This long loop in the Superstition Wilderness takes in Whiskey Spring, Herman’s Cave, Upper La Barge Canyon, Coffee Flat, and Miner’s Needle as it circumnavigates Coffee Flat Mountain. It can be done as a long day hike, but most people will prefer to backpack it when there is a lot of water running in the Superstition Wilderness. Great campsites exist at Whiskey Spring, La Barge Creek, and Coffee Flat.
Visit https://wildpathsaz.com/coffee-flat-loop-with-hermans-cave/ for more details and a map.
Who was Herman?
According to "Hiker's Guide to the Superstition Wilderness" by Jack Carlson and Elizabeth Stewart, the famed lost Dutchman, Jacob Waltz, told Julia Thomas and Rhinehart Petrasch where the gold mine was located shortly before his death. They, along with Rhinehart's brother, Herman, searched the Superstition Wilderness for the gold mine beginning in 1892. Herman Petrash spent most of his life searching for the gold, but never found it. One of his camps was located in La Barge Canyon, below the mountain named after him.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:50 Peralta Trailhead
1:14 Dutchman's Trail 106
1:49 Miners Needle
2:06 Whiskey Springs Trail 238
2:33 Whiskey Spring
3:44 Red Tanks Trail 107
5:32 Herman's Cave
8:05 Catclaw Forest of Doom
10:33 Red Tanks Canyon
11:15 Coffee Flat Trail 108
13:23 Dutchman Trail 104
14:21 Outtakes
Map source: USGS
Music credits: "Yard Sale" by Silent Partner, "Please" by Wayne Jones, "Home" by JHS Pedals, "Frolic" by E's Jammy Jams, and "Cliffsides" by Dan Lebowitz