Pinal Peak, located in southern Gila County, Arizona, is the highest point in the Pinal Mountains, with an elevation of . It is the highest point of land located in between the

Salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...

and Gila rivers in Arizona before they merge, making it visible from miles away on a clear day. The peak ranks as the 11th most prominent in Arizona and has a

topographic isolation The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and islands as well as for major moun ...

of , with the nearest point of land of equal or greater elevation being to the southeast in the Santa Teresa Mountains. Pinal Peak is slightly east of the approximate center of the Pinal Mountains. Despite being the most prominent peak in Gila County, it is not the highest point in the county. That title goes to Myrtle Point with an elevation between , which lies atop the edge of the Mogollon Rim which forms the county line with Coconino County. The nearest population is in the

Globe A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model glo ...

/ Miami, Arizona area, just a few miles north of the range and peak.

History

The areas around the Pinal Mountains has been populated by Native Americans since the 12th century, and were an important resource for them. The Besh-Ba-Gowah ruins are located in the foothills of the Pinal Mountains. In the late 17th century the mountains were scouted by Spanish explorers who gave it its modern name. They translated the native Apache and Yavapai terms for the mountains as ''"Pinal"'' or Pine Mountains. Later still, in the mid-19th century, the U.S. Army scouted the mountains, and used Signal Peak as a heliograph station, which is how that peak got its name. Today there are

radio masts and towers Radio masts and towers are typically tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. There are two main types: guyed and self-supporting structures. They are among the tallest human-mad ...

on both Pinal and Signal Peaks.

Recreation

Several maintained dirt roads lead to the peak, and at least two of eight hiking trails in the mountains connect to the summit. The Upper Pinal Campground, located on the shallow saddle between Pinal and Signal Peaks, is open from May to November. The

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

maintains the recreational facilities in the mountains, which are inside the Tonto National Forest.

References

External links

*
Official 7.5 minute quadrangle USGS topographic survey map of the Pinal Mountains
. Elevation listed for Pinal Peak as 7,848 ft by the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

. {{Mountains of Arizona Landforms of Gila County, Arizona Mountains of Arizona Mountains of Gila County, Arizona