Sierra Estrella Mountain Range, Arizona
The arid Sierra Estrella Mountain Range, south of Phoenix, Arizona, can be a dangerous trek for even the most experienced hiker, as the jagged peaks provide no water along its few rarely used trails. However, what these mountains do offer, is a rich history and the promise of buried treasure.
According to legend, in 1847, a Spaniard named Don Joaquin led a mining expedition in these mountains, hoping to find gold. When his dream was realized, he enslaved the Indians to work the mine and bring out the precious metal like many of his counterparts. The mine, located on what was called the Zig Zag Trail, remains shrouded in mystery.
Treasure Hunter T-Shirt
One day, as Joaquin oversaw the mining operations, an Indian scout informed him that the American Army was headed in his direction. Joaquin stopped the mining operations without adequate reinforcements and temporarily returned to Mexico. Loading 3,000 pounds of gold onto the backs of 15 mules, he and some of his men headed up the Zig Zag trail towards Butterfly Peak. Continuing towards Montezuma’s Head, the group turned into a short box canyon about halfway down the trail.
Spying a cave, Don Joaquin had his men bury the gold in the back of the cavern, then killed the Indian scout, placing his body over the hidden treasure.
The remainder of his men had been instructed to wait at a nearby butte, and after having hidden the cache, Joaquin rejoined his fellow miners. However, greed can make even the most loyal of men resort to mutiny, and that very night, Don Joaquin was murdered and his treasure map. Still at risk from the approaching American Army, the men headed back to Mexico the next morning, along with the guide to the buried treasure.
Nothing more was heard about the Spaniards for the next 35 years until one day, an old man arrived in Phoenix with the original treasure map in his hands. Searching the peaks for the long-lost gold, he was soon scared away by hostile Indians, and the man returned to Mexico without the gold.
No one knows what happened to the man or the original map, but supposedly the buried treasure remains hidden somewhere in the Sierra Estrella Mountains.
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated September 2022.
Also See: