Browns Peak | |
---|---|
Yavapai: Wikopa | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 7,659 ft (2,334 m) NAVD 88 [1] |
Prominence | 3,297 ft (1,005 m) [2] |
Listing | Arizona county high point [3] |
Coordinates | 33°41′04″N 111°19′32″W / 33.684357033°N 111.325686994°W [1] |
Geography | |
Location | Gila / Maricopa counties, Arizona, U.S. |
Parent range | Mazatzal Mountains |
Topo map | USGS Four Peaks |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Exposed scramble, class 3 |
Four Peaks ( Yavapai: Wi:khoba [4]) is a prominent landmark on the eastern skyline of Phoenix. Part of the Mazatzal Mountains, it is located in the Four Peaks Wilderness [5] in the Tonto National Forest, 40 miles (64 km) east-northeast of Phoenix. In winter, Four Peaks offers much of the Phoenix metro area a view of snow-covered peaks. Four Peaks is the site of an amethyst mine that produces top-grade amethyst.
The name Four Peaks is a reference to the four distinct peaks of a north–south ridge forming the massif's summit. The northernmost peak is named Brown's Peak and is the tallest of the four at 7,659 feet (2,334 m). [1] It is the highest point in Maricopa County. The remaining summits have no official names, and from north to south are 7,644 feet (2,330 m), [6] 7,574 feet (2,309 m) [7] and 7,526 feet (2,294 m) [8] in elevation.
The Four Peaks Wilderness, established in 1984, covers 60,740 acres of land. It is home to a diverse variety of plants and animals due to the quick change of elevation in the range. [9] Brown's Trail, found in the Four Peaks Wilderness, is used to reach the tallest peak and is home to black bears, ring-tailed cats, skunks, and coyotes. [10] The Four Peaks Wilderness contains a section of the Arizona Trail, [11] which is considered one of the most difficult passages, as it is infrequently maintained. [12] On April 27, 1996, a party of two campers left a campfire unattended near Lone Pine Saddle. This caused the Lone Fire which burned over 61,000 acres and lasted 11 days. [13] The Lone fire was Arizona's largest recorded wildfire prior to the Rodeo–Chediski Fire in 2002.
Media related to Four Peaks at Wikimedia Commons