Length: 13.5 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Moderate

Wilderness Area: Superstition Wilderness

Journal: "Test Driving the Limo"

From Phoenix, take US 60 through Mesa and Apache Junction. Continue on US 60 about 9 miles to the Peralta Trailhead turnoff. ( I did not get a mile marker). Follow the Peralta Road (FR 77) for 7.5 miles to the trailhead. A Tonto Pass is required to park at the trailhead. The road is passable to all vehicles.

Trail Description:

We did this hike as an overnight backpack in March 2001.

From the trailhead take the Dutchman Trail #104. The Dutchman Trail crosses Peralta Creek almost immediately. About 50 feet further is the signed junction with the Bluff Springs Trail #235. Turn left onto the Bluff Springs Trail.

The Bluff Spring Tail is a real groaner to start with. It gains 500 feet in the first half mile. It then levels out just before it reaches the unsigned junction with the Cave Trail (.6 miles). Bluff Springs Trail then drops into scenic Barks Canyon(1.5 miles). After the trail reaches the streambed in Barks Canyon, it crosses to the east side and then continues up stream. When you get to a creek junction, the trail takes the right fork and remains in the creek bottom. There were a few cairns in this area to help guide you but it was not the clearest of paths. After remaining in the creek bottom for about a quarter mile the trail climbs out moderately until it reaches the signed junction with the Terrapin Trail #234(2.2 miles).

Continue on the Bluff Springs Trail as it follows along Bluff Springs Canyon toward the east and then to the southeast. The trail crosses the stream a couple of times. The Bluff Springs Trail ends at junction with the Dutchman Trail (3.2 miles) near Crystal Springs. There was water available in the creek bottom but the pipe that I believe is Crystal Springs was dry, despite it having rained a lot recently.

From the junction , turn left on the Dutchman Trail and continue to follow Bluff Springs Canyon. About a quarter mile after the junction the canyon and the trail turn northeast . About 4.5 miles from the trailhead, the Dutchman Trail leaves the creek and climbs quickly to the northwest to overlook the canyon. The trail follows along the contour of Bluff Springs Mountain for 1.5 miles before dropping back down to the creek at the junction of LaBarge Canyon (5.6 miles). At this point the Dutchman Trail turns left and the Red Tanks Trail #107 goes to the right.

LaBarge Canyon is the major north-south drainage in the Superstitions. At the junction of the creeks is LaBarge Spring. LaBarge Spring is one of the most reliable springs in the Superstitions. In gets a lot of campers during the cooler months.

This trip continues up LaBarge Canyon on the Red Tanks Trail. The Red Tanks Trail follows along LaBarge Creek and crosses it numerous times. The trail is moderately overgrown and is need of some maintenance. About 1.2 miles from LaBarge Spring is a side canyon called Trap Canyon (6.8 miles). The canyon itself was interesting but did not appear to offer much in the way of campsites and the route shown on the topo map was overgrown. We had initially planned on camping in the canyon, but after seeing it we decided to skip it and make a little more mileage that day. Some cumulus clouds had been moving through and we felt that if it did rain, we would want to be closer to the exit.

We continued up the Red Tanks Trail. For the last half mile, the Red Tanks Trail climbs up and over a ridge before dropping back to creek level near the signed junction with the Whiskey Springs Trail #238 (7.5 miles). We camped in a small site near the junction. While we were setting up camp two backpacking groups went by coming from the east and Upper LaBarge Box. Both groups remarked about how stunning the area was. We did not explore it, but I am sure we will go back.

The next morning, we began by heading up the Whiskey Springs Trail. The trail climbs over a ridge and the remains high above the creek for 1/4 mile. It then drops down to creek level. There are about a dozen good campsites in Whiskey Springs Canyon. Water was available at Whiskey Spring (8.0 miles) and in the creek bottom. About a half mile north of Whiskey Springs the trail turns to the west and begins its ascent toward Miners Summit. This section has two or three steep sections and gains 400 feet in about .4 miles. When you reach the high point (el. 3420) you are rewarded with some outstanding views (9.0 miles). Form the high point the trail descends for half a mile to Miners Summit (that sounds odd - descending to a summit). At Miners Summit, the Whiskey Spring Trail ends at a junction with the Dutchman Trail and great views of Miner's Needle.

Turn left onto the Dutchman Trail and begin the long descent into Miners Canyon. After some early switchbacks, the trail follows along dropping gently for the next mile. During the descent, we passed numerous groups of hikers climbing to Miners Summit. We were the only group descending. It felt as if we were swimming against the current. The trail then switchbacks down to the signed junction with Coffee Flat Trail #108 (10.75 miles) These last switchbacks had some of the best shows of wildflowers.

From the junction with the Coffee Flat Trail, continue to follow the Dutchman Trail as it crosses Barkley Basin. After 1.75 miles the trail drops into Lower Barks Canyon (12.5) and turns south. Within a quarter mile the trail turns to the west again and climbs up to a ridge that over looks the Peralta Trailhead (13.0). It then descends for the last half mile to the trailhead.

This is a great loop when water is available. I could not imagine this hike in the summer.