Peter’s Canyon to Cave

Tonto National Forest, AZ Superstition Mountains + Phoenix

Trip stats

Distance
4.8 mi
Net Gain
800 ft
Time
3-5 hrs
YDS Rating
Class 2
Route
Out/Back

Ratings out of 10

Effort
2.6/10
Personality
5/10
Beauty
6/10
Solitude
3.7/10
What do these mean? →

Route map + Trailhead

Trailhead Coordinates

33.526980, -111.388705

The directions link below drops a pin on the trailhead coordinates and lets Google Maps pick the route. If the drive has rough roads or access issues that GPS nav might get wrong, I cover that in my trip report.

Trip report

Mar 17, 2017 — I started at a large parking area at Tortilla Flat and followed a social trail over a small hill and into the drainage leading to Peters Canyon. After some boulder-hopping, I turned right into Peters Canyon and followed aggresive Class 2+ boulder moves through some gorgeous pinnacles and well into Peters Canyon. The canyon mellows out a bit, and the scenery is really nice. I ran out of water just as I approached the Peters Canyon Cave on the right, otherwise I'd have kept going into the welcoming canyon ahead. The cave is hardly the highlight, but served as a good stopping point until I get a chance to revisit this area.

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Photos

29 photos

  1. Leaving the trailhead.
  2. Entering Peters Canyon.
  3. Nearing the spot where the canyon branches off. Go right toward the interesting looking pinnacles.
  4. First section of Peters Canyon narrows.
  5. Cool slickrock section after leaving the narrows.
  6. Entering the second narrows. I ran out of water around this point. 96 degrees is not great desert hiking weather.
  7. The cave is just ahead. I made that my stopping point for the day so I didn't die of dehydration. :)
  8. Looking back down the narrows.
  9. Look how much cool stuff is ahead! Maybe another day.
  10. A cave, my stopping point.
  11. Old camping gear left behind. I have no idea how old it is.
  12. Looking up the canyon. I'll have to come back.

Photo 1 of 1

Hire me or show some love!

Hire or refer me as a web developer, or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so it's funded by yours truly. It also takes a ton of work to edit photos and write these reports. I really appreciate it!