Route Editor
Route Scout
Overview: This is the historical pinal cemetery where Wyatt Earp's common law wife Mattie is buried. Be careful walking around as many graves are unmarked. The town of Pinal just NW of this site is now Superior. History: Celia Ann "Mattie" Blaylock (January 1850 – July 3, 1888) was a prostitute who became the romantic companion and common-law wife of Old West lawman and gambler Wyatt Earp for about 8 years. Knowledge of her place in Wyatt's life was concealed by Josephine Earp, his later common-law wife, who worked hard to protect her and Wyatt's reputation in their later years. On July 3, 1888, Mattie took a lethal dose of laudanum together with alcohol. Her death was officially ruled as "suicide by opium poisoning". She is buried in the cemetery at Pinal City, now a ghost town, and located just west of the former cement and mining town of Superior, Arizona. Cemetery: The old gravestone is replaced with a nice in ground because the big one was getting tacky. EMF readings. It's just a beautiful hike with great views. Picket Post Mountain is across the railroad tracks. There are the wagon wheel tracks and also perlite to the apache tears. Just west is Boyce Arboretum. East is superior. Lots of Wyatt Earp stories. This is a great lot of views and close to other interesting views and things to do. You can go right into Superior to have a great Mexican dinner. With the mines being there, makes for great rock hunting too. There are lots of things to see and great stones to see. Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Review
Historical Pinal Cemetery
After doing the Queen Trail, east of Superior, in the morning, I stopped by the Historic Pinal Cemetery on my way out of town. Despite what the official route implies, you can legally drive right up to the cemetery gate. There are no fences, gates or "Do Not Enter" signs which prevent driving up to the entrance. It's not far to walk from the official parking area, but that is absolutely *riddled* with broken glass 
, so your tires may appreciate you parking by the cemetery, or anywhere else.
The cemetery itself is small, with maybe two dozen recognizable graves. Most are simply outlined by rocks, a few with decaying wooden crosses. Some have crosses made of half inch rebar. Besides the Mattie Earp grave -- which is about 50 feet past the entrance, on the left -- there are three graves with readable memorials. One I could only read by tracing my fingers in the grooves. Any idea why people leave coins and bullet casings on some graves?
The Mattie Earp grave has a geocache, or at least a very large jar with a rather large notebook, where visitors have left notes, and some have left empty mini-bottles of booze. 
Video: http://youtu.be/ETByZrTMvb4
, so your tires may appreciate you parking by the cemetery, or anywhere else.
The cemetery itself is small, with maybe two dozen recognizable graves. Most are simply outlined by rocks, a few with decaying wooden crosses. Some have crosses made of half inch rebar. Besides the Mattie Earp grave -- which is about 50 feet past the entrance, on the left -- there are three graves with readable memorials. One I could only read by tracing my fingers in the grooves. Any idea why people leave coins and bullet casings on some graves?
The Mattie Earp grave has a geocache, or at least a very large jar with a rather large notebook, where visitors have left notes, and some have left empty mini-bottles of booze.
Video: http://youtu.be/ETByZrTMvb4
2014-01-15 kingsnake
