The Dutchmans Trail, Black Mesa Trail and Second Water Trail form a moderate 9.3 mile loop highlighted by diverse vegetation and varied terrain throughout.

View of Black Mesa (left) and Upper Black Top Mesa (right) from the Dutchmans Trail

Native people used ocotillo branches to keep out unwanted visitors such as mountain lion, coyote and javelina

Desert mistletoe grows from a host plant (ironwood, mesquite, palo verde or acacia) in clusters that can drape several feet long

Many succulents practice a water-efficient variation of photosynthesis called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)

Saguaro can exceed 60' in height, providing an ideal vantage point for hunting raptors

While hawks primarily hunt by sight, they also have an excellent sense of hearing

Palo verde – which in Spanish means green stick - is a common nurse tree for saguaro

Cobbled washes of Little Boulder Canyon near the Dutchmans - Black Mesa trail split

The Superstition Wilderness range across Desert Scrub, Semi-desert Grassland, Chaparral and Pinyon-Juniper woodlands

Red has the longest spectrum of visibility and is generally the last color seen before the sun finally sets

The Second Water Trail levels through the brushy flats of Garden Valley

Despite lure to the contrary, the Superstitions have few ore and mineral deposits

Weavers Needle is a 4,553' rock spire that can be seen from various points on the loop

Since desert rains rarely saturate the soil, most succulents have shallow roots that radiate out from the plant to maximize surface level moisture

Black Mesa is capped with basalt boulders, a dark colored igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of lava

Teddy Bear Cholla joints detach very easily, earning its nickname 'Jumping Cholla'

Black Mesa and Hackberry Mesa are topped with black basalt, a relatively young rock at 3 million years old

Bite marks in prickly pear from javelina, whose jaws, lips and gums have adapted to eating the spines whole

Despite its furry appearance, the Teddy Bear Cholla is a dangerous plant whose fallen segments can be seen gathering underneath the cactus itself

The Ho Ho Kam used the woody ribs of saguaro for building thatched roofs and harvesting saguaro fruit

A jet streaks by the setting moon under the crystal blue skies of the Superstition Wilderness

A pair of ravens atop a deceased saguaro - ravens are considered to be one of the smartest birds on earth and when paired, mate for life

Chainfruit cholla produce fruit clusters that may remain attached for years; new flowers bloom on top of them and add to the chain

Although the Saguaro cactus is not technically listed as an endangered species, there are strict laws against the harvesting or destruction of these plants

Heading out from the First Water Trailhead through typical desert scrubland