Dome Rock Mountains

Last updated
Dome Rock Mountains
Dome Rock Mountains
Highest point
PeakCunningham Mountain
Elevation 3,314 ft (1,010 m)
Coordinates 33°34′12″N114°20′59″W / 33.57003°N 114.34967°W / 33.57003; -114.34967
Dimensions
Length30 mi (48 km)N-S-(NW-SE)
Width8 mi (13 km)
Geography
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
Region Sonoran Desert–(northwestern)
Range coordinates 33°41′N114°20′W / 33.69°N 114.34°W / 33.69; -114.34
Borders on La Posa Plain-E
Plomosa Mountains-E
(Trigo Mountains-SW)
Topo map USGS  Blythe

The Dome Rock Mountains are a mountain range in southern La Paz County, Arizona. The range borders the Colorado River on the west and the Colorado River Indian Reservation on the northwest located in the Lower Colorado River Valley. Quartzsite, Arizona lies on the eastern foothills of the range.

Contents

The Dome Rock Mountains are on the southwest of the regional Maria fold and thrust belt.

Range summary

The Dome Rock Mountains are a north-south trending range about 30 miles (48 km) long. The Palo Verde Valley borders the range on the west, adjacent to the Colorado River. Interstate 10 bisects the range connecting Ehrenberg on the Colorado River with Quartzsite to the east of the mountains. Quartzsite lies on the western edge of the La Posa Plain which drains the western Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The Tyson Wash drainage flows north at the western perimeter of the La Posa Plain and turns westwards at the north end of the Dome Rock Mountains to meet the Colorado River region. [1]

Cunningham Mountain at 3,314 feet (1,010 m) is the highest peak of the Dome Rock Mountains and is located about 6 miles (10 km) south of Interstate 10. In the north Middle Camp Mountain rises to 2,515 feet (767 m) about 2 miles (3 km) north of I-10. Numerous mines and dry washes are located in the range. The western mountain washes drain to the Colorado River, and the eastern washes drain into the La Posa Plain and the north-flowing Tyson Wash. [1]

Dome Rock Mountains access

The northern portion of the mountains can be accessed from the west via Arizona State Route 95; from the east through the Colorado River Indian Reservation, and I 10.

Quartzsite is in the east center of the range and provides numerous access points. Ehrenberg to the west provides access to areas of the western mountain flank.

Graves found

Miners' graves and a cabin have been found near the Yellow Dog Mine. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Paz County, Arizona</span> County in the United States

La Paz County is the 15th county in the U.S. state of Arizona, located in the western part of the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,557, making it the second-least populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Parker. The name of the county is the Spanish word for "the peace", and is taken from the early settlement of La Paz along the Colorado River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quartzsite, Arizona</span> Town in La Paz County, Arizona, US

Quartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,413.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohave Valley</span> Landform along the Colorado River in Arizona

The Mohave Valley is a valley located mostly on the east shore of the south-flowing Colorado River in northwest Arizona. The valley extends into California's San Bernardino County; the northern side of the valley extends into extreme southeast Clark County, Nevada. The main part of the valley lies in southwest Mohave County, Arizona and is at the intersection of the southeast Mojave and northwest Sonoran deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Posa Plain</span> Landform in western Arizona, United States

The La Posa Plain is a wide, generally flat plain in western Arizona near the Colorado River and is on the west and northwest border of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The plain lies to the east of the Colorado River Indian Reservation and east of the Dome Rock and Trigo Mountains. Quartzsite, Arizona, lies on the western part of the plain, which crosses both Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 95.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 95 in Arizona</span> Section of United States Numbered Highway in Arizona

U.S. Route 95 (US 95) is a major U.S. Highway in the American state of Arizona. Starting at the Mexican border in San Luis, US 95 acts as the main highway north through Gadsden, Somerton and Yuma before arriving in Quartzsite. Between Quartzsite and the California border on the Colorado River in Ehrenberg, US 95 runs entirely concurrent with I-10. Part of US 95 between San Luis and Yuma is maintained by local governments instead of the Arizona Department of Transportation, which maintains the remainder of the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kofa National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in Arizona

