Apr 22 2024
Eagle Mesa Eagle Mesa Eagle Mesa rises above the desert of southeastern Utah as one of the striking sandstone landmarks associated with Monument Valley. Located in San Juan County on Navajo Nation land, the broad, steep-sided mesa reaches 6,595 feet (2,010 meters) and stands nearly 900 feet prominently above its surroundings. Although the famous Mitten …
Apr 22 2024
Mitchell Mesa Mitchell Mesa Rising above the red-rock desert of Monument Valley, Mitchell Mesa is one of the great sandstone landmarks of the American Southwest. The broad, flat-topped formation stands just south of the Monument Valley visitor center in northeastern Arizona, where its sheer walls and layered slopes form part of one of the most …
Apr 22 2024
Mummy Mountain Rising from the center of Paradise Valley, between Phoenix and Scottsdale, Mummy Mountain is one of the most distinctive urban mountains in central Arizona. Its rugged ridgeline reaches 2,255 feet (687 meters) and towers above neighborhoods, resorts, and the broad expanse of the Salt River Valley. Although considerably lower than many of Arizona’s …
Apr 22 2024
Piestewa Peak Rising abruptly above central Phoenix, Piestewa Peak is one of the most recognizable summits in Arizona’s Valley of the Sun. The rugged desert mountain reaches about 2,606 feet above sea level and forms a dramatic centerpiece of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, where steep slopes, rocky ridges, saguaros, and sweeping urban views create one …
Apr 21 2024
Meridian Butte Rising above the high-desert country of northeastern Arizona, Meridian Butte is a prominent landform in the Monument Valley region of the Navajo Nation. Its isolated position, steep sides, and broad desert surroundings give it the commanding presence typical of the mesas and buttes that make this part of the Colorado Plateau one of …
Apr 21 2024
Hunts Mesa Rising above the southeastern side of Monument Valley, Hunts Mesa offers one of the most extraordinary high-desert panoramas in the American Southwest. From its broad sandstone rim, the famous buttes, mesas, and towers of Monument Valley spread across the horizon, often glowing deep orange and red at sunrise and sunset. Hunts Mesa lies …
Apr 14 2024
Mount Hopkins Rising above the desert grasslands of southern Arizona, Mount Hopkins is one of the defining summits of the Santa Rita Mountains and one of the most unusual peaks in the state. The mountain combines classic southeastern Arizona “Sky Island” scenery with something hikers rarely encounter on a major summit: a world-class astronomical research …
Apr 12 2024
Baboquivari Peak Rising abruptly above the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, Baboquivari Peak is one of the most distinctive mountains in the American Southwest. Its steep-sided summit reaches 7,734 feet (2,357 meters) in the Baboquivari Mountains southwest of Tucson, while more than 4,000 feet of topographic prominence gives the peak a commanding presence far beyond …
Apr 12 2024
Mundo Perdido Rising along the rugged spine of southern Arizona’s Baboquivari Mountains, Mundo Perdido is a remote 7,111-foot summit whose Spanish name translates to “Lost World.” The name feels fitting. Steep ridges, rocky notches, brush-filled gullies, and the vast desert country surrounding the mountain give Mundo Perdido a distinctly isolated character. The peak stands north-northeast …
Apr 12 2024
Kitt Peak Rising above the Sonoran Desert southwest of Tucson, Kitt Peak is one of Arizona’s most distinctive mountains—not because of towering cliffs or an isolated alpine summit, but because its skyline is crowned by one of the world’s great collections of astronomical observatories. The 6,880-foot peak stands in the Quinlan Mountains on the lands …
