December 13, 2022 - Prehike to San Tan Mountain Regional Park - Goldmine, Dynamite, San Tan, and Littleleaf Trail

 December 13, 2022

It was cool today at San Tan Mountain Park. John and I drove to the park by going Attaway Road to W. Hunt Highway, then turning right onto Greg Drive. This took us into a subdivision and eventually to Phillips Road that leads into the park. We checked out Thompson Road, but there was construction. 

It costs 7:00 per car to get into the park. There was ample parking and clean washrooms. There will be a horse event on Friday, but it shouldn’t affect our hiking group. 

We walked around the tortoise habitat and memorial area before heading to the Goldmine trail. 

This trail is wide and flat at the beginning, then heads up into the mountains. There is a hazardous sign ½ way up the trail, showing loose rock on steep inclines. Hikers need good hiking shoes for grip. At the saddle, there is a steep, rocky trail to the top of a viewpoint; but it is off-limits. 

From the saddle, we could see the other trailhead and signs of overburden from a mine. We started down the rocky and steep trail. 

Several people on the trail told us which way they preferred to hike. Some liked to hike up the steep side first, but we would have to come from the N. Wild Horse Drive Trailhead (described below). One hiker told us about a bench their family had donated for their seventy-eight-year-old father who likes to hike this trail. He can now sit and enjoy the view. 

Once down the other side of the mountain, we see a sign to the graveyard where two gold miners are buried. There is a monument providing details.

When we came to the junction of Goldmine and Dynamite, a trail leads to another trailhead where we can use the Porta-Potty washrooms. This trailhead can be accessed turning left off W. Hunt Road to Empire Blvd. and left onto N. Wild Horse Drive.

Back on the trail, we turned onto Dynamite trail leading up the side of the mountain. This trail is easy to hike and has views of volcanic rock. Some quartz boulders are on the side of the trail. 

We turned left on San Tan Trail to return to the Goldmine Trail. After following Goldmine, we turned onto Littleleaf trail back to the trailhead. 7.2 miles. 

On our way back on Phillips Road, the GPS had us turn right onto N. Thompson which turned into N. Brenner Pass Road. We turned left onto W. Judd Road, then turned Right onto Gary Road. The GPS took us to E. Magma Road, and around a traffic circle staying on Magma Road. We turned right onto W. Hunt Highway. We turned right onto Attaway Road, then on Highway 287 (this turns into 87) then turn left to Signal Peak Road, right onto Woodruff Road and left to N. Overfield Road and right to Cottonwood, and back to the park.  

December 6, 2022 to Lost Goldmine Trailhead to Dacite Cliff Mine, Carney Springs Waterfall, Shaka Cave and Wave Cave

John and Nancy prehiked this trail for the hike this Friday. There were three inches of rain on Saturday and Sunday last week so we were unsure of the roads. There were a few large puddles on the Peralta Trailhead. We passed the Carney Springs Trailhead (unmarked) and stopped at the Peralta Trailhead where we talked to a Ranger. He told us about the gates and fences on the trail and a few spots to look for. The two little holes where natives ground seeds in the Shaka Cave and the name change of the Wave Cave. The wave cave used to be called Apache Kid Cave. YouTube video on Apache Kid - History. 

We started hiking at Lost Goldmine Trail. 

We turned off at the marker and opened the gate to the right of the trail. 

The marker to turn onto Dacite Cliff Mine Trail. There is a piece of barbed wire used as a gate to the right of this post. Go through the gate and start up Dacite Cliff mine trail. 

Trail to the mine

There was a very small waterfall at the mine because of the recent rains. The trail is narrow to the mine, but interesting. There is an iron gate across the entrance. 

We hiked back to the fence and continued on the Lost Goldmine trail until 

We came to another marker and a cattle gate. where we could maneuver through. This is the Carney Springs Trail that winds its way to Carney Springs Waterfall and Shaka Cave.

The gate to get through to Carney Springs Trail is a cattle gate we can manourver through without having to close it. 

This leads down into a wash

We arrived at Shaka Cave, but because there were some people with a bouquet of flowers, going to Shaka Cave, we decided to do Carney Springs waterfall first.

Carney Springs Waterfall

Again, because of the recent rain, there was plenty of water in the falls and the pond. After a few minutes at the falls, we turned back and went to Shaka Cave. 

       

       

Shaka Cave

There were rose petals left at the cave. We continued on and had lunch on some rocks near the Cave.

 From there were went back to the Lost Goldmine Trail and turned right onto the  Wave Cave. This trail is marked with arrows painted on the rock and winds its way up through boulders.

 Wind Cave Trail

This is where John went to the cave on his own (1/2 mile each way from here)

View from a rock where I was waiting. 

Back to trailhead

This map is the hike we planned for Friday.