Pusch Ridge is the most prominent feature in the

Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area is a 56,430 acre (228.36 km2) wilderness area. It is located within the Coronado National Forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Established in 1978, the area varies grea ...

of the

Santa Catalina Mountains The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains or the Catalinas, are north and northeast of Tucson in Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, w ...

, managed by the

Coronado National Forest The Coronado National Forest is a United States National Forest that includes an area of about 1.78 million acres (7,200 km2) spread throughout mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. It is located in parts of ...

north of

Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

History

Pusch Ridge was named after pioneer George Pusch (1847–1921), who came to Arizona from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in the 1870s, and established the Steam Pump Ranch on the

Cañada del Oro The Cañada del Oro (Spanish, 'Canyon of Gold'), is a primary watershed channel in Oro Valley, Arizona, U.S. The Cañada del Oro originates in the remote Cañon del Oro in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, fed by rainfall and melt ...

near the base of the ridge in 1874 in what is now the town of

Oro Valley Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, United States, in Pima County. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town is 47,070, an increase from 29,700 in 2000. Dubbed the "Upscale Tech ...

. Steam Pump Ranch was one of the largest cattle ranches in the

Territory of Arizona The Territory of Arizona, commonly known as the Arizona Territory, was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the ...

. George Pusch also served as a state legislator and one of the delegates to the original Arizona Constitutional Convention in 1910.

Peaks

Pusch Ridge is primarily made up of three distinct peaks, including (from southwest to northeast in orientation) Pusch Peak, Bighorn Mountain, and Table Mountain. Pusch Peak is the westernmost point in the Santa Catalina Mountains, and rises in elevation over to a peak elevation of . Bighorn Mountain rises to an elevation about at the summit. Table Mountain rises in elevation to . A minor peak, known as The Cleaver, is located between Pusch Peak and Bighorn Mountain, rising to a summit of about .

Wildlife and environment

Pusch Ridge was home to one of the last populations of

Desert Bighorn Sheep The desert bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis nelsoni'') is a subspecies of bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') that is native to the deserts of the United States' intermountain west and southwestern regions, as well as northwestern Mexico. The ...

in Arizona, none have been observed since 2005. In a controversial effort to re-establish the Bighorn Sheep population, on November 18, 2013, thirty-one Bighorns were released by Arizona Game and Fish officers near Pusch Ridge, the first in a series of three planned releases totaling about 100 animals over the next two years. Pusch Ridge is noted for dramatic ridges, deep canyons, and extensive biodiversity in elevation changes. Pusch Ridge also provides sweeping views of

to the west, and Tucson to the south. On June 5, 2020, prior to midnight a thunderstorm produced lightning that ignited a brush fire on the Bighorn Peak burning approximately 40 acres within 12 hours. Helicopters were deployed to drop water on the fire. The

Bighorn Fire The Bighorn Fire was a wildfire in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona. It burned until it was finally put out on July 23, 2020. A lightning strike from a storm at 9:46 PM on June 5, 2020 caused the fire. The fire was named a ...

continued to spread through the Catalinas and ended up becoming one of the largest wildfires in Arizona history.

Trailhead

The Pusch Ridge Trailhead is located within the town of Oro Valley, accessed from East Linda Vista Boulevard just east of North Oracle Road (State Route 77) (formerly U.S. 89), six miles north of Tucson. Restrictions on hiking Pusch Ridge apply during certain times due to the potential impact on the breeding activities of the Bighorn Sheep in the area.

References

External links

"Coronado National Forest"

"Pusch Wilderness"
U.S. Forest Service. {{Mountains of Arizona Ridges of Arizona Santa Catalina Mountains Landforms of Pima County, Arizona