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ABOUT APACHE JUNCTION, GOLD CANYON & EAST MESA

The gateway to outdoor adventure

A Territory to Explore 

The Superstition Mountains and the famous Apache Trail

Our community is rich in history, activities, and a fantastic quality of life.

Few places in the Greater Phoenix area have the majestic views and quality of life as Apache Junction. Strategically located between urban big-city life and some of the West’s most sought after natural recreational assets, Apache Junction is the gateway to adventure and opportunity…territory worth exploring. Come discover the abundant opportunities. Apache Junction has the capacity to embrace new retail and restaurant projects with our strong residential base, a population swell of seasonal residents (October-April), and a wide variety of tourist attractions and area events that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors and potential shoppers to the region.  Click here to see Apache Junction in images of past events.

ABOUT APACHE JUNCTION

Apache Junction is a suburban desert community nestled in the shadows of the  Superstition Mountains, 1,750 feet above sea level and 35 miles directly east of Phoenix on Highway 60 (Superstition Freeway).  It is the easternmost community in the Phoenix Metropolitan area.  We have the metro area’s advantage of direct freeway access to entertainment, cultural activities, and work sites, with the small-town feel. The city currently encompasses 36.5 square miles with a year-round population of approximately 39,000.  Each year, the city welcomes an estimated 35,000 additional seasonal residents, increasing the population from mid-October to mid-April to over 70,000 people who call Apache Junction home.

The people here value diversity and the slower paced lifestyle. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the many activities in and around the city. In addition to the Superstition Wilderness and Tonto National Forest, we have 1,600 acres of multi-use parks, ball fields, tennis, pickleball, and racquetball courts.

Available housing ranges from well-manicured retirement parks and subdivisions with organized activities to single-family homes on a wide variety of lot sizes. Home prices vary from modest to very expensive.

The Apache Junction Unified School District is one of our area’s greatest assets boasting a high school, one junior high school, and four elementary schools. All have aggressive education programs to maintain scholastic excellence for the community’s nearly 5,000 students. There are Charter schools as an alternative to public education. Central Arizona College’s local campus offers vocational credit classes, GED preparation, continuing education courses, and a career-counseling center.

Medical and emergency service in the area include: Banner Goldfield Medical Center, Banner Baywood Medical Center, Banner Health Hospital, Heaven’s Medical, Sun Life Health Center, Mountain Vista Medical Center, Mountain Health & Wellness, a 911 system, ambulance service, emergency helicopter transport, wellness clinics, and private practitioners in the medical, dental, chiropractic, and veterinary services.

We are a small town, but we do have a growing commercial base including several major chains and hundreds of local businesses. With its mining and transportation roots in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Apache Junction did not develop a traditional central downtown but spread slowly along the Apache Trail.  The city is actively working to develop the area as a 21st-century centerpiece while striving to maintain its unique and historic feel.  The downtown area has experienced a number of recent redevelopment efforts that will result in the addition of a downtown public gathering space, a more traditional “main street” roadway network, and in the coming year, a new private development that will add over 200,000 square feet of new retail space for Apache Junction shoppers.  Despite growth and redevelopment, Apache Junction will remain a city of wide-open spaces and a gateway to natural splendor because of its location and setting, and proudly holds the official trademark and title “Home of the Superstition Mountains”.

The heart of the city is where the historic “Junction” once led travelers from the urban oasis into the vast mountain wilderness in search of the legendary Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. Today, it boasts retail, entertainment, and recreational options for all ages. And there’s room to add to the existing unique options for new and diverse selections of merchandise and cuisine. Freeway frontage opportunity abounds along the main freeway corridor through Apache Junction that runs through the community. The freeway also provides easy access to other transportation corridors.
The freeway also provides easy access to other transportation corridors, two major airports, Phoenix Sky Harbor and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, within minutes, and provides easy access to housing communities to the East. Several existing sites are available with even more opportunities for growth on State Lands as disposition occurs (twelve square miles of development potential within existing city limits)

  • Arizona Renaissance Festival attracting over some quarter-million visitors during their two-month celebration.
  • Lost Dutchman State Park attracting over a hundred thousand visitors annually, with breathtaking views, hiking, and recreational opportunities.
  • Superstition Mountain Museum continues to expand and is the source for everything having to do with the region.
  • The Lost Dutchman Marathon, known as one of the best-run marathons, regularly attracting both national, and international participants.
  • The Goldfield Ghost Town- the only authentic ghost town in the Valley with hundreds of thousands of visitors enjoying horseback riding, zip lines, cowboy shootouts, and rail tours of the town.
  • Tortilla Flat, an authentic remnant of an old stage stop and a haven for tourists, motorcycles, and those meandering the historic Apache Trail.
  • Central Arizona College’s Superstition Mountain Campus sits in the heart of the downtown and serves the region with a variety of programs to meet the needs of all ages.

ABOUT GOLD CANYON

Gold Canyon is a small community nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Superstition Mountains. It is an eclectic blend of the old and the new, the wild and the tame, the luxurious and the rustic.  All this, and it is only 35 minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.  What was formerly a cattle ranch, is now a thriving community of 20,000+ people who love living in the shadow of the majestic Superstition Mountains.  With its perfect desert climate, unmatched scenery, and small-town hospitality, Gold Canyon lives up to its reputation as “the lost gold” of the Superstition Mountains.

Fun events that occur annually are the Gold Canyon Arts Festival on the last Saturday in January; Arizona’s only Renaissance Festival in February and March; musical performances hosted by the Gold Canyon Arts Council; and art tours and exhibits throughout the fall and winter seasons sponsored by the Artists of the Superstitions.

A great way to connect with nature is to “take a hike!” Popular trails include Silly Mountain, Hieroglyphic and Peralta. In addition to hiking, the Superstition Mountain Wilderness offers an array of outdoor fun and adventure, with thousands of square miles of public land for bike riding, photography, horseback riding, camping, and other outdoor sports.

If you connect with nature through golf, Gold Canyon is a golfer’s paradise! Within its boundaries, there are five championship golf courses; three are located at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort and SPA that also offers luxury accommodations, SPA, fine dining, and live entertainment.

Gold Canyon has all the amenities for your business needs and everyday living. Local organizations provide information and promote the care of its citizens. Gold Canyon Business Association (GCBA) provides information about local businesses. Other organizations contributing to the community are Gold Canyon Lions, Gold Canyon Soroptimists, Pinal Partnership, and Superstition Mountain Rotary. Gold Canyon is fortunate to have the Association for the Development of a Better Environment (ADOBE), the oldest and largest organization devoted to improving the Gold Canyon community.  It is the Voice of Gold Canyon.

For more information, go to Gold Canyon’s Visitor Center, http://www.goldcanyonconnection.com. Once you experience Gold Canyon, you will agree that it is one of the most picturesque areas in all of Arizona – a place that you will want to return again and again.

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