The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is located in Arizona in the southwestern United States, northeast of Yuma and southeast of Quartzsite. The refuge, established in 1939 to protect desert bighorn sheep, encompasses over 665,400 acres (2,693 km2) of the Yuma Desert region of the Sonoran Desert. Broad, gently sloping foothills as well as the sharp, needlepoint peaks of the Kofa Mountains are found in the rugged refuge. The small, widely scattered waterholes attract a surprising number of water birds for a desert area. A wide variety of plant life is also found throughout the refuge. Kofa Wilderness takes up 547,719 acres of the refuge, making it the second largest wilderness area in Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kofa Mountains</span> Landform in Southern Arizona

The Kofa Mountains of Yuma and La Paz counties in Arizona is the central mountain range of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The range lies about 60 miles northeast of Yuma in the southwestern part of the state. Kofa Wilderness takes up 547,719 acres of the refuge, making it the second largest wilderness area in Arizona. The equally extensive Castle Dome Mountains comprise the southern refuge border; the western end of the Tank Mountains are in the southeast of the wildlife refuge, and the New Water Wilderness in the New Water Mountains ends the extension of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge to the north. Scenic "King Valley" is south of the Kofa Mountains between the Castle Dome Mountains.

The Copper Mountains is a minor north–south trending mountain range, only 8 miles long in southwestern Arizona in the southwestern Sonoran Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Water Mountains</span> Landform in La Paz County, Arizona

The New Water Mountains is a mountain range in southwestern Arizona. The range is on the northern border of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge as well as the northern Kofa Mountains.

The Tank Mountains are a mountain range in the Sonoran Desert of southwest Arizona; the range is part of the southeastern border of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.

Mohawk is a populated place in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bouse Wash</span> Dry wash in La Paz County, Arizona

Bouse Wash is one of the larger eastern-bank dry washes that enter the Colorado River in the Lower Colorado River Valley. It is located in La Paz County, extreme western Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parker Valley</span> Landform within the Lower Colorado River Valley

The Parker Valley is located along the Lower Colorado River within the Lower Colorado River Valley region, in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyson Wash</span> Dry wash in southwest Arizona

Tyson Wash is one of the larger eastern-bank dry washes that enter the Colorado River in western Arizona. It drains the La Posa Plain south-to-north and is also coincident with the Plain's southern two thirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plomosa Mountains</span> Landform in La Paz County, Arizona

The Plomosa Mountains are a mountain range in La Paz County, Arizona, running generally south of Bouse, Arizona near the Arizona/California border. Quartzsite lies to the west across the La Posa Plain. The Harcuvar Mountains and Little Harquahala Mountains lie to the east across the Ranegras Plain. The New Water Mountains lie to the southeast beyond Black Mesa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laguna Mountains (Arizona)</span> Landform in Yuma County, Arizona

The Laguna Mountains are a small, approximately circular mountain range of extreme southwest Arizona northeast of Yuma and east of Winterhaven, California on the Colorado River. The Colorado forms the western perimeter of the mountains; Mittry Lake, on the Colorado is on its northwest.

The Little Harquahala Mountains are a small, arid, low-elevation mountain range of western-central Arizona, in southeastern La Paz County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesquite Mountains (Arizona)</span> Landform in La Paz County, Arizona

The Mesquite Mountains (Arizona) are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Arizona. They are located along the east side of Parker Valley in the Lower Colorado River Valley is a small, lower elevation 13-mi (21 km) long mildly arced-shaped mountain range.

References

  1. 1 2 Arizona Atlas & Gazetteer, Delorme, 4th ed. 2002, pp. 46 and 54, ISBN   0-89933-325-7
  2. Block, Kathy (December 23, 2012). "Four Gravesites Near Quartzsite, Arizona". American Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project. Neal Du Shane.