Hiking the Wave Cave Trail | Superstition Mountains | Arizona

The Wave Cave Trail is a hiking experience that you certainly don't want to miss if you're travelling to the Phoenix area. The Wave Cave Trail is a fantastic hiking trail for the whole family. The trail is located just outside of Phoenix in the Arizona Desert and the Superstition Mountains. More specifically Gold Canyon, Arizona. The trailhead is located 10km into East Peralta Road which turns to dirt within the first km. You cant miss the parking lot for this hike which is on the left-hand side with plenty of space for vehicles and has a great view of the mountain which the Wave Cave resides.
The Wave Cave Trail is a 4.5km round-trip hike and is one of the more popular trails, so you can expect to see at least 10 other people on the trail as I did (which is pretty comfortable and lucky) or you could be hiking along 100 or so others from what I have heard. The trail ascends 900ft up the side of a mountain, which also means that the trail descends 900ft on your way back to the vehicle. This hike, despite being on the shorter end would be difficult for some do to the steep climb involved, but should be manageable for most.
There is plenty of wildlife along the trail, so keep that in mind as there are Rattlesnakes which could really ruin your hike in a hurry. As long as you respect nature and keep a safe distance you can observe some beautiful wildlife and my personal favorite... The large amount of Saguaro cacti located in the area.
This hike took about 1 hour 15 minutes to reach the Wave Cave and a total of 4 hours to get back to the vehicle allowing for time spent enjoying some lunch, taking in the views and not wanting to leave the cool temps of the cave as it offered shelter from the hot sun as well as it just being such an amazing place to hangout for the day.
Once in the cave you will be treated with sweeping views of the Superstition Mountains. The cave is very large and offers plenty of area to sit and relax. And certainly Don't forget to ride the wave before you leave! The backdrop of the Superstitions make for some fantastic photography.
I recommend stopping by to check out Weaver's Needle via the Weaver's Needle Loop Trail which is only a few km's up the road from The Wave Cave's Trailhead. Weaver's Needle is a beautiful mountain in the Superstitions and the trail is a 20km loop which offers places to set up camp and enjoy the trail and views for the night.
I hope that you can take some notes from my hike that may help you on your future hike or just simply enjoy my experience and the amazing views along the hike at the Wave Cave in the Superstition Mountains.
Happy Hiking !
- Hiking Thru

[@unjarredoutdoors5513]

Good day to get out and hike, great weather too. Leaving a like to support your video and channel 👍🏽

[@HikingThru]

Thank you. Nothing but sunshine and beautiful weather while I was in Arizona!

[@DR-fy7qy]

Great shots. Thanks.

[@HikingThru]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@calatoruldac]

Amaizing landscape and very good movie! Congratulations! Greetings from România 🇷🇴my friend 🤗

[@HikingThru]

It certainly is some amazing landscape! Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@thomasanderson7275]

Dudeeee that place is vibing mannn. Once I get rich from collecting bottles I’ll make sure to check this place out

[@HikingThru]

It certainly is an amazing spot!

[@awitnessuntoallnations]

Well done! Excellent cinematography & editing! Especially enjoyed the intro, as well as, getting a bird's eye view of the beautiful desert landscape. It sure does come alive in the spring! This looks like our kind of hike! Thank you for sharing the Wave Cave Trail with us. Happy hiking!👍

[@HikingThru]

Happy to share my experience and very happy to hear that you enjoyed the final product 😊

[@maritimemeisters3876]

That was some awesome drone footage! What type of drone were you using?

[@HikingThru]

Thanks and glad you enjoyed it! The sheer beauty of the landscape is very inviting and makes it very easy to capture. I’m working with the mini

[@maritimemeisters3876]

@@HikingThru do you use any ND filters on your drone? I have a mini as well but always find that on bright days I either end up with overexposed skies or underexposed landscape. Or was it done in post? Thanks! Still learning how to get the best footage out of my drone!

[@HikingThru]

@@maritimemeisters3876 Only use my ND’s when it’s extremely bright, but be sure to adjust the shutter speed appropriate to which ND you’re using. Otherwise there is minor adjustments in post to bring out the natural look of the scenery. Hope this helps!

[@myatlantictravel]

This is a great hike with fantastic views. We really enjoyed the drone footage.👍👍👍

[@HikingThru]

Thanks! We really loved the hike and the area. Was a great spot to ring in my 30th 😊