The better-known history of Tortilla Flat begins when settlers began to visit Tortilla Flat when cattleman would drive cattle from the Tonto Basin to the Phoenix stockyards. Xavier Mission was one of the richest missionaries in the New World and knew of the now legendary treasure stash even before miner Jacob Waltz, who is said to have found the mine.

Tortilla Flat legend says that the same Jesuit priest who led the St. It was then discovered by Jesuit missionaries exploring the Superstition Mountains – known for their hidden gold in the Lost Dutchman Mine. The small town’s beginnings date back to the Apache Tribe who first inhabited the area.

Tortilla Flat serves as an easy summer day trip destination for families wanting to learn more about early life in Arizona while enjoying a fun day of delicious food, shopping, and scenic views. One of these places is Tortilla Flat, a Western town in the Tonto National Forest approximately 30 minutes outside of Apache Junction. While Arizona has changed quite a bit since it’s pre-statehood Old West history with Phoenix becoming one the country’s largest and fastest-growing cities, there are still places that remind us of Arizona’s fascinating history and transport its visitors back to simpler times, when the area served as a mining destination within relatively unexplored land.

Tortilla flat trail