Hieroglyphic Trail

About

The Hieroglyphic Trail climbs about a mile and a half from a trailhead in Gold Canyon into a rocky canyon on the south side of the Superstition Mountains. Where the valley opens up at the end, the rocks are covered in petroglyphs carved by Native American people long ago. Parking and hiking are both free, since the trailhead isn't one of the Tonto National Forest pass sites. The lot is small and fills quickly, so come early and never park on the private property nearby. The round trip is about 3 miles with roughly 600 feet of climbing, which puts it within reach for most hikers. Along the way, look for a flat boulder with bowl-shaped hollows that are believed to have been used for grinding grain.