On our last day in Arizona, in between wedding festivities, we decided to make a drive down to see the Lost Dutchman State Park. This park is about a 40 minute drive from Phoenix and is absolutely worth the effort to go and see it.

This state park is named after a legendary gold mine of the old west. The legend goes that in the early 19th century, a German immigrant discovered a huge gold mine in the desert of Central Arizona but the wealth was too great to move himself. Although he spread word of the mine, he never revealed to anyone where the mine was located. Many have searched around the Superstition Mountains looking for the mine. This mine is even referenced in some tales of the old west. To this day, thousands of people go looking for the mine and the treasure it holds, but it remains a great mystery.

Arizona’s natural desert beauty really shows at this state park. With the dirt trails lined with cacti, and the imposing view of the carved rocks of the mountain. The park offers a number of different trails, most of which will take you up and around the Superstition Mountain. {Know if you go :: if you can, go to this park in spring where you will be rewarded with a carpet of wildflowers along the trails}

Because we had to get back for the second part of the wedding festivities, we took a short half a mile loop that gave us some great views of the mountains. We got a good laugh at ourselves as the group of us walked through the desert in dresses and hiking shoes. But if I ever find myself in this beautiful park again, I will definitely make sure that I have more time to really explore the trails and get lost in the tales of the old west.

For more on this state park, go to :: azstateparks.com/lost-dutchman/