Lost Dutchman State Park Might Just Be The Most Haunted Park In Arizona
By Katie Lawrence|Published March 22, 2021
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
We’ve already mentioned a haunted playground and the most hair-raising hike in Arizona, but what about a state park? Most long-time Arizonans know the legend of the gold mine allegedly hidden deep within the Superstition Mountains, but few are aware of just how many hikers have perished looking for it. Oftentimes, the circumstances surrounding their death are suspicious, only adding to the mysteriousness associated with the park.
Just 40 miles east of Phoenix, Lost Dutchman State Park is a mysterious destination in the vast expanse of the Sonoran Desert.
Nestled at the base of the Superstition Mountains, the park is the subject of an age-old buried treasure fable with a promise that attracts hopefuls from all over the world.
In order to understand the Lost Dutchman legend, you must first become acquainted with the park's history.
The Superstitions were an Apache stronghold in the 1800s—until the Peralta family of northern Mexico allegedly built lucrative gold mines deep within the mountains, that is.
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As the story goes, the Peraltas set off on a trip in 1848 to bring riches back to their home country.
A common theme across many of the stories is the belief that only a select few people know the location of the mine. Maps that supposedly lead to it can be found all over the Internet and in various books, however, their accuracy is questionable.
Jacob Waltz, better known as "The Dutchman," claimed to have discovered the mine in the 1870s.
