Broadway Cave Trail + Cougar Shadow in Apache Junction

The Superstition Mountains are home to a unique natural phenomena that only occurs twice per year. 

During two seasonal equinoxes, the sun aligns perfectly with the rugged rock formations to form the shadow of a massive cougar on Superstition Mountain. 

It typically occurs for a week during mid-September. In other words, right now.

Of course, it's difficult to visit the Superstitions without exploring one of its countless epic trails - and the Broadway Cave trail just happened to be close by. 

Hiking the Broadway Cave Trail

The Broadway Cave Trailhead offers free (but limited) parking. Fortunately, it's still technically late summer, so we were joined by only one other vehicle. 

The trail starts off pretty easily. It's a nice stroll through beautiful desert scenery with Superstition Mountain looming high just ahead. 

The Initial Incline of the Broadway Cave Trail

It twists and turns a bit, occasionally crossing with other trails (we definitely recommend the AllTrails app) before giving way to slight elevation gain. 

It was hot (upper 90s), so we tried to take it easy and control our breathing. Of course, banter is engrained in our DNA, and we couldn't help but argue over who would take the blame if one of us passed out (among a few other silly topics). It's a great way to keep morale high, especially when 

Anyway, we soon had to shift our focus more carefully to the trail. It's a testament to one of the biggest challenges of desert hikes; natural paths between rocks and plants can look like trails, especially when the primary trail isn't well-maintained. Again, the AllTrails app is a handy (and potentially life-saving) tool. 

About halfway through the Broadway Cave Trail, Andy looked back and noted how high we had already climbed. Chris couldn't believe how much altitude was already gained. It seemed so easy! At least, up to that point. 

The BIG Incline

Shortly after, we did some light scrambling up a few boulders. This is your tell-tale sign that the Broadway Cave Trail is about to get much steeper. 

Fortunately, the cave gets closer and closer as we pushed ahead through the heat. It really serves as a great sign of encouragement and motivation; just THAT much farther until we can find some real shade and cool off. 

Inside Broadway Cave

Naturally, the cave was much cooler. Much of it remained shaded from the sun, and there were plenty of large rocks for sitting. 

Beautiful geological formations hang from the ceiling. There were several cracks traversing across that were filled with the squeaking of bats. The upper central point of the cave narrows into a smaller tunnel that continues into the mountain. 

The view from here is pretty amazing. Gold Canyon, Apache Junction, and the surrounding mountains are framed nicely by the Broadway Cave's silhouette. 

Rushing to Apache Junction for the Cougar Shadow

We took a quick break, then quickly head back down. We had less than an hour left until the shadow disappeared. 

So, after barely enough time to gulp down a few snacks, it was off to the races. We began sprinting down a steep trail filled with rocks against blinding sunlight while temperatures held strong in the upper 90s. 

After clumsily making our way down the mountain and carelessly tossing the gear into the back of the Bronco, we began driving to the general area where Andy had once seen the shadow about a year and half before. 

As Andy struggled to remember where he had stopped previously, we saw a group of cars parked on the side of the road with several people standing nearby - all facing Superstition Mountain. 

I asked if this was the right place. Andy said "I thin-YES, THERE IT IS!" He had already seen the shadow. I parked my car and we ran out to join the others.

It was odd, Andy and I surging with adrenaline while surrounded by others who were calmed by the tranquil setting. However, my eyes remained fixed on the Cougar Shadow; its dark silhouette contrasting against the orange-red mountain was more beautiful than a camera could ever capture. 

We decided to walk down a dirt path that cut through the desert for a better angle, and it did not disappoint. The cougar shadow became more defined and the expansive view of the mountain was nothing short of breathtaking. 

Eventually, the shadow faded as the mountain's rusty hue grew dim. The crowd made their way back to their cars while excitedly recollecting the phenomena they had just witnessed. 

I noticed that it was much thicker than the pictures I had seen. A fellow on-looker showed me a picture that he took on September 17th of last year, revealing a more well-defined cougar shape. So, it looks like I'll be returning next year and seeing how those pictures compare with the ones I took today.