Peralta Canyon in the Superstition Mountains, Arizona

Peralta Canyon, Superstition Mountains

Peralta Canyon provides easy access to the incredibly beautiful Superstition Mountains and Wilderness. The turnoff for Peralta is from US 60 about 13 kms east of Apache Junction, Pinal Co., Arizona. Even the drive in from the highway (after passing through the housing development!) is spectacular: abrupt, verticle formations of volcanic cliffs, dikes, and necks, remnants of an ancient volcanic field only about 20 million years old rise ahead. The rainbow of color in rocky cliffs of tuff and the lichens growing on the rocks is surrounded by a fairy tale land of desert cacti and succulents.

There is even more Arizona State Trust Land in the foothills here How much more of these wilderness buffer areas be swallowed up by advancing urban sprawl with its seas of tract homes, golf courses, exotic vegetation and convenience stores?

Conspicuous Flora along the Drive to Trailhead:

Saguaro Cactus -- Carnegiea gigantea
Chain-fruit Cholla -- Cylindropuntia fulgida
Prickly Pear -- Opuntia engelmannii
Buckhorn Cholla -- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
Engelmann Hedgehog Cactus -- Echinocereus engelmannii
Jumping Cholla -- Cylindropuntia bigelovii
Ocotillo;Coachwhip -- Fouquieria splendens

On approaching the steep mountainsides the slope of the roadway increases as it ascends the accumulated alluvium around the base of higher mountains. At the same time notice that the shrubs and trees increase in density. This zone against a mountain is called a bajada - Spanish for slope. Because it is composed of gravel and sand, rainwater and storm runoff from the solid rock upslope penetrates easily and is available in the root zones of woody plants. Some representative trees/shrubs are Foothill Palo Verde, Jojoba, White-thorn Acacia, Velvet Mesquite, and Fairy Duster.

The trekker symbol indicates location of the Peralta Canyon trailhead. Blue thumbtack locates highway turn-off. Nearby areas of interest for nature are Lost Dutchman State Park (blue balloon) and the First Water trail (green thumbtack). Superstion Mountains in a larger map

Field Trip and Wildflower Report from Peralta: September 12, 1999

I found sixteen common desert birds during my brief two-hour hike:

My favorite for the trip were the Green-tailed Towhees, which appeared especially green. These birds were in migration - they do not breed in the Sonoran Desert, but rather arrived from the north from places like Northern Arizona, Colorado and Utah where they nest and breed. Already the Turkey Vultures were finding strong thermals rising off the rapidly heating rock faces. I began sweating almost at once, even though I was still shaded by the steep canyon walls.

But the heat is a good thing. Normally this is a very popular hike, and just finding a parking spot at the trailhead can be difficult ... when the weather is nice. So I endure the heat. The desert is beautiful. There are many butterflies and some wildflowers as well. Thoughts of city and work-a-day are wiped away.

Snout Butterfly The most abundant butterfly was the Leilia Hackberry Butterfly. These golden brown butterflies alight especially on pebbles and bare spots in the trail, flushing and quickly returning as the hiker passes. About a mile and a half below the trailhead the road crosses a wash (name for a dry-looking desert watercourse). An abundance of subsurface water supports a grove of Seep Baccharis. Standing 4 to 6 feet tall they are topped with clusters of whitish flowers swarming with butterflies! Snout Butterflies (pic above), rich tawny Queens, orange-yellow Sleepy Sulfurs, bright yellow Dogface Butterflies, and Great Purple Hairstreaks among them. Other butterflies seen along the trail were the Gray Hairstreak, Dainty Sulfur, Mexican Sulfur, Aurantiacus Skipperling, and Leda Hairstreak.

Credits: Butterfly Photos Bruce Walsh

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Wildflowers were not easily found: The blistering hot days quickly dry up moisture near the soil surface so that annuals just can't grow much. Most flowers were of perennial species, such as the Seep Baccharis. Also at the wash were the first of the fall Alkali Golden Bush. On up the trail the most common flower was that of the twisty Janusia Vine. The flowers are yellow, with five petals. A few purple-rayed, yellow-centered asters and the yellow-flowered Spiny Haplopappus (pictured with the dainty sulfur) were blooming.

