Hieroglyphic Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Cave · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife

Hieroglyphic Trail #101 is one of the amazing, easy-to-reach trails in the Superstition Mountains that makes an adventurous hike the whole family will love. Heading out from Gold Canyon, you slowly climb along a ridgeline until you enter a steep valley hiding away a small creek, ancient rock formations, and best of all -- Native American petroglyphs (carved pictures in the rock). Keep in mind that the ancient rock art is irreplaceable, and should be admired but never touched.

Leaving within three hours of sunrise will normally provide a nice level of shade toward the top of the trail and within the valley itself. Immediately after a rain in the area, be VERY careful. A lot of water can flow through this area, and if it is raining, I recommend coming back another day. Flash floods are a reality here. However, if you have come a few days after a rain, you'll often find rainwater in the rock basins and small waterfalls connecting them. These are a ton of fun to play in. Be wary of the small ledges above though, as they are very tempting to jump from but the basin may not be deep enough. Finally, be safe with children. There is a lot of fun climbing, but it can be dangerous.

The trail's surface is very mixed: expect flat-packed dirt, loose large rocks, some big steps, and on the weekends a lot of people. I am a new trail runner and could run it, however, I would consider maybe 30% of the trail as difficult.

After a brief set of switchbacks, the trail continues a steady climb along a ridgeline that quickly takes you away from the housing development and into a small valley in the Superstition Mountains. Over the roughly 1.5 miles, you'll climb around 600 feet.

As you approach the mountain, you can begin to make out the valley in which the petroglyphs are tucked away. If you left the parking lot early enough in the day, you'll enter the shadow of the mountains that provides nice shade and cool air.

If you watch closely, you'll pass a very large, flat rock with unusual bowls in it. These are believed to have been created by the Native Americans for grinding their grains. Just around the corner ahead, you'll enter the valley of the hieroglyphs.

A little climbing will be needed at this point. If you take your time, watching your path, the climbing will be no more than large steps, however the obvious path becomes hard to spot as you enter the full valley and the creek bed nestled within the carved out rocks and boulders.

The rock art can been seen almost immediately upon entering the valley. If you have young explorers that you feel comfortable with climbing the boulders, it is time to set them loose, but remind them not to touch any of the carvings. Also keep in mind that it's often easier to scramble up to the height of the images than it is to come down.

The route mapped here ends at the entrance to the upper valley, as this is the safest place to stop. However, you can find many more petroglyphs higher up. The trail fades into the rocks and becomes a "find your own way" situation. Be careful and have fun. Stay until the sun starts to come into the valley. It heats up fast. Thankfully, the trek back out is all downhill.