If you've never been to the Superstition Mountains East of Phoenix; and just East of Apache Junction then you
need to look the area over and even stay for a while. There's a lot of neat stuff going on there. Old mining towns,
very interesting museum, very colorful desert environment, lost treasures and mines, and even lakes with boating
facilities.
We just got back from a trip over there to the museum and thought it'd be nice to see a little bit of the area
surrounding the mountains. Now don't miss this http://www.desertusa.com/roadtripblog/?p=492 This is a
trip blog on the DUSA site about their trip up the Apache Trail. We traveled part of the Apache Trail. Also there's
another thread https://www.desertusa.com/mb3/viewtopic ... 25&start=0 here on the Off Road
Travels forum with some talk of the Apache Trail. Pretty popular place it seems! So let's get started ---
The museum in Apache Junction -- they do have some nice artifacts in there. Indian, Mexican, and other old timers
that visited this area looking for gold mostly.
Right next to the museum is an interesting old barn some antiques, with the Superstitions in the background
This old church must have a history. It's a beautiful building from the past.
Just down the road to the North on 88 is the old Ghost Town of Goldfield.
As you travel farther on Apache Trail out past the houses and buildings you get to a more scenic area, with a
lot of cactus. Prickly pear jam anybody? Also a lot of Chain Fruit Chollas in this area too.
The coloration in the rocks and the moss adds to the beauty of this area. It's also really green.
You'll come to several different overlooks for different views of the area. This one has a really nice view of
Canyon Lake.
They even have a large (for this size lake) marina and there were some people using it on this Monday.
This was our turnaround --- Tortilla Flat. Interesting place to stop and have a cold one.
The Apache Trail (Rt. 88) keeps going up to Roosevelt Lake so there is a lot more to see, this is just a quick
introduction to the area.
The old Chapel (Church) and Barn on the grounds of the Superstition Mountain Museum have very lengthy Histories on television and the Big Movie Screen.
The Chapel -
The Elvis Presley Chapel is a movie memorabilia museum showing the movies that were filmed at Apacheland.
Survivor of two fires, one in 1969 and one in 2004, which decimated Apacheland Movie Ranch, the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel was donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum by Sue and Ed Birmingham. The chapel was taken down piece by piece, nail by nail, has been reconstructed on the museum ground. The Apacheland Movie Ranch Museum is a special museum of western motion pictures and television that were filmed there over a 45 year period, including “Charro,” which starred Elvis Presley. Among some of the better known motion pictures filmed at Apacheland were: The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Arizona Raiders ,The Haunted, The Gambler II and Blind Justice. Television series included Have Gun Will Travel, and Wanted Dead or Alive. It will also serve, as it has since it was first constructed, as a wedding chapel and reservations are being taken.
The Barn -
Another major building was spared in both fires at the Apacheland Movie Ranch ….. which has long been called the “Rifleman’s Barn” since it was located where the TV series, The Rifleman, was produced. Actually, the barn figured prominently in dozens of western films shot at this location. It too, was donated to the Superstition Mountain Historical Society by the owners of Apacheland, Sue and Ed Birmingham. It was moved in literally hundreds of pieces to the museum’s grounds and is now being reconstructed almost entirely of it’s original materials. The sheathing of the roof has been replaced and some of the shingles will need replacement. It’s loft will serve as storage area while the ground level will have displays of a number of vehicles representing the old west … wagons, buggies, stage coaches, etc. It will be an important visitors stop as they traverse the trails which will crisscross the grounds.
I bet by now you are wishing that you had walked out to the barn and looked at it. Remember Larry recommending that you do that? Lots of neat stuff inside. It even has a large collection of 8X10 B/W photos of a lot of the old Apacheland Movie Stars. They even have one of Ronald Reagan, that was taken when he was the host of Death Valley Days, when they were filming episodes there.
Cool pix! I've never seen the Superstitions in person. They look very interesting. Dark and foreboding...yet they call you from a distance. Maybe I will take a drive out that way next winter. Thanks for the report.
