Aquarius Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Aquarius Mountains are a 45-mi (72 km) long mountain range
in southeast Mohave County
, Arizona
. The range lies in the northwest of the Arizona transition zone
, and at the southwest of the Coconino Plateau
, a subsection of the Colorado Plateau
.
The Aquarius Mountains are on the perimeter of the transition zone, and border the south-flowing Big Sandy River
and Valley on its west; adjacent further west is the massif
of the Hualapai Mountains, a block faulted Basin and Range
landform bordered westwards by the north-south Sacramento Valley
.
Mohave County and northwest Arizona, is also a southeastwards extension of the Mojave Desert
which extends down to Wickenburg, Arizona
, on the southwest perimeter of the Arizona transition zone. Joshua trees
can be found here, and the route north from Wickenburd, U.S. Route 93 in Arizona
is called the Joshua Tree Highway. The region is at the northwest border of Arizona's Sonoran Desert
region of the lower elevation deserts, as they merge northwest into higher elevations of Mohave County.
at the range's southwest, and near Neale and Goodwin Mesas, Route 93 turns southeast to Wickenburg, about 65 mi (105 km) distant. North regions of the range can be accessed south of Interstate 40.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in southeast Mohave County
Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The range lies in the northwest of the Arizona transition zone
Arizona transition zone
The Arizona transition zone, or Transition zone is a diagonal northwest-by-southeast region across central Arizona. The region is a transition from the higher elevation Colorado Plateau to the northeast in Northeast Arizona and the Basin and Range region of southwest and south regions of lower...
, and at the southwest of the Coconino Plateau
Coconino Plateau
The Coconino Plateau is found south of the Grand Canyon and north—northwest of Flagstaff, in northern Arizona of the Southwestern United States.-Geography:...
, a subsection of the Colorado Plateau
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. The province covers an area of 337,000 km2 within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico,...
.
The Aquarius Mountains are on the perimeter of the transition zone, and border the south-flowing Big Sandy River
Big Sandy River (Arizona)
The Big Sandy River is in northwestern Arizona in Mohave County. It begins where Cottonwood Wash and Trout Creek converge in the Hualapai Indian Reservation near Hualapai Peak then flows past Wikieup south of Kingman. It has a length of and joins the Santa Maria River to form Bill Williams River...
and Valley on its west; adjacent further west is the massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
of the Hualapai Mountains, a block faulted Basin and Range
Basin and Range
The Basin and Range Province is a vast physiographic region defined by a unique topographic expression. Basin and Range topography is characterized by abrupt changes in elevation, alternating between narrow faulted mountain chains and flat arid valleys or basins...
landform bordered westwards by the north-south Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley (Arizona)
The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
.
Mohave County and northwest Arizona, is also a southeastwards extension of the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
which extends down to Wickenburg, Arizona
Wickenburg, Arizona
Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 6,423.-Geography:Wickenburg is located at ....
, on the southwest perimeter of the Arizona transition zone. Joshua trees
Joshua tree
Yucca brevifolia is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, Yucca palm, Tree yucca, and Palm tree yucca....
can be found here, and the route north from Wickenburd, U.S. Route 93 in Arizona
U.S. Route 93 in Arizona
In the U.S. state of Arizona, U.S. Route 93 is a U.S. Highway that begins in Wickenburg and heads north to the Nevada border at the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge....
is called the Joshua Tree Highway. The region is at the northwest border of Arizona's Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
region of the lower elevation deserts, as they merge northwest into higher elevations of Mohave County.
Description
The Aquarius Mountains are mostly a north-south range that curves slightly south-southeast in the south. The north of the range merges into a hill and mountain peak region at the northwest of an adjacent range eastwards, the northwest-southeast Mohon Mountains. The merged area of the two ranges in the north contain Trout and Knight Creeks, both westwards-flowing towards the Big Sandy River & Valley. Seven named peaks are around the two creeks, and Cedar Basin. The highpoint of the mountain range occurs here, Snow Mountain (Arizona), 5879 feet (1,792 m). The second highest peak in the range occurs in the extreme southwest, Grey Mountain, 5261 feet (1,604 m) in the Aquarius Cliffs.Access
U.S. Route 93 travels north-south through the Big Sandy River Valley on the range's west. At Wikieup, ArizonaWikieup, Arizona
Wikieup is a small unincorporated community located on U.S. Route 93 in Mohave County, Arizona. It is located approximately south of Interstate 40 and approximately northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. In 2000, the population of Wikieup's ZCTA was 305....
at the range's southwest, and near Neale and Goodwin Mesas, Route 93 turns southeast to Wickenburg, about 65 mi (105 km) distant. North regions of the range can be accessed south of Interstate 40.