Tag: mountains
Face in the Rocks Along Tom’s Thumb Trail, McDowell Mountains
Tom’s Thumb Trail, on the north side of the McDowell Mountains, is dotted with curious rock formations, especially this particular boulder bearing a striking resemblance to one of Snow White’s seven dwarfs. Could this be Tom? Perhaps. The figure appears near one of the final bends leading to the summit (aka Tom’s Thumb). What do you ...History, Theories Surrounding the Lost Dutchman Mine
Arizona's most notorious lost treasure story for both believers and otherwise takes place in the mysterious Superstition Mountains. The rugged range of mountains east of the Salt River Valley encompasses some of the most breathtaking, untouched wilderness recesses in America. There is also an aura of mystical beauty that can possess the soul. They are regarded ...Picacho Peak is Destination for Avid Hikers, Civil War Buffs
About 40 miles north of Tucson, Picacho Peak abruptly rises 1,500 feet above the flat desert landscape typical to many other parts of Southern Arizona. It's among the most prominent landmarks along the highly traveled stretch of Interstate 10 connecting Tucson and Phoenix. Thousands of drivers pass by the ominous peak daily; most unaware of the ...South Mountain Preserve is Hub for Hikers, Cyclists
South Mountain Preserve, one of the nation’s largest municipal parks, offers outdoor enthusiasts a quick and easy escape from the daily grind. It boasts 16,000 acres of desert wilderness, just a short 10-minute drive from downtown Phoenix. The preserve encompasses three mountain ranges: Ma Ha Tauk, Gila and Guadalupe. It’s believed the ancient Hohokam Indians settled ...Geronimo’s Face In the Rocks
Geronimo, the fierce Apache chief, is depicted in may ways both in Arizona and around the nation. His image is on everything from T-shirts to books about the Wild Wild West. But none is more enduring than his image in the Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona. It's made of rocks. The face is a profile ...Weaver’s Needle and the Deadly Gold of the Superstitions
Since 1870, when stories about the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstition Mountains became a standard item in Arizona folklore, some 40 people have either disappeared or been found dead in and around the suspected location of the mine. The stories about the fabulously wealthy cache of gold supposedly hidden in the mountains are many ...Kofa Mountains Weren’t Always the “Kofa Mountains”
Q: What happened to the SH Mountains? I can’t find them on any maps anymore. A: Nothing happened to them. It’s not like they disappeared or something. It’s just that over the years they got renamed, and rightly so. They are now known as the Kofa Mountains, located about 70 miles northeast of Yuma. The SH Mountains ...McDowell Mountains Aren’t Blast from the Past
Q: I have a nice view of the McDowell Mountains. Sometimes they look like a mountain range, and sometimes, in certain light, they look like a group of individual volcanic cones. Which are they? A: I have in my pile a fair number of volcano questions that have come in over the months. I never ...
Why Does Downtown Phoenix Seem to Have Two Downtowns?
The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax