The Sierrita Mountains (''English:'' "Little Mountains") is a minor
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
about forty miles southwest of
Tucson, in
Pima County,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. Historically, the area has seen extensive mining and ranching activity: several ranches, abandoned mines, and the large
Sierrita Mine are located in the area. The highest point in the mountains is Keystone Peak, which rises to .
The
Santa Cruz Valley
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
bounds the range to the east separating it from the
Santa Rita Mountains. The west margin of the range is the broad
Altar Valley. To the southwest the Sierritas merge with the
Cerro Colorado Mountains
The Cerro Colorado Mountains are a low mountain range in southern Pima County, Arizona, USA. The highest point of the range is Colorado Peak (). The range consists of a NNW–SSE trending ridge with several shorter ridges extending off the main ...
and the
Penitas Hills. The
Tumacacori Mountains
The Tumacacori Mountains is a mountain range in Santa Cruz and Pima counties in southern Arizona, United States. The highest peak in the range is an unnamed summit with an elevation of .
Tumacacori Highlands
The Tumacacori Highlands is a series ...
of
Santa Cruz County lie to the southeast.
[''Arizona Atlas and Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 4th ed., 2001, pp. 72–73 ]
Gallery
File:Corona de Tucson, Sierrita view.jpg, The Sierritas from Corona de Tucson
Corona de Tucson is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 9,240 at the 2020 census, an increase of 1036% from the 2000 population of 813.
ZIP code 85641 is shared by Corona de Tucson and V ...
.
File:Sierrita Mountains From East 2013.jpg, View of the Sierritas from the Santa Rita Experimental Range
The Santa Rita Experimental Range and Wildlife Area is the longest continuously active rangeland research facility and among the five oldest biological field stations in the United States. Located south of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, the 52, ...
.
See also
*
Copper mining in Arizona
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sierrita Mountains
Mountain ranges of Pima County, Arizona
Mountain ranges of the Sonoran Desert
Mountain ranges of Arizona