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| Redington Pass | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 1,310 m (4,298 ft) |
| Location | (eastern)-Sonoran Desert Madrean Sky Islands Pima County, Arizona, United States |
| Range | Santa Catalina Mountains-N & NW Rincon Mountains-S |
| Coordinates | 32°18′27″N110°36′00″W / 32.3075°N 110.6°W |
Redington Pass (el. 1310 m./4300 ft.) is a high mountain pass between the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Rincons in northeast Pima County, Arizona. It is located just east of Tucson. Historically, it was the connection between the farming and ranching areas of Redington along the San Pedro River on the east side of the pass and Tucson on the west side.
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migration throughout Earth's history. At lower elevations it may be called a hill pass. The highest vehicle-accessible pass in the world appears to be Mana Pass, located in the Himalayas on the border between India and Tibet, China.
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 180 inches (460 cm) of snow annually.
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.
The road through Redington Pass is unpaved and the area throughout the pass is a favorite of mountain bikers and all-terrain vehicle riders. The area was also frequented by firearms enthusiasts, as the region contained three unofficial shooting range areas. As of 2013 these unofficial shooting ranges have been shut down [1] by federal officials due to litter and noise pollution. [2] The west side of the pass near Tanque Verde Falls affords views overlooking the east side of the city of Tucson, spread out across the Sonoran Desert floor below.
Tanque Verde Falls are a series of waterfalls in Tanque Verde Canyon east of Tanque Verde, Arizona and Tucson, Arizona. Tanque Verde Ridge of the Rincon Mountains lies to the south and Agua Caleinte Hill to the north. The falls lie south of Redington Road which connects the Tucson Valley to the southwest with the San Pedro River valley to the east.
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which covers large parts of the Southwestern United States in Arizona and California and of Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is the hottest desert in Mexico. It has an area of 260,000 square kilometers (100,000 sq mi). The western portion of the United States–Mexico border passes through the Sonoran Desert.
