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Built through a powerful collaboration between the Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT) and the Apache Junction Parks and Recreation Department, the Silly Mountain Botanical Walk stands as a testament to what community vision and partnership can achieve.
This inviting ⅓-mile pathway, gently winding in a figure-eight design, is more than just a trail — it’s an experience. Paved with compacted crushed granite and lined with native Sonoran Desert plants, the trail invites visitors to explore, learn, and connect with the beauty of our desert ecosystem. Designed to be accessible to all ages and wheelchair-friendly, the walk ensures that everyone can enjoy the serenity and wonder of the Superstition foothills.
The initial dream for the Silly Mountain trail came from SALT Vice President Don Wells, whose vision was to create a living desert classroom — a place where people could see, touch, and learn about the plants that define our region.
That dream was nurtured through a thoughtful community input process and then brought to life through a detailed planting and landscape plan by Nick Blake, Apache Junction Parks Superintendent and City Landscape Architect.
The Apache Junction Parks and Recreation Department, with help from Smiling Dog Landscapes, prepared the pathway by clearing and compacting the trail. They also installed the water lines and drip irrigation system, ensuring the long-term health of the desert flora.
Meanwhile, the SALT Trail Builders Crew, led by Don Wells and crew chief Al Lines, took on the rewarding task of constructing the pathway — putting in hours of dedication and hard work to turn vision into reality.
This project was made possible thanks to a $35,000 grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, along with generous donations of plants and materials from local firms and organizations.
Today, the Silly Mountain Botanical Walk features over 280 indigenous plants representing 35 different species — each chosen to showcase the resilience and beauty of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.
Interpretive signs along the trail identify many of these plants and share fascinating insights into their edible and medicinal uses, turning a simple walk into an enriching educational experience.
The trail serves not only as a scenic escape but also as a reminder of how community, conservation, and education can come together to create something lasting and meaningful.
At SALT, we believe in creating hope and bettering our environment — one project, one trail, and one act of stewardship at a time.
But we can only do it with your help.
Your donations fuel projects like the Silly Mountain Botanical Walk — helping to protect land, restore habitats, and connect people to the natural world around them.
👉 Join us in our mission. Donate today and help us keep the desert alive and thriving.
The Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT) works with public agencies to protect vulnerable Sonoran Desert foothills—part of Arizona’s 9 million acres of state trust land—threatened by urban sprawl and managed primarily for revenue.
Donating to the Superstition Area Land Trust (SALT) helps preserve the Sonoran Desert’s fragile foothills, wildlife, and open spaces for future generations.