Peralta Canyon / Gold Canyon Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

September 21, 2024: We’ve dispersed camped here many times in last three years, took a trip out there today and every dispersed access point is plowed up with very deep trenches not allowing vehicles or rigs to access. Sad affair with squatters taking advantage and leaving trash, there was not a soul in sight. Maybe they’ll reopen it later when it cools down.

Really well maintained spots, great views, nice and quiet.

Had a nice time tent camping here for 2 days in November. Some notes:

• Would recommend a vehicle with decent clearance for bad road patches, but you might be able to find an area suitable for smaller cars. 
• There were sometimes loud ATV/UTV riders along the road, especially on Friday night, but it wasn't horrible. Some trash around. Only critters we had trouble with were people's dogs, but we always put away our food/trash at night. 
• Decent tree/shrub coverage for doing your business. Not a bad idea to bring tweezers since there's a lot of cacti.
• Nice views and close to Peralta Regional Park, which has hiking trails, bathrooms, and picnic areas (no water!) for a small day use fee.
• Somewhat windy, could get chilly. Low elevation so it's not bad. Not much shade.
• I got occasional T-Mobile service but mostly no cell service for anyone.
• There's a Water & Ice shop in Apache Junction that we found helpful to use. The Basha's in town is expensive, so I recommend stopping elsewhere for groceries/firewood.

Be considerate to campers and wildlife, please! Clean up after yourself and put out your fire completely. Have fun!

It's an easy road getting out to plenty of spots that haven't filled up at all during weekdays or weekends. Could do with some cleaning up, but that's our job as dispersed campers

This would be the perfect camping spot if it weren’t for all of the inconsiderate people on dirt bikes, ATV’s and utility vehicles. They whiz by all hours of the day and night and will not hesitate to sit right next to your camper and shout as loud as they can to each other. A few nights ago, they were going up and down the road, shouting WOOHOO from 1:30am to 3:30am. I’m all for people having fun but people out here can’t seem to do it while being courteous and respectful of those around them. We’ve also had someone park right in our campsite and then left to walk their dog. If you want to get away from people, this isn’t the place to do it. Beautiful views though.

Stayed on arizona trust land for 4 days nice and peaceful

Beautiful location at the foot of the superstition mountains

Great free open space with awesome views! There are a lot of cattle that roam around the area so beware of that. But if you wanna seclude yourself for a couple days and explore Gold Canyon this is a great spot.

33.3605685, -111.3959974

Peralta Rd., Gold Canyon, AZ

No services

VERIZON  via Visible  4 bars 4g

ATT via Straight Talk 3 bars 4g

OTA Channels decent depending on location

Radio stations doable from our location

March/April 2022

PROs: 

Absolutely  stunning views out every window, Any size rig can find a spot, Private spots if you're  willing to scout around, Water & Propane available at Circle K up the road (3 dumpsters in back), Lots of good hiking, side by side tours, horseback riding tours etc if that's your thing.

CONs: 

Noisy days & Weekends, Dusty (not many observe the 10mph limit), Open Range livestock, Rattlesnakes, Some trash, Some overstaying limits, Local laundries are expensive ( wash 3.50-15.00, dryer .50 10min).

SPECIAL NOTE: 

Get your AZ State Land Trust Pass & display it clearly. They do come through. 

We have loved our stay here & will be back. We opted for an easy in/out group area 3.1m in from the Peralta/ I60 entrance as we were back n forth to town a lot to visit friends, but found at least 5 others we could have opted for. There are pull out spots just as you enter the gravel road area if you just need an overnight. Otherwise scout it out. There are lots of offshoots that are more private if you're staying longer..

Road can be bumpy, go slow. Don't recommend coming in blind after dark if you're going past the pullouts. Pay attention to the washes if rain is expected. Some of the spots in the back can get cut off.

Our site wasn't  very busy with campers, even tough it could hold several, but we did have a lot of OHV tours, dirt bikes, and horseback tours enter the trails through here. Horse trailers park in this location for the day on the weekends.

Had cows come through several days. Had no interest in us or the rig, but I could see them doing damage if you're parked near their favorite bushes. ...and some of these guys were HUGE. Saw a Coyote and heard them in the distance at night. Horseback tour found a Rattlesnake about 70' from us. Tour leader said they had found 17 so far that week. Said it was pretty unusual activity for this time of year. Glad I didn't know that earlier in the week as I tromped around taking pictures of Spring flowers!

Quiets down at night except on weekends. Traffic dies down about an hour after sundown when the sunset hikers to the Wave Cave head home. Really had no problem with the little bit of traffic there was. 

Will definitely be back. That view is worth a little traffic & dust ... Sunrises & Sunsets are stunning here.

