Peralta Trail to Lone Pine | Iconic Hike in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains

[@b.t.2057]

Absolutely awesome! I’m 60 years old and would hike with this guy anytime. His knowledge of the area and history is refreshing. These two videos made my week.

[@Wilderness-Will]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it; we've got more videos coming so subscribe and stay tuned! Hope you've been hitting the trails in AZ this winter.

[@user-ym7sv8pc2m]

Enjoyed this video immensely! Huge shout out to the videographer! Beautiful scenery and vistas captured professionally!

[@Wilderness-Will]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! There'll be more to come soon, and I 100% agree, she's an extraordinarily talented editor!

[@Hardia882]

Lovely video. Peralta Trail to Weaver's Needle & back was the goal I set for myself after my second knee replacement in late 2022. I'm really old, haven't lived full time in the desert southwest in years but have many fond memories of hiking in the Supers & elsewhere in AZ & NM. Completed my Peralta Trail goal in April 2023 - though I will admit it took me a much longer time than it did you, Wilderness Will. It rained a little bit whilst I was out & oh, the sweet, sweet smell of rain on the desert skin was enough to make me weep in gratitude. May sound silly but I've been many, many places in my long life & have never smelled anything like it anywhere else - ever.

[@Wilderness-Will]

I’m so glad you were able to get out and see Weaver’s Needle! That doesn’t sound silly at all; the smell of creosote oils that release during desert rain might be my single favorite smell in the world. Thank you for watching!

[@hayleyfinch821]

Giving the Lone Pine a ritualistic sippy sip is so wholesome 😭

[@Wilderness-Will]

It's crazy that it survives out in broad daylight on the edge of a desert rock face like that. This hike is well worth doing if you're ever back in PHX!

[@naturallytrailheaded]

Really enjoyed this video, great editing and shots of that area! You're right about the crowds-- I've been hiking the Supes for years and will only go near Peralta trail early on weekday mornings. Thanks for posting, looking forward to the next one!

[@Wilderness-Will]

Thank you! The Supes have changed a lot since I was a kid. I’m glad they’re more accessible now, but it means you’ve got to get a lot deeper in the Wilderness Area to find true solitude- these days I mostly stick to the trails out of First Water. We really lucked out when we filmed this; Thanksgiving Day and it was the quietest I’ve seen it in years!

[@naturallytrailheaded]

@Wilderness-Will I agree with you on the accessibility deal-- I really think getting people out into nature more would help to cure a lot of our social ills, but at the same time I hate when trails are crowded, so tough needle to thread I guess.

[@patbrown7813]

Excellent video and information. I live about 15 minutes from there, but have never hiked there yet. Thanks to your video, I'm putting it on my list of places to go once it's cooler. Thank you!!! Just subscribed, too.

[@Wilderness-Will]

Thank you so much, Pat! I actually just went out to Peralta Trail last weekend, the weather’s great out there. Hope to see you out there someday!

[@jamielapierre931]

We did that trail on Christmas Day. We did the loop. Was a great hike

[@Wilderness-Will]

That sounds like an awesome way to celebrate! Hope you had a merry Christmas.

[@7thcatalyst528]

I like the little history lesson with this. Felt like I was on the hike too

[@Wilderness-Will]

That’s what we were going for! I’m glad you enjoyed it; thank you for watching!

[@Colby168]

Love that area. There are actually lots of pines not much farther up from the Fremont Saddle going towards Robbers Roost. Big beautiful pines.

[@Wilderness-Will]

Yeah, I think there's a pine grove in the Reavis Ranch area too! What's remarkable to me about Lone Pine is that it's just out there alone, in a spot that seems to get sunlight all throughout the day, yet it's grown just fine and withstands the summers all on its own.

[@desert-walker]

I didn’t go to that spot, but I was there last week in the front area. Nice place to visit. I haven’t been there in a long, long time.😊

[@Wilderness-Will]

The Superstition Mountains have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the whole country! You've got to go see it again when you get the chance.

[@jmdazsol]

Very well done, Will ! Growing up in Phoenix, I covered a lot of ground in the western Supes back in the 70s and 80s. Iconic geography. (These days I do my dayhiking down here all around Tucson.) But tell me... what is that tag hanging off your daypack?

[@Wilderness-Will]

Thank you! It's a tag for a hiking challenge called the Arizona Six Pack of Peaks, where you summit several of the most iconic mountains in AZ. What're your favorite hikes in Tucson? I like Wasson Peak and Seven Falls but I haven't explored as much there as I should.

