The 21st annual Dutch Hunters Rendezvous will take place November 14,15 & 16 2025 at the Dons Base camp located along Peralta road adjacent to the Lost Gold Mine trailhead parking lot. This event is free and open to everyone and anyone interested in the lore and legends of the Superstition Mountains. Our guest speakers in the past have been Bob Corbin, Clay Worst, Thomas Glover, Jack San Felice, Greg Davis, Ron Feldman, Jesse Feldman, Bob Schoose, Robert Kesselring, Tom Vann, John Wayne Galloway, Rick Gwynne, Terry Carter among many other notable Historians, Authors and Dutch Hunters.
Friday November 14th the gates will be open at 12 noon to set up camp or just visit the camp areas. After dinner we will have our Friday night camp fire which can last pretty much until the wee hours of the following day. The past couple of years a number of guests have wandered the camp ghost hunting as well. With 100,000s of thousands of guests who have been through the camp as well as the nearby Linsbee house site, there is a long history in this particular area. Adam Stewarts home site and grave is just north as well as a Hohokam crematory site. Who knows what could be stirring around camp in dark.
This years scheduled events for Saturday include a morning hike up cardiac hill and down into Barks canyon, a prospecting class by Woody Wampler, a talk by several representatives of the Tonto National Forest, John Wayne Galloway, Jason Fritsch author of "Cracking the code on the Lost Dutchman mine" and many others. This will be a day long program with the hike leaving base camp at around 7 AM. Woody Wampler should begin around 10 AM in the main ramada, followed by The Tonto National Forest. A lunch break will follow and the dinner service of Chili, hotdogs or Chili dogs will begin at around 5PM at the big Ramada. The evening program with guest speakers and raffle will begin at dusk following dinner cleanup in the Amphitheatre.
There are men's and women's rest rooms located at Base camp, but there is no water or electricity. Please observe any fire restrictions that are in place and use designated fire circles in the camp. The evening fireside chats Friday and Saturday will be held at the host site in the lower camp and additionally the main Ramada if guests choose to do so. While we will try and relocate any rattlesnakes in the camp prior to the event, remember this is their home most of the year,,so keep your eyes open and watch your pets.
There are really only a few rules for the Rendezvous: Most importantly leave your baggage at the gate. We are here to share and enjoy the stories and company of like minded individuals. Secondly, please haul out all trash you can. If it wont burn, then bag it. Third just have fun and enjoy yourself, we are very fortunate to be able to enjoy this site with permission of the Dons of Arizona and the Tonto National forest service. Join us for any or all the events.
I hope to see many familiar faces as well as new faces as we celebrate another year in the Mountains.
Also check out other Arts events in Apache Junction, Literary Art events in Apache Junction, Workshops in Apache Junction.
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