Are you visiting Phoenix, Arizona and want to go for a hike? Make sure to check out the hiking trails at Silly Mountain near Lost Dutchman State Park.
This winter we went on an adventure.
An adventure away from winter.
That’s right, we hopped on a plane and flew to Phoenix, Arizona. When we arrived, we laced up our hiking boots and headed off to hike Camelback Mountain in downtown Phoenix.
And then we drove fifty minutes east towards Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park.
We had a plan. Sort of.
The plan was to hike Siphon Draw Trail and head all the way to the top of Flatiron, an imposing peak in the Superstition Mountains. First, though, we were looking for a shorter (easier) trail or two.
When we arrived at Lost Dutchman, the park rangers were so incredibly helpful. They pulled out maps and gave us tips, and we left with a plan.
A plan to hike Silly Mountain.
With a name like that, who could resist it?
After Silly Mountain, we’d go check out the Hieroglyphic Trail. It was a good plan.
If you’re looking for even more hiking ideas in the area, both the Grand Canyon and Saguaro National Park are within a few hours of Silly Mountain, or do a day trip to Sedona.
Where is Silly Mountain?
The Silly Mountain Trailhead is 37 miles east of Phoenix and 8 miles south of Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, Arizona.
Why Is Silly Mountain So Silly?
What’s with the name?
I’d like to think that the mountain itself is just so incredibly silly-looking that it makes everyone giggle when they see it.
However, when I showed up, the mountain wasn’t especially silly looking.
The actual story (if it’s accurate) was somewhat less entertaining.
A road grader who lived on the (soon-to-be) Silly Mountain Road asked his supervisor for permission to name the road. And then the name stuck to the mountain too.
And no, you can no longer drive up Silly Mountain, because the land was restored by Superstition Land Area Trust and the City of Apache Junction.
Silly Mountain Hiking Trails
Silly Mountain’s hiking trails make up an intertwining loop of trails.
Some of the trails are easy, some are hard, and none of them are very long.
I recommend looking at the loop trails, making a tentative hiking plan, and then taking a photo of the trail map along on the trail. Feel free to screenshot the photo below and use it as a guide.
Not sure which trails to choose? We found that the trails on the southern half of the mountain (and the Crest Trail specifically) had the best scenic views of the Superstition Mountains.
Make sure to note the white point of interest circles on the map, and choose a route that will take you to the places you want to see.
Our Route on the Silly Mountain Hiking Trails
We took a counter-clockwise route and started at Brittle Brush.
Brittle Brush was an easy, short hike (as expected).
When we reached the Old Mine trail junction, we turned onto Old Mine.
For some reason, I thought the trail map said Old Mine would be easy (it didn’t), so this trail caught me a little off-guard.
The Old Mine Trail is steep, rocky, and scenic. Watch your footing on this trail–it’s filled with loose rocks.
Sadly, we completely missed the Old Mine point of interest on this trail. Oops.
The trail levels out just before it ends.
Make sure to take the time to admire the views on this trail.
When we arrived at the end of the Old Mine Trail, we turned onto the High Point Trail, a quick trail spur to a scenic overlook.
This trail was supposed to be easy, but the route we took was the most difficult we experienced in the entire park.
It’s possible we got lost.
It looked like the trail went up this steep incline (shown in the photo below), and we rock scrambled to the top.
On the way back down, however, we noticed what may have been a trail winding around behind the area we climbed. Check out the other trail in the photo below.
I’m still not sure which path was correct.
However you get there, High Point (another of the points of interest) is a beautiful scenic overlook that’s worth the hike.
Next, we retraced our steps back to the the Old Mine, High Point, and Crest Trail junction.
We turned onto what turned out to be my absolute favorite hiking trail at Silly Mountain— the Crest Trail.
I loved strolling along this trail with its rolling hills and views of the nearby mountain range.
It was lovely.
When you reach the Crest and Huff & Puff trail junction, take a moment to stop at the bench and, well, meditate. It is Meditation Point, after all.
The Crest Trail ends at a junction with the Old Baldy Trail. When we got to the trail sign, I saw another sign peeking out from behind.
It was trail sign marking the end of the trail, but curiously, there does indeed appear to be a trail going on from this point (away from both the Old Baldy and Crest trails).
As I was standing there, with practically no intentions of hiking out to investigate, a local couple walked by and told me, “You don’t want to go that way!”
Intrigued, I asked, “Why not?”
“It’s a trail, but it’s a rough one and it’s not well-marked.”
We decided to heed their warning, and headed on (the way we intended to go anyway) onto the Old Baldy Trail.
Next, we went right at Coyote Loop, and took a left onto Jackrabbit Trail.
We took a left onto Superstition View Trail, and headed back down towards the trailhead.
When we hiked Silly Mountain in February, the northern section of hiking trails were a little less scenic than the southern section of trails.
However, I’d imagine the northern trails are gorgeous when wildflowers are in bloom.
Finally, we turned right onto the Palo Verde Trail.
When we were there, this three-way trail junction of Palo Verde, Superstition View, and Brittle Brush trails was surprisingly unmarked. However, it really didn’t matter because I could see the parking lot from the trail and knew which way to go.
On your way out, make sure to stroll through the Silly Mountain Botanical Walk to learn a little more about the plants you saw along the way.
Did you go on the hiking trails at Silly Mountain? Let me know what your favorite trail was!
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