Is This Mountain Cursed?

“Don’t do it!”

“You should turn back.”

“The mountain is too dangerous.”

These are the warnings the locals gave you as you approached Superstition Mountain. And now these unsettling words are echoing in your mind as you climb through boulders and brush on a narrow, twisting trail. 

On your way, you catch glimpses of petroglyphs—drawings of animals and symbols that were carved into the rocks more than 1,000 years ago. But you can’t risk taking too long a look. One wrong move, and you could plummet off a cliff or tumble into a gorge. Then you would never reach your goal: the Lost Dutchman’s Mine. It’s said to be one of the richest gold mines in the entire United States.

But does the mine even exist? Many have died trying to find out. Others have simply vanished.

As you climb Superstition Mountain under the burning desert sun, you are climbing into history—into a past of miners and murderers, grit and greed, daring and danger. Only one thing is certain: You will be lucky to make it out alive. 

"Don’t do it!”

“You should turn back.”

“The mountain is too dangerous.”

These are the warnings the locals gave you as you approached Superstition Mountain. And now these warnings are echoing in your mind as you climb through boulders and brush on a narrow, twisting trail. 

On your way, you catch glimpses of petroglyphs—drawings of animals and symbols. They were carved into the rocks more than 1,000 years ago. But you can’t risk looking for too long. One wrong move, and you could plummet off a cliff. You could tumble into a gorge. Then you would never reach your goal: the Lost Dutchman’s Mine. It’s said to be one of the richest gold mines in the entire United States.

But does the mine even exist? Many have died trying to find out. Others have simply vanished.

As you climb Superstition Mountain under the burning desert sun, you are climbing into history—into a past of miners and murderers, grit and greed, daring and danger. Only one thing is certain: You will be lucky to make it out alive. 

Superstition Mountain is about 40 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona. Its steep, jagged cliffs tower 3,000 feet over a flat and barren desert, like spiny fingers pointing to the sky. A maze of canyons and caves, Superstition Mountain has never been fully explored. 

And for thousands of years, it has been shrouded in mystery.  The Indigenous peoples who have lived in the area for millennia have always viewed the mountain with awe and reverence. The Apache have said that it contains a portal to a lower world, a hole through which howling winds pour forth, causing dust storms. The Pima and the Yavapai have different names for a threatening presence said to guard the mountain, a presence known to locals as the Thunder God who fiercely protects the region from intruders.

So how did you end up on Superstition Mountain, in search of lost gold?

Superstition Mountain is about 40 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona. Its steep, jagged cliffs tower 3,000 feet over a flat and barren desert. The mountain is a maze of canyons and caves. And it has never been fully explored.

 For thousands of years, it has been shrouded in mystery. Indigenous peoples have lived in the area for millennia. They have always viewed the mountain with awe and reverence. The Apache have said that it contains a portal to a lower world. They say howling winds pour through the portal, causing dust storms. The Pima and the Yavapai have different names for a threatening presence said to guard the mountain. The presence is known to locals as the Thunder God who fiercely protects the region from intruders.

So how did you end up on Superstition Mountain, in search of lost gold?

It all began hundreds of years ago, when rumors started swirling that Superstition Mountain held great wealth. These rumors were likely false and due to a misunderstanding. The Spanish had recently arrived in the region, looking for gold to plunder and send back to Spain. They had heard stories from Indigenous peoples about vast riches in the American Southwest. But the Indigenous peoples may have been talking about a different kind of wealth: herds of bison that were hunted for food and to make clothes, blankets, and tools.

Whatever the rumors’ origin, by the 1800s, gold seekers from all over the world were arriving at Superstition Mountain in droves. None of them found what they were looking for. None, that is, except a man named Jacob Waltz. 

Or so he claimed.

It all began hundreds of years ago. That’s when rumors began swirling that Superstition Mountain held great wealth. These rumors were likely false and due to a misunderstanding. The Spanish had recently arrived in the region. They were looking for gold to plunder and send back to Spain. They had heard stories from Indigenous peoples about vast riches in the American Southwest. But the Indigenous peoples may have been talking about a different kind of wealth: herds of bison. They were hunted for food and to make clothes, blankets, and tools.

Whatever the rumors’ origin, by the 1800s, gold seekers from all over the world were arriving at Superstition Mountain in droves. None of them found what they were looking for. None, that is, except a man named Jacob Waltz. 

