Lost Dutchman State Park: Will 2013 be your lucky year?

The Lost Dutchman Legend is the inspiration for the name of this Arizona State Park east of Phoenix. It has lured gold seekers that sought to find the hidden gold spoken of by myth, legend, and Twitter posts. No, sorry that came later. But the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine persists.

The Superstition Mountains (name inspired by Pima Indian legends) have been a source of mystery and legend since early times. The area is dotted with ancient cliff dwellings and caves built by pre-historic inhabitants, however, the name "Apache" came to be closely associated with the Superstitions, and the mountains became an Apache stronghold in the 1800s.

During the 1840s the Peralta family of northern Mexico supposedly developed rich gold mine(s) in the Superstitions. Their last expedition to carry gold back to Mexico occured in 1848. According to legend, the large party was ambushed by Apaches, and all were killed except for one or two Peralta family members who escaped into Mexico. This area is known today as the Massacre Grounds.

A number of other people were supposed to have known the mine's location or even to have worked it, but over the years men who claimed to have found the Peralta mine were unable to return to it or some disaster occured before they could file a claim, all adding to the lore of a "lost mine."

In the 1870s Jacob Waltz, "the Dutchman" was said to have located the mine through the aid of a Peralta descendant. Waltz and his partner, Jacob Weiser worked the mine and allegedly hid one or more caches of gold in the Superstitions. Most stories place the gold in the vicinity of Weaver's Needle, a well known landmark. Weiser was killed by Apaches, or according to some, by Waltz himself.

In failing health, Jacob Waltz moved to Phoenix and died some twenty years later in 1891. He supposedly described the mine's location to Julia Thomas, a neighbor who took care of him prior to his death. Neither she nor dozens of other seekers in the years that followed were able to find the "Lost Dutchman's Mine." Subsequent searchers have sometimes met with foul play or even death, contributing to the superstition and legend that surround these mountains.

Maybe 2013 will be your lucky year, and you can start it off by attending the January 1: First Day Hike at the park. Meet at the park at 9 AM in the Saguaro day-use area to hike the Treasure Loop Trail, learn about desert flora and fauna, the history of the Superstition Mountains, and the Lost Dutchman Mine. This moderate hike has an elevation gain of 500 fee and is 2.5 miles round trip. Carry water, dress in warm layers and wear sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots. In case of rain, hike will be cancelled.. Learn more about Lost Dutchman State Park.