COFFEE FLAT to WHITLOW CANYON
Superstition Wilderness
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| corral at Whitlow Canyon |
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| Fairy Duster |
Early spring brings a magical transition to the Superstition
Wilderness. It's a time when
winter-worn shrubs and the gray stubble of last year's flora make a yawning
renewal. Right now, the craggy, hilly
terrain is awash in splendor-hinting shades of green with the first of the
early blooming wildflowers already beginning to show on sunny side of the mountains. Although most any trail in the
Superstitions would be good for viewing wildflowers, the routes leaving from
the Peralta trailhead are particularly productive due to the way water rolls
down from hoodoo edged ridgelines over loose-soil slopes before settling into
deeply incised canyons where mesquite and Palo verde trees play nurse maid to
myriad fragile perennials. For our
first wildflower hike of the year, we selected a mostly unshaded route to catch
the early bloomers. This week we observed spotty specimens of wild hyacinth,
fiddleneck, scorpion weed, buckwheat, brittlebush, red maids, filaree and
Mexican gold poppies. Best of all,
an abundant crop of sprouts teased for a better-than-average wildflower season
to come. Color was best along the Dutchman's Trail, especially where riparian
life zones thrive around lingering pools of water.
At 2.6 miles, we turned onto the Coffee Flat Trail with the goal of
visiting the mesquite bosque and old stock corral at Whitlow Canyon. The corral is a
collection of knotted barbed wire and rusty signs drenched in rugged old west
character. Before heading back the way we came, we took a break beneath
a twisted mesquite tree surrounded by greenery that will soon burst into fields
of golden poppies .
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| Water on the Dutchman's Trail |
HIKE PLAN:
From the Peralta trailhead, begin hiking east on Dutchman's Trail #104. At 2.6 miles veer right at the signed
junction for Coffee Flat Trail # 108.
Follow #108 for 1.7 miles to the prominent wash of Whitlow Canyon, cross the
wash and within a few yards, look for a cairned "Y"
intersection. Take the right fork
to get to the corral. See "more photos" for images of these unsigned
waypoints.
LENGTH: 9.2
miles roundtrip
RATING: easy-
moderate
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| brittlebush |
ELEVATION:
2287' - 2680'
FACILITIES: restrooms
GETTING THERE:
From Phoenix, travel east on US60 to Apache Junction. Continue roughly 8 miles to Peralta
Road (FR77) located between mileposts 204 and 205. There’s also a sign
indicating "Peralta Trailhead". Turn left and follow Peralta Road 7.2
miles to the trailhead.
INFO: Mesa Ranger District, Tonto National Forest,
480-610-3300
MAP:
MORE PHOTOS:
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