Or so he claimed.

Known as “the Dutchman,” Waltz was born in Germany and immigrated to the U.S. around 1839. He began searching for gold, reportedly first in North Carolina, then in Mississippi, and eventually in Arizona. He may have been lured by a local legend about a Mexican family, the Peraltas, who—it was said—discovered an enormous gold deposit in the heart of Superstition Mountain. This is just a story though, a tall tale even. There is no credible evidence that the Peraltas ever mined in the region.

But soon after his arrival in Arizona in the 1860s, Waltz apparently did find gold. He would show up in Phoenix, his pockets bulging with gold ore. 

Where did he find this gold? 

Waltz vowed never to reveal the secret—and his silence only fueled the rumors about hidden treasure. When he died in 1891, gold seekers didn’t wait long to look for his mine. 

The first to try was Waltz’s neighbor, Julia Thomas. She claimed that Waltz had told her the mine’s location on his deathbed, and in 1892, she set off to find it. After three weeks of searching, the intense heat and lack of water had so weakened her that she barely escaped the mountain alive. Thomas spent the rest of her life selling maps to the gold mine that she claimed were based on Waltz’s deathbed revelation.

Then, in 1931, a treasure hunter named Adolph Ruth attempted to find Waltz’s mine. He headed up the mountain alone—and never returned. Later, two hikers discovered this note: 

I’m sitting under a tree in a creek with leg broke. I’ve got to have help quick. Finder of this note please give to Howard Peterson. P.S. Have found the lost Dutchman. —Ruth

Ruth’s skull was eventually found in a ravine, with two bullet holes in it. 

Had he found the gold mine, which was by then known as the Lost Dutchman’s Mine? 

Was he murdered for it? 

No one could be sure.

Waltz was known as “the Dutchman.” He was born in Germany and immigrated to the U.S. around 1839. He began searching for gold, reportedly first in North Carolina. Then he searched in Mississippi, and eventually in Arizona. He may have been lured by a local legend about the Peraltas, a Mexican family. It was said that they had discovered a huge gold deposit in the heart of Superstition Mountain. This is just a story though, a tall tale even. There is no credible evidence that the Peraltas ever mined in the region.

But soon after his arrival in Arizona in the 1860s, Waltz apparently did find gold. He would show up in Phoenix, his pockets bulging with gold ore. 

Where did he find this gold? 

Waltz vowed never to reveal the secret. His silence only fueled the rumors about hidden treasure. When he died in 1891, gold seekers didn’t wait long to look for his mine. 

The first to try was Waltz’s neighbor, Julia Thomas. She claimed that Waltz had told her the mine’s location on his deathbed. In 1892, she set off to find it. After three weeks of searching, the intense heat and lack of water had weakened her. She barely escaped the mountain alive. Thomas spent the rest of her life selling maps to the gold mine that she claimed were based on Waltz’s deathbed revelation.

Then, in 1931, a treasure hunter named Adolph Ruth tried to find Waltz’s mine. He headed up the mountain alone—and never returned. Later, two hikers discovered this note: 

I’m sitting under a tree in a creek with leg broke. I’ve got to have help quick. Finder of this note please give to Howard Peterson. P.S. Have found the lost Dutchman. —Ruth

Ruth’s skull was later found in a ravine, with two bullet holes in it. 

Had he found the gold mine? (By then, it was known as the Lost Dutchman’s Mine.)

Was he murdered for it? 

No one could be sure.

Ruth’s mysterious death made national news, but it didn’t scare people away from the mountain. In fact, it did just the opposite. Suddenly, the Lost Dutchman’s Mine was drawing treasure hunters from every corner of the country. 

In the decades that followed, many treasure hunters disappeared or died on the mountain. By some estimates, more than 100 people lost their lives there over the past century, many of whom were gold seekers. Even today, four or five people go missing every year, according to George Johnston of the Superstition Mountain Museum. It’s not surprising that some locals have come to believe that the mountain is cursed—that anyone who tries to take its gold will anger the Thunder God and suffer his revenge. 

An outsider might be tempted to dismiss such beliefs. But perhaps the curse reveals a deeper truth—a warning well worth heeding. Superstition Mountain is undoubtedly treacherous. It is a place of scant water and brutal heat; summer temperatures sometimes reach 120 degrees. Violent storms unleash dangerous flash floods. One wrong step can send a person plummeting to their doom. Hikers risk losing their way, running out of water, and being attacked by mountain lions or rattlesnakes. The risks become even greater when hikers stray from marked trails.

