"Gold Canyon Arizona is a newer, well maintained unincorporated city in Pinal County about 45 minutes east of the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. The area is considered by many as an upscale community that has many affordable homes. Gold Canyon is adjacent to the Superstition Mountain Wilderness and at the foothills of Superstition Mountain, which offer thousands of square miles of public land for hiking, bike riding, photography, camping and other outdoor sports. There are five 18-hole championship length golf courses within Gold Canyon and dozens more within a 30 minute drive."I went into Gold Canyon several times and can vouch for the description above. Some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Central Arizona can be found here. My friend, Mark, and I visited Gold Canyon to hike their most popular trail, Hieroglyphics Trail. About 1.5 miles each way, and with a 600 foot elevation gain, this rocky trail offers gorgeous views and a payoff at the end that includes a stream, a couple waterfalls and a great many petroglyphs. What more could I ask for?
One reason for the trail's popularity is its appeal to kids and their families. Playing in the pool and stream is a great reward after hiking up the mountain on a hot day.
Views from the end of the trail are killer.
A bonus for me was seeing a couple large lizards in the rocks. One was too shy to come completely out, while the second eventually came out and sunned itself on a rock. This guy was just over a foot long and streaked with orange, a first I've seen with such coloring.
Later, I spotted a rattlesnake on one of the roads in Gold Canyon. I think it was dead, but didn't bother to check carefully.
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