overnight parking in the Superstitions

[gotdirt]

Does anyone know if there are only certain trailheads that is allowed parking overnight for backpacking? If so, which ones? Also, does it require a Tonto pass? I want to explore the mountain and all the trails as I have not done so yet. Any input would help me out a bunch!!!

[joebartels]

You can park at any of them overnight. Well, I'm not 100% sure on the Broadway Trailhead as it's in a neighborhood now. You don't need a Tonto Pass for any of the Superstition Wilderness.

[gotdirt]

Thanks! Can you Recommend some decent trails for backpacking into for a fairly experienced hiker?

[joebartels]

Hmmm, I like 'em all. The western range is lower so the overnight lows are more in tune with Phoenix temps. Maybe a few degrees cooler, whereas the eastern range is a good twenty degrees cooler. Guess if you're experienced the only question is do you enjoy catclaw?

[DarthStiller]

Remember also that the farther east you go, the less maintained the trails are, so if you decide to go there, make sure you have recent maps, compass, GPS, extra batteries, etc.

[nonot]

Reavis and Rogers Canyon are well maintained. The Dutchman is the best, along with Peralta, Second Water and Black Mesa being very good. Anything east of the JF trail is generally at risk for snow in the winter. What you may not be used to is the catclaw and that fact that AZ trails are not generally obvious dirt paths like they are in other parts of the country, they are generally the rocks in the path of least resistance through the shrubbery.

All are good for backpacking, if you like loops, starting from Peralta TH gives you the most options.

[sirena]

they are generally the rocks in the path of least resistance through the shrubbery.

That is a very accurate description of the trails- the other one that I liked was Andrew Skurka's description of Arizona trails from his Great Western Loop: "Take your favorite trail, then dump load after load of rocks of all sizes onto that trail"

[cabel]

Careful parking at Reavis my truck was broken into and the battery cabel cut.

[big_load]

Careful parking at Reavis my truck was broken into and the battery cabel cut.

At the north TH?

[gotdirt]

Guess if you're experienced the only question is do you enjoy catclaw?

I can't say that I am a fan of the catclaw family.

Thanks for all your imput! If anyone is interested in showing me around the mountain let me know.

[rushthezeppelin]

What you may not be used to is the catclaw and that fact that AZ trails are not generally obvious dirt paths like they are in other parts of the country, they are generally the rocks in the path of least resistance through the shrubbery.

This is probably the biggest reason many people get lost out in the supes (even me for very short periods of time.....I'm usually good about backtracking very soon after loosing a trail) especially on the non-official trails like the trail leading up to battleship. It gets so hard to distinguish the trail against random spacing in the shrubbery and animal trails. In a way though it's nice that the Supes have tons of extremely recognizable landmarks to get your bearings on so you can usually just bushwhack straight to where you need to go or to where you know the trail is.

Thanks for all your imput! If anyone is interested in showing me around the mountain let me know.

If I get any free weekends here soon I'm going to be trying to at least get some day hikes in the western supes. You are welcome to join if I'm able to put the hike up here with enough notice. Also pertinent to know if you are good at scrambling because a fair amount of trails out here will require it. And the scrambling could be on a variety of rock from solid, smooth rock to more brittle and sharp pumice rock (it helps exfoliate your hands ).