Pusch Ridge | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Pusch Peak |
Elevation | 5,366 ft (1,636 m) NAVD 88 [1] |
Prominence | 841 ft (256 m) [2] |
Coordinates | 32°22′19″N110°56′21″W / 32.372007619°N 110.9390967°W Coordinates: 32°22′19″N110°56′21″W / 32.372007619°N 110.9390967°W [1] |
Geography | |
Location | Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, U.S. |
Parent range | Santa Catalina Mountains |
Topo map | USGS Tucson North |
Pusch Ridge is the most prominent feature in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area of the Santa Catalina Mountains, managed by the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, in the United States.
Pusch Ridge was named after pioneer George Pusch (1847–1921), who came to Arizona from Germany in the 1870s, and established the Steam Pump Ranch on the Cañada del Oro near the base of the ridge in 1874 in what is now the town of Oro Valley. Steam Pump Ranch was one of the largest cattle ranches in the Territory of Arizona. George Pusch also served as a state legislator and one of the delegates to the original Arizona Constitutional Convention in 1910. [3]
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 2,000 feet (610 m) to a peak elevation of 5,366 feet (1,636 m). [1] Bighorn Mountain rises to an elevation about 5,662 feet (1,726 m) at the summit. [4] Table Mountain rises in elevation to 6,265 feet (1,910 m). [5] A minor peak, known as The Cleaver, is located between Pusch Peak and Bighorn Mountain, rising to a summit of about 4,912 feet (1,497 m). [6]
Pusch Ridge was home to one of the last populations of Desert Bighorn Sheep 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. [7] Pusch Ridge is noted for dramatic ridges, deep canyons, and extensive biodiversity in elevation changes. Pusch Ridge also provides sweeping views of Oro Valley 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 continued to spread through the Catalinas and ended up becoming one of the largest wildfires in Arizona history. [8]
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.
Scouting in Arizona has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.
Catalina Foothills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Situated in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Catalina Foothills had a population of 50,796 at the 2010 census. Catalina Foothills is one of the most affluent communities in Arizona and in the U.S., with the 6th highest per capita income in Arizona, and the 14th highest per capita income in the U.S. of communities with a population of at least 50,000. The Catalina Foothills community includes some of Arizona's most expensive homes and land, and has the highest median property value. It also includes resorts, golf courses, and spas.
Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located 6 miles (9.7 km) 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 Mecca" of Southern Arizona by the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, Oro Valley is home to over 10 high tech firms and has a median household income nearly 50% higher than the U.S. median. The town is located approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast of the state capital of Phoenix.
The Bighorn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 mi (320 km) northward on the Great Plains. They are separated from the Absaroka Range, which lie on the main branch of the Rockies to the west, by the Bighorn Basin. Much of the land is contained within the Bighorn National Forest.
Mount Graham is a mountain in Graham County, Arizona, United States, approximately 70 miles (110 km) northeast of Tucson. The mountain reaches 10,724 feet (3,269 m) in height. It is the highest elevation in Graham County, Coronado National Forest and the Pinaleño Mountains. It is also the southernmost peak and land area in the continental United States above 10,000 feet (3,048 m). As the name "Mount Graham" is often used by locals to refer to the entire mountain range, the peak itself is frequently referred to as "High Peak". It is twentieth of the 57 ultra prominent peaks of the lower 48 states, and the first of the five in Arizona.
The Chiricahua Mountains massif is a large mountain range in southeastern Arizona which is part of the Basin and Range province of the west and southwestern United States and northwest Mexico; the range is part of the Coronado National Forest. The highest point, Chiricahua Peak, rises 9,759 feet (2,975 m) above sea level, approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above the surrounding valleys. The range takes its name from the Chiricahua Apaches native to the region.
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km (26 mi) from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast. The highest point in the range, and the highest point in the Tucson area, is Mount Wrightson, with an elevation of 9,453 feet, The range contains Madera Canyon, one of the world's premier birding areas. The Smithsonian Institution's Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is located on Mount Hopkins. The range is one of the Madrean sky islands.
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.
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, with the highest average elevation. The highest point in the Catalinas is Mount Lemmon at an elevation of 9,157 feet (2,791 m) above sea level and receives 18 inches (46 cm) of precipitation annually.
Mount Lemmon, with a summit elevation of 9,159 feet (2,792 m), is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is located in the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Mount Lemmon was named for botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon, who trekked to the top of the mountain with her husband and E. O. Stratton, a local rancher, by horse and foot in 1881. Mount Lemmon is also known as Babad Do'ag, or Frog Mountain to the Tohono O'odham.
The Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley. The other ranges include the most prominent, the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north, the Santa Rita Mountains to the south, the Tucson Mountains to the west, and the Tortolita Mountains to the northwest. Redington Pass separates the Rincon Mountains from the Santa Catalina Mountains. The Rincon Mountains are generally less rugged than the Santa Catalina Mountains and Santa Rita Mountains. The Rincon Mountains are also included in the Madrean sky island mountain ranges of southeast Arizona, extreme southwest New Mexico, and northern Sonora Mexico.
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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 greatly in elevation and biodiversity, rising from 2,800 feet to over 9,100 feet in elevation.
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Miller Peak, at 9,470 feet (2,886 m), is the second-highest mountain in Cochise County, Arizona. Located approximately 10 miles south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, it is the highest mountain in the Huachuca mountain range and a popular local hiking destination. The Miller Peak Wilderness encompasses 20,190 acres and is managed by the Coronado National Forest. This is also the most southerly peak and land area to rise above 9,000 feet in the continental United States. The area was affected by the 2011 Monument fire and most of the pine trees seen in older photographs were burned and destroyed. Scrub oak are beginning to replace the areas that were previously covered by pine.
Thimble Peak is a well-known landmark in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona. Thimble Peak rises from the foothills on the south side of the range. To its east is Bear Canyon, while to its west is Sabino Canyon. The peak is in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness on the Coronado National Forest.
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