trip report by site editor Rick McCharles
- Length: 6 miles (round trip)
- Trailhead Elevation: 2,080 ft.
- Gain/Loss: +2,900 ft.
- Difficulty: Difficult
Flatiron, aka Siphon Draw, is one of the most popular and exhilarating hikes in the Superstition Wilderness. This trail puts you on top of one of the most prominent rock features of the range called Flatiron due to the fact it looks like an upside down iron. …
The Flatiron trail begins at the westernmost side of the Superstition Wilderness at the Lost Dutchman’s State Park.
Lost Dutchman’s is a lovely Park and campground. Up and up.
It doesn’t take long to reach the big cliffs.
The Siphon Draw Trail is not much of a trail. It’s mostly a scramble up the rocky chute.
As you can see, it’s very popular on a nice January day. A number of these folks were challenged by the physical demands. A few had poor footwear.
The crux of the scramble is at the very top. No doubt a few turn back there. 😦
Top of Flatiron. Here’s the view over the Phoenix sprawl.
I continued up into these weird eroded towers.
I left a Summit Stone atop a cairn. Then made my way down as rapidly as possible.
The descent is much more dangerous than the climb. I fell once. Most people fall more than once.
The sun was dropping rapidly by the time I reached the trailhead. Beautiful light.
We’ve added Siphon Draw to Flatiron to our list of the best hikes in North America. It’s highly memorable and unique.
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