The original Apache Trail was a footpath that the local native Americans used to traverse the Superstition Mountains. As western expansion took hold, the footpath became a stage coach trail for miners and mountaineers in search of their fortunes, and later it earned the first ‘Historic Highway’ destination in Arizona.
During your full-day tour of the Apache Trail, relax and take in the scenery on a 6-mile narrated nature cruise on Canyon Lake aboard a legendary steamboat. Look for big horn sheep, bald eagles and other desert animals, and admire the lake’s volcanic cliffs, which stand as high as 1,300 feet (396 meters).
Visit the ghost town of Goldfield, founded in 1892 and named for the precious metal found in the area. A hub of the region’s gold mining operations for five years, it quickly declined when the ore ran out. Nowadays the town offers western-themed attractions such as panning for gold, displays of authentic mining gear at Goldfield’s Historic Museum, and tales about female pioneers of the 1800’s at Lu Lu’s Bordello.
After your steamboat ride, visit Tortilla Flat and Fish Creek Hill in the Superstition Wilderness. Once a stagecoach stop, Tortilla Flat retains a quirky charm, in evidence in its motto ‘The Town Too Tough To Die’ and a festively decorated saloon. From Fish Creek Hill, enjoy a stunning vantage point over the Sonoran Desert and Superstition Wilderness.
Your guide fills you in on the legends of the Lost Dutchman Mine, along with plenty of information about the region’s history, geography and wildlife, including rare animals and edible plants.
At the end of your full-day tour, your guide returns you to your Phoenix-area hotel.
