LaBarge Canyon Loop

Superstition Wilderness

Dutchman's Trail (104), Whiskey Spring Trail (238),

Red Tanks Trail (107), Bluff Springs Trail (235)

NOAA forecast: 33.44, -111.33

Distance: 13.9 | Total Elevation Gain: 2720

Wandering through the rugged Superstition Mountains, LaBarge Canyon narrows and widens below grand geological formations in the serene solitude of the wilderness.

From the Peralta trailhead, the Dutchman’s Trail begins along the northern edge of Barkley Basin, turning north around Miner’s Needle to the junction with Whiskey Spring trail. (Continuing on Dutchman’s Trail will bisect this route for a shorter loop.) The path descends to Whiskey Spring and connects with the Red Tanks Trail following a wide section of LaBarge Canyon. Moving northwest, the canyon narrows somewhat, leading to the LaBarge Spring, one of several springs along the path that sustain small clusters of sycamore and cottonwood trees standing in stark contrast to the surrounding desert landscape. The Dutchman’s and Bluff Spring trails wind steadily back to the trailhead with excellent late-afternoon views of Barkley Basin to the south.