Health Care

Several health-related projects are in the planning stages for the Apache Junction/East Mesa area. Banner Hospitals and Advanced Cardiac Specialists are looking to expand into the area. This opportunity will provide a more solid job base in the area, along with increased opportunity for health care closer to home. These are in addition to the many existing health and medical care facilities close at hand within the Superstition Mountain communities, including –

• Banner Baywood Hospitals/ Medical Centers
• Physical therapy
• Cardiac specialists
• Chiropractic
• Long-term and Alzheimer’s care
• Drug services • Professional registry
• Hospice
• Urgent care• Imaging
• Doctors• Oncology
• Dentists
• Homeopathic practitioners

Education

The Apache Junction/Gold Canyon area prides itself on the great educational opportunities available to residents. Opportunities from public school to charter and private, Montessori to Christian, and pre-school to college are available.
• Apache Junction Unified School District• Central Arizona College• Excaliber Charter School• Apache Trail High School

Apache Junction Unified School District
Gregory A. Wyman, PhD, Superintendent

Apache Junction Unified School District 43 (AJUSD) is the gateway to the Superstition Mountains! AJUSD has a proud, 54-year tradition of excellence in education and continues to provide an outstanding educational experience. The district’s vision statement – Arizona’s first choice in education . . . Every student, diploma in hand, prepare to contribute to our world – provides a foundation for the community’s belief in its children.

A cornerstone of the district’s vision is their commitment to a positive home, school and community partnership. The partnership is committed to the development and implementation of effective educational programs that provide students with a comprehensive curriculum and education. This commitment has fostered a community and school district that preserves family and small town values. In addition, the district has placed a strong emphasis on teaching the fundamentals using innovative teaching strategies and interventions, and is always exploring and implementing technologies to facilitate student success.

District students, staff, and programs have been recognized locally, statewide and nationally. Athletic and fine arts students are competitive on a state and national level. Two schools in the district have been recognized by PC Magazine as top technology schools. District schools receive high ratings as part of national and state accountability programs.

The district remains committed to creating and maintaining a vibrant and strong school system as it faces substantial student growth over the next decade. The district will meet the needs of students and families and preserve the values that have served the district for the past 54 years and is firm in the belief that all children can meet their potential.

Central Arizona College

The Superstition Mountain Campus of Central Arizona College services over 1200 students of all ages in diverse programs, striving to meet the educational needs of Apache Junction/Gold Canyon residents.

Creating a dynamic environment for learner success, Central Arizona College values the power of innovation, continuous quality improvement and the contribution of the individual. It develops and manages flexible, quality course and program offerings.

Supporting the success of every Pinal County high school graduate, CAC offers Promise for the Future. A program which offers free college tuition. Every Pinal County student in the eighth grade is offered the opportunity to enter a contract with CAC. The student promises to complete high school with a 2.75 grade point average or better. In exchange, CAC will provide two years of tuition-free education if the student enrolls in 12 credit hours and maintains a 2.4 GPA. Residents are encouraged to pursue this offer by calling (520) 494-5020 or go to Promise for the Future at www.centralaz.edu/foundation.

Central Arizona College also supports lifelong learning opportunities by offering over 150 non-credit classes per year for adults through the C.A.L.L. ) Central Arizona Lifelong Learners) program. For more information or to receive the current catalog of non-credit, low cost, short-term interest classes, call Vera Walters at (480) 677-7707. C.A.L.L publishes three catalogs a year which can be found at the chamber or the CAC campus at 273 Old West Highway or at www.centralaz.edu/call

Outdoor Activities

The communities of Apache Junction and Gold Canyon offer an unbelievable variety of outdoor activities. With over 320 days of sunshine a year, visitors can golf, bike, jog, hike, horseback ride, boat, or explore the Superstition Mountain wilderness – our backyard.

With near-perfect weather you can enjoy the outdoors year-round. With over a dozen golf courses to choose from, visitors can play golf at not one, but two of the top-five-rated public courses in Arizona.

Canyon Lake is only minutes away and offers all forms of water sports – boating, fishing, sailing, skiing, and even an authentic steamboat ride.
The Superstition Mountains provide the opportunities of a lifetime. Horseback riding tours, hot air balloon rides, helicopter tours, Jeep tours, hiking treks, mountain biking, and off-road excursions await the outdoor enthusiast.

The Lost Dutchman Marathon is run annually through the countryside and the streets of the community and has been voted one of the top ten small marathons in the country.

