About
The Superstition Mountains boast lots of beautiful trails ranging from moderate to extremely difficult. One of my favorites is Siphon’s Draw, a 2-mile hike that I would consider moderately difficult. The trail continues to flat iron, if you are up for the challenge; however, I find that Siphon’s Draw is enough of a hike for a day.
Parking
The trail begins at Lost Dutchman State Park, just 40 min East of Scottsdale. It costs $10 for a day pass, and there are plenty of parking spots throughout. I always park in the lot at the end of the road. There are no bathrooms at this parking lot but there are bathrooms at other spots in the park, like the campground. There is potable water at the trail head, but it was very warm when I used it.
The Beginning
The trail starts off dusty and flat, easing your way out of the campground and towards the mountain. At about the 1/2 mile mark, the trail becomes rocky. Nothing too bad, but it could be tricky for someone with knee issues. This stretch of trail is fully exposed to the sun and has a consistent elevation gain, so I highly recommend coming prepared with water and sun protection.
Nearing the 1 1/2 mark, the trail turns left and heads into the mountain, where you will be surround by the beautiful scenery and rock formations. It is also here that the trail becomes increasingly difficult and you experience the most elevation gain. The trail turns into a rock face with dimples, so grippy shoes will help you out immensely. The hike to Siphon’s Draw is only a little ways further.
The Draw
When you make it to Siphon’s Draw, you will be surrounded by the smooth walls. After a rainfall there may be pools of water up on the left, or streams of water flowing downwards. If this is the case be extra careful. You can climb up the walls but they are rather steep, so I suggest heading up the middle.
Hiking to Flat Iron
If you would like to continue to Flat Iron (you’re crazy!) you can follow the draw up the mountain. I have yet to complete the hike to Flat Iron, but I have heard the average time to complete it is 5-6 hours. My hike to Siphon’s Draw, out and back with breaks, was 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Hopefully in the next couple of months, I will have a post about the hike to Flat Iron, too!
*Flat Iron pictured below
