Is This Mountain Cursed?

    “Don’t do it!”

    “You should turn back.”

    “The mountain is too dangerous.”

    That’s what the local people said about Superstition Mountain. Now their words fill your head as you climb on a narrow, twisting trail. One wrong move and you could plummet off a cliff.

    Superstition Mountain is part of a mountain range in Arizona. It’s a mysterious place. Some people say it’s cursed.

    Over the past 150 years, many people have come here looking for gold. Dozens have disappeared or died. Even today, four or five people go missing every year.

    As you climb, you can’t help but wonder. Will you make it out alive?

    “Don’t do it!”

    “You should turn back.”

    “The mountain is too dangerous.”

    These are the warnings the local people gave you about Superstition Mountain. Now their words fill your head as you navigate a narrow, twisting trail. One wrong move and you could plummet off a cliff.

    Superstition Mountain is part of a mountain range in Arizona—but it’s more than that. It’s a mysterious place that some people believe is cursed.

    Over the past 150 years, many people have come here looking for gold. Dozens have disappeared or died. Even today, four or five people go missing every year.

    As you climb under the hot sun, you can’t help wondering. Will you make it out alive?

    Maybe. But by the 1800s, people were coming from all over in search of it. None of them found any. None, that is, except a man named Jacob Waltz.

    Or so he claimed.

    Waltz was known as “the Dutchman.” Born in Germany, he came to Arizona in the 1860s. Soon after, he claimed to have found gold on Superstition Mountain.

    He would show up in Phoenix with his pockets full of gold nuggets. But where did he find them? Where was his mine?

    Waltz would not say. Still, word spread that the mountain had hidden treasure. And when Waltz died in 1891, people looked for it.

    Waltz’s neighbor, Julia Thomas, was first. She said Waltz had told her the mine’s location. In 1892, she set off to find it. After three weeks, she was weak from the heat. She barely got off the mountain alive.

    In 1931, a treasure hunter named Adolph Ruth tried to find the mine. He went up the mountain alone—and was never heard from again. Six months later, his skull was found on the mountain with two bullet holes in it.

    Had he found the gold mine, by then known as the Lost Dutchman’s Mine? Was he killed for it? No one knew.

    Maybe—but by the 1800s, people were already coming from all over the world in search of it. None of them found any—none, that is, except a man named Jacob Waltz.

    Or so he claimed.

    Waltz, known as “the Dutchman,” was born in Germany and came to Arizona in the 1860s. Soon after, he claimed to have found gold on Superstition Mountain.

    Waltz would show up in Phoenix with his pockets full of gold nuggets, inspiring curiosity about where his mine was located.

    Waltz wouldn’t tell. Still, people spread the news that the mountain was home to hidden treasure—and when Waltz died in 1891, they didn’t wait long to search for it.

    First to try was Waltz’s neighbor, Julia Thomas, who claimed that Waltz had told her the mine’s location. In 1892, Thomas set off to find it—but after three weeks of searching, she was weak from the heat. She barely escaped from the mountain alive.

    Then, in 1931, a treasure hunter named Adolph Ruth tried to find the mine. He went up the mountain alone—and was never heard from again. Six months later, Ruth’s skull was found on the mountain with two bullet holes in it.

    Had he found the gold mine, by then known as the Lost Dutchman’s Mine? Was he murdered for it?

    Nobody could be sure.

    Ruth’s death made the news. But it didn’t scare people away. In fact, it did the opposite. Suddenly, Superstition Mountain was drawing treasure hunters from across the country. 

    In the years that followed, many treasure hunters disappeared or died on the mountain. To some local people, those deaths were a sign that the mountain is cursed. They believed that anyone who tried to take its gold angered the Thunder God. 

    But scientists say that Superstition Mountain is dangerous for reasons that have nothing to do with curses. It’s very hot. Climbers face steep cliffs and dangerous animals. They could run out of water, fall to their death, or get attacked by a mountain lion.

    And those are just the natural ways to die. When you add gold to the picture, there is also the threat of robbery and murder.

    Ruth’s death made the news. But it didn’t scare people away. It did the opposite. Treasure hunters came from all over.

    In the years that followed, many treasure hunters disappeared or died on the mountain. To some local people, those deaths meant the mountain was cursed. They said anyone who tried to take its gold angered the Thunder God.

    But scientists say the dangers of Superstition Mountain have nothing to do with curses. It’s very hot. There are steep cliffs and dangerous animals. Climbers could run out of water, fall to their death, or be killed by a mountain lion.

    And those are just the natural ways to die. Add gold to the picture, and there’s also the threat of robbery and murder.

    Ruth’s death made the news, but it didn’t scare people away—in fact, it did the opposite. Suddenly, Superstition Mountain was drawing treasure hunters from across the country.

    In the years that followed, many treasure hunters disappeared or died on the mountain. To some local people, those deaths were a sign that the mountain is cursed. They believed that anyone who tried to take its gold angered the Thunder God.

    But scientists say that Superstition Mountain is dangerous for reasons that have nothing to do with curses—for example, extreme heat, steep cliffs, and dangerous animals. Climbers could run out of water, fall to their death, or get attacked by a mountain lion.

    And those are just the natural ways to die. When you add gold to the picture, there is also the threat of robbery and murder.

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

    For many years, scientists said no. The mountain was formed millions of years ago by erupting volcanoes. It’s made of hardened ash. That’s not usually a source of gold.

    On the other hand, gold has been found in the area around the mountain. And scientists recently found proof of minerals—maybe even gold—in the mountain’s soil.

    Now it does seem that the Lost Dutchman’s Mine could be real.

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

    For many years, scientists didn’t think so. The mountain—formed millions of years ago by erupting volcanoes—is made of hardened ash, which isn’t usually a source of gold.

    On the other hand, gold has been found in the area around Superstition Mountain. And scientists recently found proof of minerals—maybe even gold—in the mountain’s soil.

   Now it does seem possible that the Lost Dutchman’s Mine might actually exist.

    Back on Superstition Mountain, you keep climbing. All you notice is the silence. There are no voices and no sounds of traffic. You don’t even hear birds. 

    In the end, you finish your climb. You make it home alive. You never did find the Lost Dutchman’s Mine—but maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe the real treasure of Superstition Mountain isn’t gold. 

    Maybe it’s the many stories it has inspired. 

    Back on Superstition Mountain, you keep climbing. It’s silent. There are no voices or sounds of traffic. You don’t even hear birds.

    You finish your climb. You make it home alive. You didn’t find the Lost Dutchman’s Mine. But maybe that’s OK. Maybe the real treasure of Superstition Mountain isn’t gold.

    Maybe it’s the stories it has inspired. 

    Back on Superstition Mountain, you keep climbing. The silence is remarkable: no voices, no sounds of traffic, not even the singing of birds.

    Ultimately, you finish your climb and make it home alive. You never did find the Lost Dutchman’s Mine—but maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe the real treasure of Superstition Mountain isn’t gold.

    Maybe it’s the many fascinating stories the mountain has inspired.