Turks Backyard - the Canyon, AZ

Overview
Turks Backyard is one of multiple side canyons on the west/southwest edge of the Superstitions. Several of them (Monument Canyon, Hog Canyon, and Hieroglyphic Canyon) have official names that appear on maps, while others, including Spirit Canyon, Chuparosa Canyon, Turks Backyard, and the not-so-creatively-nicknamed "Canyon West of Hog" are not officially named. Though all share rugged terrain, excellent views of the Superstitions, and intriguing off-trail exploration opportunities, each canyon has its own unique appeal, such as petroglyphs, arches, or airplane wreckage. Turks Backyard, located directly south of Superstition Peak, is no exception, with the remnants of a mine and an old aluminum ladder that's been in the canyon for 10+ years as of this writing.


The route described here begins from Hieroglyphic Trailhead and follows Lost Goldmine Trail before continuing off-trail to the north for an out-and-back hike of a little more than six miles. For a less crowded trailhead and a longer hike, Lost Goldmine East Trailhead provides an alternative starting point to approach Turks Backyard from the east rather than the west.Hike
Starting from Hieroglyphic Trailhead, take a right at the first intersection after ~0.1 mile to turn onto Lost Goldmine Trail, which winds its way to the east and passes south of Peak 2630, then curves around the south side of Old Turks Head (Peak 2777). After ~2.25 miles, leave Lost Goldmine and start following a dirt road (one of the Gold Canyon Double Tracks) to the north as it passes between Old Turks Head and Turks Head (Peak 2822), crossing over the Superstition Wilderness boundary.

After another quarter mile, the road ends; continue heading north toward Turks Backyard, which stand out with the large alcoves high in the cliffs above it. Though the path to the canyon looks very brushy, it gets enough traffic that you'll start to see cairns (likely several sets) leading toward the entrance and pick up a fairly well-worn social trail that allows relatively easy hiking into Turks Backyard. Near the entrance, you'll also see Peak 3915 looming above to the northwest.

The canyon itself isn't very deep, and the route quickly dead-ends at a nearly vertical cliff wall at the back of the canyon, which is a popular rappelling route (see the guide for Ermahgerd Canyon). Looking up to the east from this dead-end, you'll see several openings in the cliff walls, and the aluminum ladder may be visible through the foliage. There's some minor scrambling and some brush to deal with on the way up the slope, but social trails once again make the approach easier than it first appears. On the way up, you'll pass an assortment of rusted metal scraps, likely remnants of the mining operation.

The aluminum ladder, which is missing one of the lower rungs, is positioned at the base of the east wall of the canyon and leads to a ledge ~15 feet above. The ladder isn't particularly stable on the uneven ground, but if you make the climb up to the ledge, it's possible to scramble higher up the cliff wall for a better look into the mine shaft, which has some old metal equipment inside. After exploring that area, you can descend the slope to return to the back wall of the canyon. The opposite side of Turks Backyard that branches off to the west doesn't have any immediately obvious points of interest like caves or ladders, but it's not so steep that a motivated hiker couldn't climb up and explore that side of the canyon and reach the cliffs above.

Once you've had your fill of the area, you can exit Turks Backyard via the same route. If you want to extend the outing and complete the "Turks Trifecta", Turks Head and Old Turks Head are both only short detours off the route and reasonably easy peaks by Superstition standards. You can explore Turks Backyard, summit both peaks, and return to Hieroglyphic Trailhead with 7-8 miles of total hiking.

2024-12-23 John10s