We entered at First Water Trailhead and backpacked the 8 miles or so to Charlebois Springs. The trails can be sand, boulder outcroppings, rocks, or combinations thereof, often with encroaching vegetation, and since most everything in the desert stings, scratches, or sticks, it is a good idea to wear long pants while hiking. Those with shorts invariably incur war wounds and may have to spend some time removing spines. Of course, wearing long pants does not guarantee an injury-free trek, as cactus spines often penetrate pants legs and still draw blood.
It is called the Superstition MOUNTAINS because there ARE mountains. In fact, the trails consist of much up and down, with the high points providing vistas in all directions. Here the trail goes up over Bull Pass.
Here we hike the Peter's Mesa Trail which takes us high above Charlebois Canyon and affords vistas in several directions. We even are able to see our camp area in the valley far below. Continuing on this trail takes you to Tortilla Well Trailhead (off the Apache 4WD Trail) but this trailhead has an extremely rough access road leading to it and is not recommended as an entry point. Steve, down on his knees, pretends to be dying of thirst., though the photo below shows that the drought is not a laughing matter for the wildlife in the area.
Bleached bones along the trail emphasize the danger inherent in desert living. Carry plenty of water, and always check with the rangers regarding current water availability in the wilderness.