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Hieroglyphic Trail

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate Intermediate
 4.4 (26)
  1. Areas
  2. AZ
  3. …Phoenix Metro
  4. …Gold Canyon
  5. Gold Canyon Trails
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“Popular trail on the edge of Tonto National Forest leading to a beautiful valley with Native rock art. ”

Paul Wright
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Map Key

3.0

Miles

4.8

KM

Out and Back

2,649' 807 m

High

2,086' 636 m

Low

563' 172 m

Up

563' 172 m

Down

7%

Avg Grade (4°)

27%

Max Grade (15°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Cave · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife

Family Friendly Searching for and discovering the rock art is so much fun. Some of the time, you can play in the water as well. Just be safe, as bouldering can be dangerous.

If the parking lot is full, please do not park illegally or on private property. Kindly wait for parking, or come back another day.

Overview

Hieroglyphic Trail #101 is one of the amazing, easy-to-reach trails in the Superstition Mountains that makes an adventurous hike the whole family will love. Heading out from Gold Canyon, you slowly climb along a ridgeline until you enter a steep valley hiding away a small creek, ancient rock formations, and best of all -- Native American petroglyphs (carved pictures in the rock). Keep in mind that the ancient rock art is irreplaceable, and should be admired but never touched.

Need to Know

Leaving within three hours of sunrise will normally provide a nice level of shade toward the top of the trail and within the valley itself. Immediately after a rain in the area, be VERY careful. A lot of water can flow through this area, and if it is raining, I recommend coming back another day. Flash floods are a reality here. However, if you have come a few days after a rain, you'll often find rainwater in the rock basins and small waterfalls connecting them. These are a ton of fun to play in. Be wary of the small ledges above though, as they are very tempting to jump from but the basin may not be deep enough. Finally, be safe with children. There is a lot of fun climbing, but it can be dangerous.

Description

After a brief set of switchbacks, the trail continues a steady climb along a ridgeline that quickly takes you away from the housing development and into a small valley in the Superstition Mountains. Over the roughly 1.5 miles, you'll climb around 600 feet.

As you approach the mountain, you can begin to make out the valley in which the petroglyphs are tucked away. If you left the parking lot early enough in the day, you'll enter the shadow of the mountains that provides nice shade and cool air.

If you watch closely, you'll pass a very large, flat rock with unusual bowls in it. These are believed to have been created by the Native Americans for grinding their grains. Just around the corner ahead, you'll enter the valley of the hieroglyphs.

A little climbing will be needed at this point. If you take your time, watching your path, the climbing will be no more than large steps, however the obvious path becomes hard to spot as you enter the full valley and the creek bed nestled within the carved out rocks and boulders.

The rock art can been seen almost immediately upon entering the valley. If you have young explorers that you feel comfortable with climbing the boulders, it is time to set them loose, but remind them not to touch any of the carvings. Also keep in mind that it's often easier to scramble up to the height of the images than it is to come down.

The route mapped here ends at the entrance to the upper valley, as this is the safest place to stop. However, you can find many more petroglyphs higher up. The trail fades into the rocks and becomes a "find your own way" situation. Be careful and have fun. Stay until the sun starts to come into the valley. It heats up fast. Thankfully, the trek back out is all downhill.

Contacts

Land Manager: USFS - Tonto National Forest Office

Shared By:

Paul Wright
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 26 votes

#1

in Gold Canyon Trails

#512

Overall
  4.4 from 26 votes
5 Star
50%
4 Star
38%
3 Star
12%
2 Star
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1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Gold Canyon Trails

#32

in Arizona

#512

Overall
99 Views Last Month
15,707 Since Apr 15, 2017
Intermediate Intermediate
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Photos

This view gives you an idea of the creek valley, one of the basins, and the general terrain along the Hieroglyphics Trail.
Apr 15, 2017 near Apache…, AZ
This is just a sampling of the hieroglyphics you'll see along the trail.
Apr 15, 2017 near Apache…, AZ
The entrance to the valley is stunning in the morning light.
Apr 15, 2017 near Apache…, AZ
This is one of many mountain views you'll receive along the way.
Apr 15, 2017 near Apache…, AZ
This rock holds a little map of the trail.
Apr 15, 2017 near Apache…, AZ
This trailhead kiosk gives you a quick history of the area.
Apr 15, 2017 near Apache…, AZ

1 Comment

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 12 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Dec 7, 2024
Andy Demaertelaere
Apr 29, 2024
Manoj Abey
3mi
Feb 25, 2024
G Allen Daily
1h 30m
Jan 27, 2024
Joseph Invergo
Jan 7, 2024
Andy Demaertelaere
Dec 2, 2023
Nicholas Wallace
Nice trail, it had rained a few days ago so it wasn't too dusty 3.4mi — 1h 54m
Mar 26, 2023
Anna Paulat
Nothing of note
Jan 17, 2023
Randy Turner

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