No Lost Gold or Bighorn Sheep in the Superstition Wilderness
If you ever find yourself in Arizona in search of lost goldmines, bighorn sheep, or just great views this is the hike for you. Though, if you’re like me you’ll probably only find the great views.
In December of 2025, I escaped the cold for a bit to visit a friend in Arizona. Despite having visited Arizona multiple times, I’ve always stuck to touristy places like Sedona or the occasional random trail spotted while driving around. So, I figured it was time to plan a hike somewhere less trafficked.
I landed on the Fremont Saddle via the Peralta Canyon Trail, which was certainly less busy than Sedona but very popular. It’s a roughly 4.8 mile hike located the Superstition Wilderness of Arizona.
While you likely won’t find much solitude here, you will find plenty of dogs hiking along with you! I’d recommend downloading a map ahead of time or utilizing AllTrails to ensure you stay on the correct trail if you aren’t familiar with the area. That said, this hike is well-travelled, so it’s easy to stay on the path. Though, as someone used to hiking in Virginia I was initially thrown off by the lack of blazes. Parking is rather plentiful, but we arrived around sunrise to find the parking lot pretty full already.
I picked this trail because it promised bighorn sheep. Or rather, there was a chance I could see bighorn sheep here either in the early morning or late afternoon. So, my friend and I set out before the sun rose and hit the trail. Spoiler alert: I did not see any bighorn sheep, so that dream remains on my bucket list.
However, it was a balmy 60 degrees when we hit the trail, which made it perfect hiking weather and the trail was bursting with wildflowers. There was an abundance of brittlebush everywhere. The hike inside the canyon was delightfully brimming with many unique rock formations.
Frequent hikers will probably find this hike fairly easy, but my friend who isn’t much of a hiker completed this hike with me. It’s a rather gradual ascent to the top with the steepest part being towards the end, but you’ll be treated to fantastic views along the way. However, due to the overall lack of shade I’d probably say this hike is best done in winter, spring, or fall.
Furthermore, you’ll definitely want to wear good boots or shoes, comfortable clothes, and bring plenty of water and snacks with you. On our descent to the parking lot, we passed by more than a few exhausted folks wondering how much farther they had to go. I felt bad telling them the most difficult part still lay a couple of miles ahead!
If you make it to the end, your reward will be a stellar view of Weaver’s Needle. According to folklore, the Needle’s shadow points to the location of the Lost Dutchman’s Goldmine though no one has yet to find this mysterious mine and it’s probably more fiction than fact. I decided not to try my luck and look for any hidden treasure (and my friend was pretty tired at this point).
While I found neither gold nor bighorn sheep here, I did discover a great hike that was well worth the effort.
Happy Hiking!
