Lost Dutchman State Park

N 33*27.278 W 111.29.086 Elevation 2020’ We left El Centro, CA about noon after completing our chores and drove across the desert through Yuma, Gila Bend, Maricopa, Phoenix and Mesa to Apache Junction where we arrived at our destination for the next two nights, Lost Dutchman State Park. We’re in the overflow parking lot tonight but hope to move into the formal campground in the morning. This is a wonderful campground. Because it’s in the desert, the vegetation is somewhat sparse but each campsite is probably 100 feet or more from the next one, so there is no sense of crowding. According to the map there look to be some great hikes up into the Superstition Mountains (shown in the accompanying photo) that we hope to take tomorrow. There’s a trail to the top of the flatiron, shown in the upper right of the photo, which goes to either 4300’ at the base of the flatiron, or 4800’ at the top. We intend to go up this trail as far as we feel comfortable – the brochure urges caution beyond the 3100’ “basin”. But it isn’t clear where the “basin” is. We had a great sunset tonight, as you can see. Once the sun has gone down, we have a view of the lights of Phoenix to the west. The campground had a ranger-guided moonlight hike up a trail scheduled for this evening, and we intended to join in, but there was cloud cover, and we weren’t able to find the spot to congregate, so sat outside by the Chalet and watched the moon instead.