One of the most spectacular trips is up the historic Apache Trail. You’ll see breathtaking canyons and mountain vistas, towering saguaro cacti, desert wildflowers in the spring, and wildlife of all kinds. You can visit prehistoric Indian ruins, pan for gold, tour one of 50 old mines, ride a Narrow Gauge Railroad, and visit Tortilla Flat, an old stagecoach stop with a population of six.

Complete your outdoor wilderness experience and enjoy a horseback campout complete with breakfast and dinner cookouts.

Parks and Recreation

In addition to our mountain activities, the City of Apache Junction boasts one of the best-rated Parks and Recreation Departments in Arizona. With a full schedule of activities for adults and children, the department oversees multiple public parks, a state-of-the-art aquatic center, multiple sports fields, a skate park, and riding parks. For more information, call (480) 983-2181.
• Prospector Park• Lost Dutchman State Park• Swimming pool and water park• Skate Park• Dinosaur Mountain Park in Gold Canyon• Rodeo Arena and Event Center

Golf

Gold Canyon, Superstition Mountain, and the City of Apache Junction are home to some of Arizona’s premier golf courses. The area recently became home to the Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. With two Jack Nicholas courses, it hosted the Countrywide Seniors Golf event in 2002, and a LPGA Tournament in 2005.

• Apache Creek Golf Club
• Mountain Brook Golf Course
• Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club
• Dinosaur Mountain at Gold Canyon Golf Resort
• Sidewinder at Gold Canyon Golf Resort
• Augusta Ranch Golf Club

Promises and Progress

The Superstition Mountain region continues to prosper, attracting the investment and interest of longtime and emerging industries.

Environmentally Sound Mining

The Resolution Copper Project, just three miles east of nearby Superior, is exploring and developing world-class ore deposits and a 21st-century mining operation employing state-of-the-art, environmentally sound techniques. Without open pits, waste rock or on-site smelting, this venture by Resolution Copper brings the prospect of nearly 1,000 construction and 400 high-quality technical jobs – a tremendous boost to our local economies. A proud member of the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce, Resolution Copper strives to be a model of economic development and environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.resolutioncopper.com.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport

Formerly known as Williams Gateway Airport, this retired Air Force base 15 miles west of Apache Junction now hosts 35 aviation companies including the 13-city-destination Allegiant and Vision Airlines. Intended as a reliever airport for the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, it boast three extensive runways, a newly remodeled passenger terminal; and lodging, golf, shopping and entertainment facilities are being added. Major employers are Boeing Company, Volaeris Aviation, SERCO Management Services and Silver State Helicopter Charters; while ASU Polytechnic, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and Chandler-Gilbert Community College all have facilities on-site. The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport continues to expand as a major employer and influence.

Health Care Advances

As the U.S. population ages, a large number of seniors are choosing to make their homes in the Apache Junction/Superstition Mountain communities. To insure the best of health care for these retirees and our children and residents, new hospitals and other facilities continue to be erected.
Mountain Vista Medical Center, opened in 2007, is a full-service hospital located on Highway 60 and Crismon in nearby East Mesa. It offers our community an additional 30-bed emergency room, 178 private rooms, and nearly 300 physicians. With the world-famous, 23-facility Banner Health Medical Centers and Hospitals serving the Phoenix metropolitan area (locally the Banner Baywood facility also in East Mesa), Apache Junction residents are very well-served.

The local campus of Central Arizona Community College has added medical imaging and diagnostics to its current curriculum – adding to their existing programs of nursing, medical aides, medical transcription, and medical office management.

From traditional to holistic practices, the Apache Junction/Superstition Mountain area continues to offer a wide selection of medical, dental, chiropractic, and other forms of health care – many of them listed in this directory.

Superstition Mountain Museum

The museum highlights the history and mystery of the Superstition Mountains, desert wildlife, military, Indians, pottery and artifacts, ranching, plus maps and details of the Dutchman’s lost gold. It is enjoyed by people of all ages.

The museum is also known for the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel (the chapel utilized in the Elvis Presley movie Charro), and the Apache Land Barn. Visitors enjoy the museum, walking the grounds, and its fantastic view of the Superstition Mountains.

Hours are 9 am to 4 pm daily, seven days a week except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Admission is $5 adults / $4 seniors 55 & up / $2 children 6 through 17 / free to children 5 and under

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