Apache Tears cave

[sherae86]

Hello, everybody!! I was told when I was a little kid we use to go to this cave in superior, and pick up apache tears. I was just wondering if anybody can help me. I would like to go back there again, just to see the place that I hardly remember. I remember going rock hunting all the time and I do remember the apache tears. We stopped at the worlds smallest museum in superior, and there was the picture of the cave. I don't remember it. But I'd sure like to go see it. If it's still there. Could anybody out there help me out. If so thank you.
Sherae86

[Al_HikesAZ]

Hello, everybody!! I was told when I was a little kid we use to go to this cave in superior, and pick up apache tears. I was just wondering if anybody can help me. I would like to go back there again, just to see the place that I hardly remember. I remember going rock hunting all the time and I do remember the apache tears. We stopped at the worlds smallest museum in superior, and there was the picture of the cave. I don't remember it. But I'd sure like to go see it. If it's still there. Could anybody out there help me out. If so thank you.
Sherae86

Check out my Arnett Creek info. You only have to go 2-3 miles to get to & from the mine. Just east of Boyce Thompson Arboretum and south of the road. You go past the foundations of old Pinal City and curve around. The Apache Tears aren't really in the cave, they are just east of the cave. Look at my GPS map where the loop crosses over itself at Lat: 33.269° Lon: -111.1341°

[tealnrose]

we went to globe to the caves where the apache tears were IN A CAVE they gave us a coffee can and a pick to chip them out of the walls of THE CAVE...I STILL have a can of them

[SkyIslander18]

I remember going to this "cave" on a field trip in grade school. We were givin a very small bucket & pick and then led to an alcove to pick the tears out of the mountain. I remember we were not finding many so the person running the little store scraped the wall with a backhoe exposing hundreds and we all filled our buckets.

[joebartels]

Wow some neat childhood memories. Sounds like a couple different areas. Field trips rock, bet most can remember those over quadratic equations. Yet I think the amazing thing is that Alan's 2007 link still works to the old static map

[Al_HikesAZ]

. . . Yet I think the amazing thing is that Alan's 2007 link still works to the old static map

I like to call stuff like that Retro. My daughter says "Dad that's not retro, that's ghetto!!". Seems like only yesterday you were figuring out how to make that newfangled GPS stuff work.

[vondavis]

My wife and I made this hike today, as the previous poster mentioned it is close by the arboretum at mile post 224. however, the highway department has blocked entrance to the roadway there and its necessary to now park off the highway and hike in, or possibly the arboretum??. The entrance to the mine itself has now been blocked off, but you can still find some specimens in the surrounding area. just go to the south of the highway and take the dirt road up the side of the mountain. At about the halfway point you will find the spring is still running, and the wildlife abundant in the area. The collection point is about a mile and a half from the roadway. The last part up to the mine has been blocked, but tailings have been scattered about there, probably to keep the rock hounds at bay. Fine by me. We were able to collect about a small coffee can full of pretty good obsidian without having to trespass on private land. That way everyone leaves smiling.
I recommend taking sufficient water and taking nice comfortable shoes, but the hike is not too strenuous if you are healthy. I was satisfied enough with the outcome that we will return in the future I'm sure. Hope this helps anyone who wants more recent information. Happy Trails.