And these are just the natural ways to perish. When you factor in the possibility of gold, there is also the threat of crime—robbery and murder.

Ruth’s mysterious death made national news. But it didn’t scare people away from the mountain. In fact, it did just the opposite. Suddenly, the Lost Dutchman’s Mine was attracting treasure hunters from all parts of the country. 

In the decades that followed, many treasure hunters disappeared or died on the mountain. By some estimates, more than 100 people lost their lives there over the past century. Many of them were gold seekers. Even today, four or five people go missing every year, according to George Johnston of the Superstition Mountain Museum. It’s not surprising that some locals believe that the mountain is cursed—that anyone who tries to take its gold will anger the Thunder God and suffer his revenge. 

An outsider might be tempted to ignore such beliefs. But the curse might reveal a deeper truth—a warning well worth heeding. Superstition Mountain is certainly dangerous. It is a place of scant water and brutal heat. Summer temperatures can reach 120 degrees. Violent storms unleash dangerous flash floods. One wrong step can send a person plummeting to their doom. Hikers risk losing their way, running out of water, and being attacked by mountain lions or rattlesnakes. The risks become even greater when hikers leave the marked trails.

And these are just the natural ways to die. When you add in the possibility of gold, there is also the threat of crime—robbery and murder.

So what about the Lost Dutchman’s Mine? Does it really exist? 

For many years, geologists were doubtful. The mountain was formed millions of years ago by erupting volcanos. It’s composed of hardened ash, not usually a source of major gold deposits. 

On the other hand, much gold has been found in the wilderness around Superstition Mountain. And a geological test on the mountain itself detected the presence of minerals in the ground—minerals that suggest there could be large stores of gold in the rocky soil. In other words, it does seem possible that the Lost Dutchman’s Mine could be real. 

So what about the Lost Dutchman’s Mine? Does it really exist? 

For many years, geologists didn’t think it did. The mountain was formed millions of years ago by erupting volcanos. It’s composed of hardened ash. That’s not usually a source of major gold deposits. 

On the other hand, much gold has been found in the wilderness around Superstition Mountain. And a geological test on the mountain detected the presence of minerals in the ground. These minerals suggest there could be large stores of gold in the rocky soil. In other words, it does seem possible that the Lost Dutchman’s Mine could be real. 

2. It’s rare.

About 269,000 tons of gold have been found on Earth. That might sound like a lot, but all that gold would fit into a cube that is just 92 feet long on every side. That’s about the length of two large school buses, end-to-end.

2. It’s rare.

About 269,000 tons of gold have been found on Earth. That might sound like a lot, but all that gold would fit into a cube that is just 92 feet long on every side. That’s about the length of two large school buses, end-to-end.

3. It’s hard to get.

The ocean contains more gold than anywhere else on Earth, but extracting it would cost more than the gold is worth. Today, gold is mainly mined from rocks, which requires a lot of money, energy, and other resources.

3. It’s hard to get.

The ocean contains more gold than anywhere else on Earth, but extracting it would cost more than the gold is worth. Today, gold is mainly mined from rocks, which requires a lot of money, energy, and other resources.

5. It stays shiny.

Unlike many other metals, pure gold won’t rust or tarnish. In fact, gold coins made thousands of years ago shine as brightly today as when they jingled in the purses of ancient peoples. 

5. It stays shiny.

Unlike many other metals, pure gold won’t rust or tarnish. In fact, gold coins made thousands of years ago shine as brightly today as when they jingled in the purses of ancient peoples. 

6. It can make you rich—or not.

Over the past 200 years, the discovery of gold has repeatedly drawn gold seekers from all over the world. One of these gold rushes, as they’re called, started in California after gold was found in a stream in 1848. Nearly 300,000 people arrived there with dreams of “striking it rich.” But gold mining was tough and dangerous, and most miners never became wealthy.

6. It can make you rich—or not.

Over the past 200 years, the discovery of gold has repeatedly drawn gold seekers from all over the world. One of these gold rushes, as they’re called, started in California after gold was found in a stream in 1848. Nearly 300,000 people arrived there with dreams of “striking it rich.” But gold mining was tough and dangerous, and most miners never became wealthy.

^{This article was originally published in the October 2022 issue.}