Why is it called Lost Dutchman State Park?
Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert, at the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 40 miles east of Phoenix. Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the Southwestern United States. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona.The exact location of the Lost Dutchmen’s Mine remains a mystery. It was supposedly discovered by a German prospector named Jacob Waltz in 1876. Today, the lost gold would be worth over 200 million dollars.In more than a century of searching, none have found the fabled Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine — though more than 30 people have died exploring the 160,000-acre Superstition Wilderness Area in hopes of making it rich. Even today, the search continues.Neither she nor dozens of other seekers in the years that followed were able to find the Lost Dutchman’s Mine. Subsequent searchers have sometimes met with foul play or even death, contributing to the superstition and legend that surround these mountains.