Easily the most fascinating flower was the Snap Dragon Vine - a twiny vine with bright coral pink flowers. Soon the sun was above the canyon wall and beating down on me. Where the trail crosses the creek bed there are massive Sugar Sumacs to provide welcome shade. These magnificent trees have tough shiny leaves about three inches long and exude a pungent resin into the air. The odor seemed a bit like urine to me.

There was an abundance of Dragonflies (such as the Big Red Skimmer) having emerged from the temporary pools that collect in the canyon bottom ... they were more than welcome as there were also some bothersome mosquitoes and eye gnats for them to prey upon. Hopbush was blooming heavily, but the all green flowers would go unnoticed by the casual observer. Other flowers included Four-winged Saltbush, Nightshade, Red Spiderling, Rattlesnake Weed, and Indian Mallow. Several grass species with very attractive inflorescences were also seen along the trail.

After two hours my half-gallon of water was gone and I was soaked with sweat. An invigorating hike and an abundance of desert nature watching made for a perfect start of my Sunday!

Field Trip and Wildflower Report from Peralta: September 12, 1999 I found sixteen common desert birds during my brief two-hour hike: Gambel's Quail Northern Cardinal Cactus Wren Bell's Vireo Rock Wren Canyon Wren Ladder-backed Woodpecker Canyon Towhee Lesser Goldfinch Scrub Jay Curve-billed Thrasher Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Verdin Harris Hawk Turkey Vulture Green-tailed Towhee My favorite for the trip were the Green-tailed Towhees, which appeared especially green. These birds were in migration - they do not breed in the Sonoran Desert, but rather arrived from the north from places like Northern Arizona, Colorado and Utah where they nest and breed. Already the Turkey Vultures were finding strong thermals rising off the rapidly heating rock faces. I began sweating almost at once, even though I was still shaded by the steep canyon walls. But the heat is a good thing. Normally this is a very popular hike, and just finding a parking spot at the trailhead can be difficult ... when the weather is nice. So I endure the heat. The desert is beautiful. There are many butterflies and some wildflowers as well. Thoughts of city and work-a-day are wiped away.
The most abundant butterfly was the Leilia Hackberry Butterfly. These golden brown butterflies alight especially on pebbles and bare spots in the trail, flushing and quickly returning as the hiker passes. About a mile and a half below the trailhead the road crosses a wash (name for a dry-looking desert watercourse). An abundance of subsurface water supports a grove of Seep Baccharis. Standing 4 to 6 feet tall they are topped with clusters of whitish flowers swarming with butterflies! Snout Butterflies (pic above), rich tawny Queens, orange-yellow Sleepy Sulfurs, bright yellow Dogface Butterflies, and Great Purple Hairstreaks among them. Other butterflies seen along the trail were the Gray Hairstreak, Dainty Sulfur, Mexican Sulfur, Aurantiacus Skipperling, and Leda Hairstreak. Credits: Butterfly Photos Bruce Walsh
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Wildflowers were not easily found: The blistering hot days quickly dry up moisture near the soil surface so that annuals just can't grow much. Most flowers were of perennial species, such as the Seep Baccharis. Also at the wash were the first of the fall Alkali Golden Bush. On up the trail the most common flower was that of the twisty Janusia Vine. The flowers are yellow, with five petals. A few purple-rayed, yellow-centered asters and the yellow-flowered Spiny Haplopappus (pictured with the dainty sulfur) were blooming. Easily the most fascinating flower was the Snap Dragon Vine - a twiny vine with bright coral pink flowers. Soon the sun was above the canyon wall and beating down on me. Where the trail crosses the creek bed there are massive Sugar Sumacs to provide welcome shade. These magnificent trees have tough shiny leaves about three inches long and exude a pungent resin into the air. The odor seemed a bit like urine to me. There was an abundance of Dragonflies (such as the Big Red Skimmer) having emerged from the temporary pools that collect in the canyon bottom ... they were more than welcome as there were also some bothersome mosquitoes and eye gnats for them to prey upon. Hopbush was blooming heavily, but the all green flowers would go unnoticed by the casual observer. Other flowers included Four-winged Saltbush, Nightshade, Red Spiderling, Rattlesnake Weed, and Indian Mallow. Several grass species with very attractive inflorescences were also seen along the trail. After two hours my half-gallon of water was gone and I was soaked with sweat. An invigorating hike and an abundance of desert nature watching made for a perfect start of my Sunday!