Santa Catalina Mountains

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Santa Catalina Mountains
Catalinas 5750.jpg
Santa Catalina Mountains seen from the east side of the city of Tucson, Arizona
Highest point
Peak Mount Lemmon,N of Summerhaven
Elevation 9,157 ft (2,791 m)
Coordinates 32°26′35″N110°47′17″W / 32.443°N 110.788°W / 32.443; -110.788
Dimensions
Length18 mi (29 km)E–W
Width14 mi (23 km)
Geography
Santa Catalina Mountains
Location Madrean Sky Islands
CountryUnited States
State Arizona
Regions
Counties
Communities
Geology
Rock ages
Rock type Intrusive igneous rock (granite)

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 (460 mm) of precipitation [1] annually.

Contents

Originally known by the Tohono O'odham Nation as Babad Do'ag, [2] the Catalinas were later named in 1697 by Italian Jesuit priest Eusebio Francisco Kino in honor of St. Catherine who was the patron saint of Kino's oldest sister. [3]

The Catalinas are part of the Santa Catalina Ranger District located in the Coronado National Forest, and also include the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area. The mountain range is considered a prominent range in the Madrean sky islands, and partially delimits the mountain ranges in the northwest of the sky island region; lower elevation bajadas associated with the Santa Cruz River Valley spread northwestwards towards Phoenix.

Catalina Sky Survey (CSS), on Mt. Lemmon, is a project to discover comets and asteroids, and to search for near-Earth objects (NEOs). More specifically, CSS is to search for any potentially hazardous asteroids that may pose a threat of impact. Its southern hemisphere counterpart, the Siding Spring Survey (SSS) was closed in 2013.

The Catalinas are a significant focus of recreational activity, with areas such as Sabino Canyon providing streams and perennial pools for visitors, by road access; Sabino Canyon is also a dayhiking access point. Catalina State Park in the western foothills of the Catalinas attracts visitors for its hiking opportunities and permanent pools in Romero Canyon. The village of Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon serves as a popular summer retreat from the heat of Arizona's lower deserts. Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is also notable as it is the southernmost ski destination in the United States.

Other mountain ranges surrounding the Santa Cruz Valley include the Santa Rita Mountains, the Rincon Mountains, the Tucson Mountains, and the Tortolita Mountains.

Name

The Catalinas were originally named the "Sierra de la Santa Catarina" as depicted on a German map from 1875 [4] or "Santa Catrina Mountains" as in a prior map dating back to 1864. [5] A successive map from 1890 still referred to the Catalinas as the "Santa Catarina Mountains." [6] However, a map from 1895 depicted the range with the name "Santa Catalina." [7] Various maps during the 1880s and 1890s referred to the range as either "Santa Catarina" or "Santa Catalina." [8] However, by 1902 the range was officially designated the "Santa Catalina Mountains," as the United States General Land Office established the Santa Catalina Forest Reserve that year, encompassing 155,520 acres (629 km2) (later to become the Santa Catalina National Forest.) [9] As such, the name of the range apparently morphed into the current "Santa Catalina Mountains" sometime between 1890 and 1902, but each previous version of the name always referred to the namesake St. Catherine.

National Forest

Following the Gadsden Purchase, Americans increasingly moved into the Arizona Territory and focused on the Catalinas in search of gold, silver, and copper beginning in the 1850s. [3] By the late 1880s, residents of southern Arizona desired protection for the Catalinas, and the U.S. Congress authorized the President to designate specific lands around the U.S. to be removed from the public domain under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. [3] As mentioned above, the Santa Catalina Forest Reserve was created on July 2, 1902, and after the National Forest Service was organized in 1905, the reserve became the Santa Catalina National Forest on March 4, 1907. [10] On July 1, 1908, it was combined with two other nearby national forests (Dragoon and Santa Rita) to create the present Coronado National Forest.

Catalina-panorama.jpg
The south side of the Santa Catalina Mountains

Notable sites and areas

Mountains and ridges

Canyons

Other

Miscellaneous facts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalina Foothills, Arizona</span> CDP in Pima County, Arizona

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oro Valley, Arizona</span> Town in Pima County, Arizona

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oracle, Arizona</span> CDP in Pinal County, Arizona

Oracle is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,686 at the 2010 Census, falling to 3,051 at the 2020 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Rita Mountains</span> Landform in Pima and Santa Cruz counties, Arizona

The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 40 miles (60 km) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 26 miles (42 km) 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 (2,881 m), 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronado National Forest</span> Managed forest in southern Arizona and New Mexico

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Canyon</span> Landform in Pima County, Arizona

Bear Canyon, located in the Sabino Canyon recreation area of the Coronado National Forest near Tucson, Arizona, offers views of the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north. Accessible by tram or foot from the Sabino Canyon visitors' center, Bear Canyon contains such attractions as the seasonal Seven Falls and Thimble Peak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabino Canyon</span> Landform in Pima County, Arizona

Sabino Canyon is a significant canyon located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Sabino Canyon is a popular recreation area for residents and visitors of Southern Arizona, providing a place to walk, hike or ride. Minutes away from the desert are large waterfalls along Sabino Creek with minor bridges constructed over them. Wildlife in the canyon includes a range of animals. Some of which are deer, javelina, skunks, tortoises, rattlesnakes and mountain lions. Like most places in Arizona, there are also owls, and scorpion which are very common in Tucson hiking trails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Lemmon</span> Mountain in Arizona, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pusch Ridge</span> Mountains in Arizona, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summerhaven, Arizona</span> CDP in Pima County, Arizona

