The Peralta Trail stretches 6.2 miles through two diversely vegetated canyons in the heart of the Superstition Wilderness. The trail is highlighted by Weavers Needle, a 4,553' spire that towers over the landscape. Visitors will enjoy varied terrain, terrific views and useful insight to the canyon's complex volcanic origin.

Light-colored striations in the canyon walls are comprised of compressed volcanic ash (tuff)

Peralta Canyon is named for the Peralta brothers, who mined this area for precious metals in the mid 1800s

Desert Mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum) is an aggressive parasitic shrub which takes over and kills its host plant

The entrance walls to Peralta Canyon are comprised of rhyolite; these rhyolite spires mark the edge of a caldera from which the mountains were carved

Tuff often originates with lavas high in silica, which helps retain volcanic gas bubbles

Glochids are small barbs that detach easily from a cactus; once in the skin, glochids can cause more pain and irritation than the primary spines, which do not detach

Weaver's Needle is a 4,553' spire located between Peralta Canyon, Boulder Canyon and Needle Canyon

Native Americans used agave for soap, food, fiber, medicine and weapons

Phototropic enzymes facilitate directional growth toward light

Saguaro cacti line the walls of Peralta Canyon; it will take 50 - 70 years for the first arm to appear on a saguaro cactus

Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) are smaller cacti which occur in small groups and resemble miniature versions of barrel cactus

Century Plants (parry agave) bloom only once in its life, growing so large and fast that it dies in the process

Basalt rock on Black Top Mesa is a dark, dense and magnetic rock that's found throughout our solar system

The Peralta Trail continues down from Fremont Saddle to the base of Weaver's Needle

Upper Black Top Mesa frames the final descent to the Dutchmans Trail junction