Fall in love with backpacking and the Superstition Mountains on a beginner-friendly adventure in the high desert. This trip is for women who want to see the Sonoran Desert and learn more about backpacking. Led by expert female guides, we hike into the Superstitions, a sublime volcanic landscape of mesas, canyons, wildflowers, Gila monsters and saguaro cactus, set against bluebird sky. In the distance, a rocky spire called Weaver’s Needle reminds us this is a place of legend. (The Lost Dutchman gold mine is said to lie in the spire’s shadow.) By the time the moon rises on the first night, you understand the desert has a beauty all its own. Each day, we backpack far enough to feel accomplished but not exhausted. The desert is our classroom: Our guides teach us about wilderness backpacking and accent the never-ending vistas with stories and facts about the area’s history, mythology, geology and wildlife. They also fuel us with hot, delicious meals. Side adventures reveal additional wonders, like petroglyphs and a swimming hole hidden deep in a box canyon. We sleep deeply under a blanket of stars. We return home exhilarated by the spirit of the Superstitions.

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