Summerhaven is a small unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson in Pima County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a permanent population of 40. Summerhaven sits at an elevation of approximately 7,600 to 8,200 feet above sea level. Summerhaven is accessed via the Catalina Highway from suburban northeast Tucson, and it is about 24.5 miles (39.4 km) from the base of the mountains to Summerhaven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area</span> Protected area in Pima County, Arizona

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cañada del Oro</span> Primary watershed channel in the Oro Valley, Arizona, US

The Cañada del Oro, is a primary watershed channel in Oro Valley, Arizona, US. The word cañada has a tilde (ñ) and is pronounced in Spanish; in English it is pronounced kə-NYAH-də, not like the country of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphitheater Public Schools</span> School district in Arizona, United States

Amphitheater Public Schools, also known as Amphi or District 10, is the third largest public school district in Tucson, Arizona, in terms of enrollment, with about 13,500 students and a staff of about 2000 employees Amphi was established on July 3, 1893. With its headquarters in Flowing Wells, presently serves segments of North Tucson, Casas Adobes, Catalina Foothills, and the communities of Oro Valley, eastern Tortolita, and Catalina northwest of the city.

The Catalina Highway, officially the General Hitchcock Highway, is the popular name for a Forest Highway and scenic route located in Pima County in southern Arizona. Also known as the Sky Island Scenic Byway, the Mount Lemmon Highway and Arizona Forest Highway 39, the Catalina Highway is the only paved roadway providing access to the resort village of Summerhaven as well as various recreational and scientific facilities located near the summit of Mount Lemmon. Ascending from the desert floor in Tucson to near the summit of Mount Lemmon, the short highway gains over 6,000 ft (1,800 m), showcasing a variety of climates ranging from lowland desert to alpine forests. The name sky island comes from the analogy of these mountains being like islands of forest in a sea of desert. It is designated as a scenic byway by the National Scenic Byways Program. and an Arizona Scenic Road by the Federal Highway Administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Lemmon Observatory</span> Astronomical observatory in Arizona, United States

Mount Lemmon Observatory (MLO), also known as the Mount Lemmon Infrared Observatory, is an astronomical observatory located on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains approximately 28 kilometers northeast of Tucson, Arizona (US). The site in the Coronado National Forest is used with special permission from the U.S. Forest Service by the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, and contains a number of independently managed telescopes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pima Canyon</span> Landform in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona

Pima Canyon is a major canyon located in the Santa Catalina Mountains, north of Catalina Foothills and Tucson, Arizona, US. Pusch Ridge forms the northwestern cliffs of Pima Canyon, dramatically rising from Pima Creek on the canyon floor. Pima Canyon varies greatly in elevation, from 2,900 feet (880 m) above sea level at Pima Creek to 6,350 feet (1,940 m) at Pima Saddle. Mount Kimball is the highest peak in the vicinity of the canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thimble Peak</span> Landform in Pima County, Arizona

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Lemmon Ski Valley</span> Recreational ski area in Arizona, United States

Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is a recreational ski area in the U.S. state of Arizona, and the southernmost ski destination in the continental United States. Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is located on the slopes of Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains just north of Tucson, Arizona. It is part of the Coronado National Forest, located near the mountaintop village of Summerhaven. The summit is 9,157 feet (2,791 m) above sea level, and receives approximately 180 inches (4.6 m) of snow annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molino Canyon</span> Valley in Pima County, Arizona

Molino Canyon is a steep-sided, boulder-strewn canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson, Arizona, next to the Molino Basin Campground. The canyon is located within the Coronado National Forest, and encompasses a wide variety of flora and fauna, ranging from lush pine forest in the canyon's upper reaches to Sonoran Desert cactus forest in the lower reaches. Catalina Highway was cut into the western side of the lower part of the canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bighorn Fire</span> 2020 Arizona wildfire

The Bighorn Fire was a wildfire in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona. It burned 119,987 acres (48,557 ha) until it was finally put out on July 23, 2020. A lightning strike from a storm at 9:46 PM on June 5, 2020 caused the fire. The fire was named after the bighorn sheep that inhabit the area.

References

  1. ↑ "Winter Weather in Southern Arizona | SkyCenter". skycenter.arizona.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  2. ↑ Santa Catalina Mountains, Moon Handbooks: Arizona. Retrieved 2010-03-12
  3. 1 2 3 Leavengood, Betty (2004-08-01). Tucson Hiking Guide. ISBN   978-0-87108-935-9.
  4. ↑ "Die Vereinigten Staaten Von Nord-Amerika In 6 Blattern". David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  5. ↑ "California, With Territories of Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico And Arizona". David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  6. ↑ "Arizona, New Mexico – David Rumsey Historical Map Collection". www.davidrumsey.com.
  7. ↑ "1895 Arizona map". Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JPG). Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  8. ↑ "Historical Maps of Arizona". alabamamaps.ua.edu.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-28. Retrieved 2012-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005), National Forests of the United States (PDF), Forest History Society
  11. ↑ Leighton, David (January 5, 2015). "Street Smarts: Highway, mountain named for botanist". The Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  12. ↑ Leighton, David (January 6, 2019). "Street Smarts: Mercer Spring Place named for a pioneer rancher and a mountain spring". The Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  13. ↑ Leighton, David (June 4, 2018). "Street Smarts: Sollers Road named for forest ranger/fire officer who died on duty". The Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  14. ↑ Leighton, David (February 2, 2021). "Street Smarts: Barnum Hill's namesake also has scouts lookout rock named for him". The Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
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