[@jmdazsol]

@@Wilderness-Will I've been up Wasson Peak from a few different directions. My favorite way is from the Sendero Esperanza trailhead. It's the most remote of the Wasson trailheads, but much quieter and less populated. My other favorite hike is the Old Baldy/Super Trail loop up to Josephine Saddle (halfway up Mt Wrightson south of Tucson). At 6-7 miles, both hikes are about at the top of my daily distance range these days. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

[@Wilderness-Will]

@@jmdazsol Thank you for the recommendations! Mt. Wrightson's been on my to-do list for a while; you're actually the second person this week to recommend it to me. Sounds like I need to head that way soon!

[@jmdazsol]

@@Wilderness-Will At 9456' Mt Wrightson is actually just a bit higher than Mt Lemmon, Tucson's more well-known peak. It's quite a workout to the top and back but very enjoyable and highly recommended. Although I've never done it, you can also reach the summit from the eastern side using a spur trail off of the AZT.

[@JeffreyTadlockPhotography]

Fun video! I did this hike back in August (crazy early in the morning to beat the heat) with a too big of a bag of camera gear! Love the Superstitions!

[@Wilderness-Will]

I bet it was still in the 90s even early in the morning; this last August was a rough one. I agree with you; the Superstitions are one of the coolest mountain ranges in the whole country!

[@JeffreyTadlockPhotography]

@@Wilderness-Will Oh yeah - definitely in the 90's! I carried a lot of water and managed to be off the trail before it was crazy hot.

[@Wilderness-Will]

@JeffreyTadlockPhotography It helps that there’s a lot of shade on Peralta Trail too. There’s one giant boulder that never seems to get much sunlight; when I was there with a group in late May, we just leaned up against the cold stone for like 15 minutes!

[@JenniferandBrianKelly]

So informative! Makes me wanna go on a hike soon⛰

[@Wilderness-Will]

I sense a Sedona trip in the near future 😄

[@danvarga1226]

Peralta is one of the best hikes in Arizona. Great video!

[@Wilderness-Will]

It’s one of my favorites too. Thank you!

[@Brandi-pt893]

The superstition mtns look amazing!! This made me want to visit AZ

[@Wilderness-Will]

The Superstitions are some of the coolest mountains in the country. Hope to see you out here someday!

[@Morris-h6e]

Dat is a fine Earth! 😊. Will do this hike in March. Greetings from Germany.

[@Wilderness-Will]

Geniessen sie ihre reise nach Arizona! Lass es mich wissen wenn sie empfehlungen brauchen 😄

[@veritasoutdoors]

Great video! Excellent information and editing. Plan on doing this hike soon, any tips on getting to lone pine from the Fremont Saddle?

[@Wilderness-Will]

Once you get to the saddle there's a small trail to the right that takes you out to the Lone Pine overlook; it only adds about an extra mile to the full trip. It's less well marked than the main Peralta trail, so I'd recommend downloading the AllTrails route beforehand; if you get turned around it's pretty easy to find your way back onto the main routes, but if you've got the map pre-downloaded there's no way you'll get lost.

[@veritasoutdoors]

@@Wilderness-Will thanks for the response and advice, I will do that.

[@CawaS54]

Arizona beauty at its finest

[@Wilderness-Will]

Amen to that. I believe Arizona's the most beautiful state in the U.S.!

[@joncejka9343]

Dat is a fine Earth

[@Wilderness-Will]

I just realized the line is actually "dat is a SWEET Earth you might say." My life is shattered. Also, thank you for being among the people who helped motivate me to do this. Merry Christmas, Mr. Cejka!

[@angelo77138]

Dat is a FINE Earth you might say 😂

[@Wilderness-Will]

ROUND!

[@roypaulcarter4654]

Nice.

[@Wilderness-Will]

Thank you!

[@ArisaemaDracontium]

Nice video but, uh, that yucca is dead. They are what's called a monocarpic perennial. They grow for decades to store up enough energy to grow that stalk and flower over about two months, then the whole plant dies from the roots up.

[@Wilderness-Will]

Thank you for the clarification. I’m still blown away by the fact that yuccas and agaves grow those enormous stalks in a matter of months!

[@MattNowell]

i love you

[@Wilderness-Will]

The feeling's mutual, Mister Matt!