According to Arizona folklore, the monsoon season will start about a week after the cicadas begin to sing at night. In point of fact, the start of monsoon season in the Desert Southwest is denoted by a shift in the winds and usually begins in mid-June to late-July, depending on which part of the Southwest [...]

There are actually several mines known as the Lost Dutchman in the Southwest. The most famous, of course, is the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. But there are others, one in South Dakota, one in Colorado, and three in Arizona that all bear the same name. In the early 1860s, a [...]

The Gold Rush in American started in 1849, when James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. News of the discovery swept the Nation like a fever. Nearly 300,000 men headed west to stake their claim. Sadly, very few actually struck in rich. Many gave up and began prospecting in other western states, [...]

Life in the Southwest in the pioneering days was tough and often filled with new and frightening experiences. Strange and spooky rock formations abound throughout the area. The land in some places is a desolate as the moon, and in others, the vastness of the open spaces is intimidating. Spanish and Native American legends and [...]

Legends of gold and treasure played a large and dynamic role in shaping the history of the southwestern U.S. Nothing in the history of man has inspired more acts of mayhem than the promise of wealth for the taking. In the case of the Seven Cities of Cibola (the Seven cities of Gold), the search [...]

Another Arizona Lost Gold legend, is the legend of Sanders Lost Gold. In Gila County, the Salt River, before it dumps into Roosevelt Lake passes through the wild country of the Sierra Ancha Wilderness. The Tonto Apaches who inhabited the country were not as hostile as their brethern to the north and south but they [...]

The Superstition Mountains have always been shrouded in mystery. The Native Americans who inhabited the area said the mountains were the home of the Thunder God, who was said to protect a great treasure. Since the 4,000 foot cliffs of the Superstitions rise up out a flat plain and seem to breed thunderstorms, it is [...]

Located on the Utah-Idaho border, beautiful Bear Lake is a popular destination for boaters, fishermen and skiers, but according to legend, it is also the home of the Bear Lake Monster. Said to be a huge snake, nearly 90 feet long, it has ears that stick out for its skinny head and a mouth big [...]

Sightings of a giant bird, as recent as 2008, have been part of the history of the Southwest for thousands of years. The Native American peoples have always referred to this giant creature as the Thunderbird, a magical animal sent by their gods to protect them from the powers of evil. Riding on the wings [...]

A Hard Rock Miners Guide to Staying Alive The history of the Southwest is littered with stories of miners, gold and silver, mines and mining towns. The pursuit and acquisition of gold, silver, tin, copper, lead and more shaped this part of the nation like nothing else. A huge percentage of the towns in the [...]