Apache Junction

Locals call the jagged mountains southeast of Phoenix the “Supes.” The iconic range is home to some of the state’s most photographed trails as well as the Weavers Needle formation, Peralta Canyon, and the fabled Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. As the legend goes, an immigrant discovered gold in the Superstition Wilderness, revealing it on his deathbed. Tons of gold has been unearthed in the region, but none verified as his. Along the Apache Trail, you can take a mine tour and pan for gold at Goldfield Ghost Town, a recreated boomtown that’s great fun for the whole family. You can also ride Arizona’s only narrow-gauge railroad, catch a mock gunfight, visit the Superstition Mountain Museum, or, if you dare, take a ride on the Superstition Zipline.