Black Top Mesa Loop
Superstition WildernessDutchman's Trail (104), Bull PassTrail (129),
Black Mesa Trail (241), Second Water Trail (236)
NOAA forecast: 33.46, -111.39
Distance: 13.8 | Total Elevation Gain: 2400
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Proximity to Phoenix, beautiful views, and numerous interconnected trails make the Superstition Wilderness one of the most popular hiking areas in the state of Arizona - and the First Water trailhead among the most popular access points. This route makes a pinched loop, the far end of which closely encircles the prominent Black Top Mesa.
The elevation gain is spread out well, with four short climbs, one of which offers the option to follow an unofficial spur trail to the summit of Black Top Mesa for an ideal view of Weaver's Needle to the south. After heavy seasonal rains, the normally bone-dry washes in the area come alive, nowhere more pleasant than a small, shaded waterfall-fed pool near the northern end of Needle Canyon. After clearing Bull Pass, the trail drops back into a basin toward a junction with the Black Mesa Trail and its cholla forest. The Second Water Trail turns around a small ridge back to the Dutchman's Trail and the wilderness boundary.
