voluntary contributions of $5 per non-member.
weather	Apache Junction
leader	Email the leader to confirm. Please provide your cell phone number when you sign up in case we need to contact you on the day of the hike.
meet	9:00 AM at First Water Trailhead Horse Lot.
drive	•  Go northeast on the Apache Trail Highway (Arizona 88) past Goldfield Ghost Town and Lost Dutchman State Park, to First Water Road. • Turn right on First Water Road and drive 2.1 miles to the Horse Staging Area, which will be on the left.

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updated October 6, 2022	© Copyright 2022, Arizona Trailblazers.  All rights reserved.