Siphon Draw to Peak 5024

Lost Dutchman State Park

Getting here

The easiest and shortest route to Peak 5024 is via Siphon Draw Trail. Siphon Draw Trailhead is located in Lost Dutchman State Park off the SR 88 and it’s the same trail used to get to Flatiron Peak. The trail leads you into the Superstition Wilderness and on National Forest land. Click here for Apple Maps and click here for Google Maps. The park has an entrance fee that can vary depending on the time of the year or day of the week. Be prepared to pay!

The Park Rangers will provide a map of the state park if you’d like one. We also recommend following the AllTrails route if that’s easier. The Siphon Draw Trailhead is located here. There are multiple trails at the State Park. Make sure to follow the signs and stay on Siphon Draw… it’ll be the only one taking you towards the siphon and Flatiron.

We met someone on top of the peak that parked at Massacre Grounds Trailhead in the Tonto National Forrest and took Jacob’s Crosscut Trail across to Siphon Draw Trail. You can find Massacre Grounds Trailhead Parking lot here on Google Maps and here on Apple Maps.

The Hike

We’ve literally said this before and we’re sticking by it… We have a love for the Superstition Wilderness that is hard to describe. There is something about the National Forest Wilderness area that makes us tingle. The landscape is so fascinating with too many saguaro cactuses to count, massive rock formations, canyons, creek beds, prickly pear cactus, wildlife, and so much more. We camped at Lost Dutchman State Park and hiked around 7:30 am the next day. It was nice not having to wake up super early for the 45 minute drive to the park.

Siphon Draw Trail is one of the most popular and challenging hikes in the valley because of the famous Flatiron Peak and because it’s absolutely beautiful, it isn’t too long, it’s very steep and get’s your heart rate and legs burning, and any time you look back towards Phoenix, the view is amazing! Siphon Draw Trail is well marked and easy to follow until you get to the Superstition Wilderness Area Sign… after that the trail is relatively easy to follow for a bit longer. Most likely, there will be others on the trail and it’s easy to follow others, but if the general consensus is that people don’t know where they’re going, try to stay right until you get to the base of the siphon.

Once at the base of siphon, the path to the top isn’t marked but somewhat obvious. The siphon name isn’t that original, it truly is a collection point for water coming down the mountain and the rock has been smoothed over time. We tend to go quick through the steep parts to minimize our time with limited traction. Once at the top, turn around and take a look back, the view is fantastic!

Past the Siphon the trail is still steep and unmarked. At this point the rock is more loose scree than smooth. Traction still is difficult and we recommend staying low, using your hands for balance, and going slow to strategically place your feet. There is a small saddle point at the top and a short trail on the other side.

At the end of the short “obvious trail” is where the constant scramble begins. Our biggest recommendation is when possible, STAY LEFT going up the mountain and STAY RIGHT when coming down. Our Siphon Draw slogan is “when in doubt, go left going up.” Take your time, place your feet carefully and be prepared pull yourself up. Also, this trail is popular, it will probably be crowded. Be ready to wait on others. Hopefully people follow proper trail etiquette and take their breaks off to the side of the trail.

Once on the top at the major saddle of the mountain, you can go right to Flatiron, left to the the memorial for the tragic plane crash from 2011 and the cliff overlook. If you continue heading east on the saddle you can take the Ridgeline Trail to Peak 5057 and Carney Springs Trail and down the mountain range. We continued east a bit, following AllTrails to the best of our ability. After struggling to find the trail for a bit, we found it heading north through the rocks. Narrow and had to follow at times, the trail has multiple paths and sometimes footprints to follow. The way we went up, was not the exact way we went down. Once at the top of Peak 5024 there is a journal to sign! Please do not carve into the rocks. To the west is Flatiron below and the Phoenix Metro area… we continued a little further east to get some great views! On clear day you can see Four Peaks, the Sierra Anchas, Superstition Peak 5057, and the top of Weaver’s Needle and Battleship Mountain.

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