McDowell Mountains At Dusk Time With Cactus In Foreground

The McDowell Mountain Range (

Yavapai The Yavapai are a Native American tribe in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai – literally “people of the sun” (from ''Enyaava'' “sun” + ''Paay'' “people”) – were divided into four geographical bands who identified as separate, i ...

: Wi:kajasa) is located about twenty miles north-east of downtown

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, and may be seen from most places throughout the city. The range is composed of

miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

deposits left nearly five million years ago. The McDowells share borders with the cities of

Fountain Hills Fountain Hills is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Known for its impressive fountain, once the tallest in the world, it borders the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Scottsdale. The ...

, Scottsdale, and

Maricopa County Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about ...

. The city of Scottsdale has made its share of the McDowells a preserve, and has set up a wide trail network in partnership with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy was established in 1991. The highest peak in the McDowells is

East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

, at . This mountain range also serves as a sacred marker to the

Yavapai people The Yavapai are a Native American tribe in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai – literally “people of the sun” (from ''Enyaava'' “sun” + ''Paay'' “people”) – were divided into four geographical bands who identified as separate, i ...

. The boundaries of the range are generally defined by Saddleback Mountain in the South and Granite Mountain as the Northern boundary. The McDowells also comprise popular landmarks such as Pinnacle Peak and Tom's Thumb. Although technically a stand-alone, Mt. McDowell (referred to as Red Mountain by Phoenix residents), not to be confused with McDowell Peak, is sometimes listed on maps as a part of the McDowell Mountains.

Summits

* East End (Arizona) * Thompson Peak (Arizona) * McDowell Peak * Sunrise Peak * Rock Knob

References

* Thompson, C. (2004), ''Valley 101''.

Additional Reading

McDowell Rock – A Climber’s Guide
Erik Filsinger and Cheryl Beaver (2016) 134 pages.

External links

McDowell Mountain Regional Park

Pictures and information about hike to natural spring and petroglyphs in the McDowell Mountains
* {{Authority control Mountain ranges of the Sonoran Desert Mountain ranges of Maricopa County, Arizona Mountain ranges of Arizona