Haunted Phoenix

One of the most elusive treasures in American lore, the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is a huge underground cavern seemingly made up of nuggets of pure gold. Its alleged location is within the Superstition Mountains -- and if that name doesn't raise a red flag for you, then perhaps the spirits of lost explorers might. Countless goldrushers have lost their lives in search of this glittering cavern, from Enrico Peralta, whose group was attacked by Apaches, to Dr. Abraham Thorne, who had originally worked with the Apaches to find the cavern, only to be killed by them after trying to seek the mine without their permission.

The Apaches covered the mine's entrance in the late 19th century, but that did not stop people from attempting to find the mine -- and paying with their lives. The spirits of these lost explorers roam the ground around the Superstition Mountains. Cheated, lost and cursed by their frustrated quest for riches and luxury, they add to the air of dread and misery that resulted in their deaths.

(Blackman, W. Haden. 'The Field Guide to North American Hauntings.' Three Rivers Press, New York. 1998)