Super solid camping outside of Phoenix. Great views all around. Excellent hiking and mountain biking in area. Easy access.

I camp here often, it’s beautiful views and scenic mountain trails offered in literally every direction

This is in Arizona State Trust Land area so a permit is required. This can be purchased online for $15/individual or $20/family of 4. 

Lots of areas to pull off and camp here. The main dirt road in is fairly smooth with some areas of washboard. There are some nice flat areas further up the side roads away from the main road but a lot had washouts and were rocky so high clearance a must. 

If you’re looking for quiet this may not be for you. There were Friday night partiers so it was noisy late into the night and started up again at 6am. This was a beautiful area and we really liked it here but it is heavily used by ATVs and 4x4s blaring loud music and flying down the road kicking up lots of dust. The hiking is worth the stay as there are many trails for biking and hiking some single tracks that these ATVs cannot access so that made it worth it to stay a few days. Beware of walking on the main road as vehicles do not slow down for pedestrians and you’ll be eating dust. It may be better during weekdays but I don’t know for sure.  Were it not for the noisy ATVs we would have given this 5 stars.

This area is also used by horses and there is a nearby business that does horse tours. Chollas are everywhere so watch yourself and your pets. 

Good Verizon and AT&T reception.

No amenities.

The Peralta Canyon Campground is located in the Superstition Mountains and includes a 5.1 miles out and back hike to Fremont Saddle on the Peralta Trail. From Fremont Saddle you get an amazing view of Weaver's Needle (see photos) and the surrounding valley. The hike up to Fremont Saddle was nearly all up hill and of moderate difficulty. You are allowed to set up camp at various points away from the trail, but if you are willing to wait to get to the top before setting up, it is definitely worth it. There is way more space to make camp and get comfortable. Also the views are much more stunning and then sleeping right off the trail.

It is important to note that there are no water sources, but definitely always will be a heat source… (there is a dried up riverbed which may flow during the rainy season?). The trailhead was very easy to find with our GPS and there is a large parking lot at the beginning with plenty of spaces. Because of the dry climate, you are not allowed to make open fires when camping in this area. There is an alternative route back down the mountain called the Cave Trail (which we did not take) which apparently is very neat, but should be done with people who know the area because that trail is not well marked or obvious.

The landscape and whole area was very beautiful (especially to someone not from the area like me) and I would definitely recommend others check out Peralta!

Product Review

As as Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time — on this trip I tested the Magna Trail Hiking Boot from Vivobarefoot

I was not been happy with the prior pair of hiking boots that I own and I was excited to try something new with the Magna Trail boot. If you have not hiked in shoes that try to emulate walking barefoot (which I hadn't), these definitely will take some time to get used to. At first I felt like I was feeling every rock I stepped on in the heel of my foot. It wasn't painful, but was something I was hyperfocusing on. However, after about an hour of hiking in them, I quickly forgot about that and the bumpy ground and rocks no longer bothered me at all. I also imagine this being even less of an issue if I were hiking in a flatter, less rocky environment like the forest.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about the shoe was how lightweight and breathable they are. The boots didn't weigh me down at all while still offering most of the support of a heavy, sturdy hiking boot. They also allowed my feet to breathe and not get super sweaty. There is a neoprene sleeve that tightens around your ankle which served me two purposes: 1) it provided extra support to my ankle and 2) it kept out annoying rocks and dust from sneaking into my shoes. While I felt sturdy enough, if you are someone who struggles with balance, these may not be perfect for you.

Lastly, a major advantage of all Vivo shoes is how they fold up and can be packed when space is tight. Each of their models bends and and can be folded without harming the shoe at all. I found this very useful on this past trip. See the pictures to see what I mean! Also important to note how stylish and attractive each of the models of shoes Vivo Barefoot offers!

Pros to Magna Trail:

-Weight. Super lightweight and breathable shoe that still offers enough support when hiking

-Size. The ability to fold up and pack in tight spaces is a huge advantage compared most other hiking boots which usually take up a quarter of your bag.

-Comfort. While there is a learning curve, once you get used to the shoe, the feeling of walking barefoot feels more natural

Aesthetics. They sexy af for a hiking shoe.

Cons of the Magna Trail-:

-Comfort. If you not used to walking barefoot or do the majority of your walks in a rocky environment this MAY be an issue. '

-Support. If you are someone who struggles with balance and usually uses a high ankle, heavier boot, these may not be for you.

Overall, I really like the Magna Trail shoes and am excited to hike more in the future with them. They are light, comfortable and stylish to boot! (Get it?!?!) Would definitely recommend!

Great hiking and scenery seems like your on another planet! This is a must see if ever in Arizona, plus the folklore also makes it a little interesting!!!