b'GreetingsfromPhoto Courtesy Creative Commonsstitchplayinaz.comTUCKED INTO THE BREATHTAKING BACKDROP of the Pinal Mountains, Superior is home to some of Arizonas most beautiful trail systems, inspirational scenery, and a community profoundly committed to its next generation. Those who have lived in the town for generations are known to be strong-willed, adaptive, and tenacious; having always worked together to build up their community despite having very few resources to do so. Superior is a place of peace with a sense of security and an air of ambition that inspires and energizes all who visit.S uperior began as a mining town with the HubAn artist community has brought the downtown areaBoyce Thompson ArboretumMine claim in 1875 filed by W. Tuttle and the back to life while revitalizing the historic buildingsApache LeapIrene Mine claim filed by P. Swain in 1876. Theseon Main Street and Magma Blvd. with quaint new claims, together, became known as the Silver Queenbusinesses. Hollywood discovered this historic Wild Mine and by 1910 were owned by Colonel BoyceWest towns charm and several commercials and movies Thompson and renamed the Magma Copper Company.were filmed in the area including How The West Was They had followed the opening, in 1875, of the famous,Won, The Prophecy, U-Turn, The Fugitive, and the PBS nearby, Silver King Mine founded by Mason, Long,special Skin Walkers by Tony Hillerman.Copeland, and Regan.Superior is an outdoor enthusiast\'s dream! With Superior narrowly avoided becoming a ghost town whendestination locations like the Boyce Thompson the Silver Queen and Silver King Mines were impactedArboretum and an expansive landscape offering by the change in the U.S. monetary standard in 1893beautiful vistas along with hiking, biking, and rock with the devaluation of silver from $1.50 to $.20 perclimbing paths. ounce. This change from silver to gold killed many of the Wests silver mines. Fortunately, the miners looking forBOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUMsilver and gold also found copper, and with the foundingSuperiors tourism boomed when Boyce Thompson, of the Magma Copper Company, Superior continued towho was a self-made millionaire and mining magnate, thrive. For 86 years, the Magma pulled copper and silverestablished the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in 1923 out of Superiors mountains. to exhibit and study plants from all over the world. It is Queen Creek Canyon home to a variety of lush desert gardens, which all have a considerable degree of seasonal beauty to experience. Spring visitors will see the vibrancy of a variety of wildflowers in bloom, summer visitors will be rewarded with blooming exotic and native cacti including the renowned "prickly pears" later in the season, and aQUEEN CREEK CANYONbeautiful display of changing leaves in the fall and earlyQueen Creek Canyon is an outdoor recreation area winter can be enjoyed. Of the 3,897 plant species, 9.8%located four miles east of Superior. The landscape is are of conservation concern, meaning that they aregorgeous with towering spires of rock and endless endangered or threatened with extinction. fields of boulders. The Queen Creek area also includes Apache Leap, and Devils Canyon all located in the Its located at 37615 East Arboretum Way. The generalTonto National Forest. The Queen Creek area has admission fee is $15 and youll likely see fascinatingbecome a mecca for rock climbers since the first route desert critters like coyotes, tortoises, snakes, andwas developed in the 1970s, with close to 1,000 routes hummingbirds cross your path. Nine hiking trailsand 2,000 boulders waiting to be explored. Oak Flat totaling about three miles and seven gardens spread overcampground with 16 spaces is located in the rolling hills the Arboretum. Seasonal hours (October thru April)near Devils Canyon. There is an abundance of large oak EJPhoto.com are Mon. thru Sun. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 520-689-2723,trees that provide natural shade. 928-402-6200BTArboretum.org24 February 2022'