The Superstition Mountains ( Yavapai : Wi:kchsawa ) is a range of mountains in Arizona located to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area . They are anchored by Superstition Mountain , a large mountain that is a popular recreation destination for residents of the Phoenix, Arizona , area. They are roughly bounded by U.S. Route 60 on the south, Arizona State Route 88 on the northwest, and Arizona State Route 188 on the northeast.
15-617: The Queen Creek Tunnel is a 1,217-foot-long (371 m) tunnel on US 60 in the Superstition Mountains , just east of Superior, Arizona . Completed in 1952, the Queen Creek Tunnel links Phoenix with Safford by way of Superior and Globe / Miami . It replaced the smaller Claypool Tunnel that had been built in 1926. The new tunnel was cut through the solid rock of the Queen Creek gorge, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from
30-583: A terrane , the Smartville Block . The zone contains hundreds of mines and prospects, including some of the best-known historic mines of the gold-rush era. Individual gold deposits within the Mother Lode are gold-bearing quartz veins up to 15 metres (49 ft) thick and a few thousand feet long. The California Mother Lode was one of the most productive gold-producing districts in the United States. Now it
45-510: A literal translation of the Spanish veta madre , a term common in old Mexican mining. Veta madre, for instance, is the name given to an 11-kilometre-long (6.8 mi) silver vein discovered in 1548 in Guanajuato , New Spain (modern-day Mexico ). In the United States, Mother Lode is most famously the name given to a long alignment of hard-rock gold deposits stretching northwest-southeast in
60-711: Is higher than the western portion, which lowers temperatures slightly. The legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine centers around the Superstition Mountains. According to the legend, a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz discovered a mother lode of gold in the Superstition Wilderness and revealed its location on his deathbed in Phoenix in 1891 to Julia Thomas, a boarding-house owner who had taken care of him for many years. Several mines have been claimed to be
75-463: Is known as a destination for tourism and for its vineyards. As with most gold rushes , the California gold rush started with the discovery of placer gold in sands and gravels of streambeds, where the gold had eroded from hard-rock vein deposits. Placer miners followed the gold-bearing sands upstream to discover the source in the bedrock . This source was the "mother" of the gold in the river and so
90-524: The Sierra Nevada of California , bounded on the east by the Melones Fault Zone. It was discovered in the early 1850s, during the California gold rush . The California Mother Lode is a zone from 1.5 to 6 kilometres (0.93 to 3.73 mi) wide and 190 kilometres (120 mi) long, between Georgetown on the north and Mormon Bar on the south. The Mother Lode coincides with the suture line of
105-710: The 1960s. Assistance in design of the new lighting was given by Arizona Public Service and the California Division of Highways . In October 2016, the tunnel lighting system was upgraded to light-emitting diode (LED) technology; it was the first tunnel in Arizona to get LEDs. The lighting system adjusts the lighting level based upon ambient light and weather conditions outside with an adaptive control system. The system offers improved visibility, reduced energy consumption, and lower maintenance. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) plans to eventually widen US 60 in
120-486: The 4,625-foot (1,410 m) mountain summit.. It is 22 feet (6.7 m) in height and 42 feet (13 m) wide at its base. The cost of the tunnel at the time of its construction was $ 550,000 and it was built by the Fisher Contracting Company. At the 1952 dedication ceremony, a drill rig used in boring the tunnel was used as a platform for the speakers, other officials, and a brass band . The completion of
135-600: The actual mine that Waltz discovered, but none of those claims have been verified. Waltz was a miner at Vulture Mine , where he likely stole the gold and came up with the secret mine to explain his theft. The legends and lore of the Superstition Mountains can be experienced at the Superstition Mountain Museum on the Apache Trail where artifacts of the Lost Dutchman are on display. Some Apaches believe that
150-430: The area and may bypass the tunnel to avoid the impact of such a project on an environmentally sensitive canyon. Superstition Mountains The mountains were once known in Spanish as Sierra de la Espuma ("Foam Mountain"). The range has a maximum elevation of 6,266 ft (1,910 m) and prominence of 1,706 ft (520 m) at Mound Mountain in the far eastern section of the range. The mountains are in
165-403: The federally designated Superstition Wilderness Area , and include a variety of natural features in addition to its namesake mountain. Weavers Needle , a prominent landmark and rock climbing destination set behind and to the east of Superstition Mountain, is a tall eroded volcanic remnant that plays a significant role in the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine . Numerous hiking trails cross
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#1733085880354180-450: The hole leading down into the lower world, or hell, is located in the Superstition Mountains. Winds blowing from the hole are supposed to be the cause of severe dust storms in the metropolitan region. Mother lode Mother lode is a principal vein or zone of gold or silver ore . The term is also used colloquially to refer to the real or imaginary origin of something valuable or in great abundance. The term probably came from
195-476: The mountains from multiple access points, including the Peralta Trailhead, the most popular. Peralta Canyon , on the northeast side of Superstition Mountain, contains a popular trail that leads up to Fremont Saddle, which provides a very picturesque view of Weavers Needle. Miner's Needle is another prominent formation in the wilderness and a popular hiking destination. Lost Dutchman State Park , located on
210-441: The tunnel was the final part of an Arizona Highway Department program begun in 1937 to improve the original approximately 20-mile (32 km) section of US 60 between Superior and Miami that was constructed in 1920–22. The roadbed in the tunnel climbs at a 6% grade, and the original lighting was insufficient to allow motorists good depth perception. The original lighting was improved with the installation of fluorescent lights in
225-411: The west side of Superstition Mountain, includes several short hiking and mountain bike trails. Circlestone includes ancient stone monuments. As with most of the terrain surrounding the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Superstition Mountains have a desert climate, with high summer temperatures and a handful of perennial sources of water. The elevation in the more remote, eastern portion of the wilderness
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