MASSACRE FALLS | SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA

Legends of lost gold and buried treasure give a sense of excitement and mystery when visiting the Superstition Wilderness.

One of the most prominent legends associated with the Superstition Mountains is the story of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. It is said that the Peralta family from Northern Mexico mined rich gold ore from the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, Arizona, in the 1840s.

In 1848, during one of their expeditions to bring gold back to Mexico, the miners and their crew were allegedly ambushed, cornered, and massacred by the Apache.

The entire mining party was killed except for a couple of members of the Peralta family who managed to escape.

After the massacre, the Apache hid the gold and covered the entrance to the mine.