- Distance
- 4.1 mimi
- Climb
- 885 ftft
- Est. time
- about 1 hours 50 minutes
- Difficulty
- Moderate
A short desert walk at the foot of the Superstitions to a large cave whose curling rock lip looks like a breaking wave. The last stretch is a steep climb.
Wave Cave is a big, open cave on the south side of the Superstitions, named for the rock lip that curls over its mouth like a wave. The trail crosses open desert, goes through a fence with a walk-through gap, then turns uphill and gets steep and rocky for the last part. It's one of the best-known photo spots near Phoenix, so it's busy on weekends. The old Carney Springs lot closed in March 2026, and hikers now start from the Lost Goldmine East Trailhead on Peralta Road.
- Parking
Park in the Lost Goldmine East lot, open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; the old Carney Springs lot is closed and illegally parked cars are towed.
Trailhead: Lost Goldmine East Trailhead (20160 E. Peralta Rd.).
- Fee
Free
- Dogs
- Dogs on leash
- Shade
- Not confirmed yet
- Hazards
- The climb to the cave at the end is steep and rocky.
- Best months
October to April, when the average high in Phoenix is under 90°F.
- Trail map
- None found
- Sources
8 sources · last verified Oct 2, 2026. Report a change
Where each fact comes from
- Tonto National Forest — FAQs ("Pets are welcome, but must be kept on a leash") checked 2026-10-02
- Supervisor Serdy Addresses Planned Peralta Road Improvements — Pinal County (Feb 26, 2026: Wave Cave/Carney Springs parking closes March 2, 2026) checked 2026-10-02
- Lost Goldmine Trail — Pinal County checked 2026-10-02
- Free: Pinal County lists hours, rules and trailhead addresses for the Lost Goldmine Trail and no fee (our reading) checked 2026-10-02
- Lost Goldmine Trailhead — OpenStreetMap checked 2026-10-02
- Wave Cave — WildPathsAZ (undated; updated for the Carney Springs closure) checked 2026-10-02
- Shaka Cave and a Mineshaft — WildPathsAZ ("No pass needed to park at Lost Goldmine Trailhead") checked 2026-10-02
- Best months: normal high under 90°F, Phoenix Sky Harbor 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI) checked 2026-10-02
Low heat risk · now
73°F now · high 82°
Sunset 5:47p · ~1h 50m hike
As of Today 9:42a · NWS forecast · NWS alerts · NWS HeatRisk · Tonto National Forest
Next 6 days · high / low · NWS HeatRisk today 1 of 4
- Tomorrow86° / 64°
- Wed82° / 67°Rain 82% 6:09a–5:44p
- Thu72° / 63°Rain 93% 6:10a–5:43p
- Fri70° / 57°
- Sat73° / 53°
- Sun77° / 56°
From the trail
Field notes
Owen · Wave Cave Trail · Oct 2026
I did a loop so I could see two of the main attractions of the southern Superstitions: Wave Cave and Weaver's Needle. We went up to Wave Cave first, which was bigger than I expected and totally worth the spur from the loop. Then we climbed up past Carney Springs and followed an unmaintained trail to Robber's Roost, then on to Fremont Saddle. The views of Weaver's Needle from above the saddle were magnificent. If you want to get away from the crowds and do some more exploring, this route is for you. The last bit of the loop was on the road from the Peralta Trailhead back to the Lost Goldmine lot. 9 miles and 2,700+ ft of elevation gain in total.
Nearby
East Valley & Superstitions
