Date Creek Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Date Creek Mountains are a short, arid range in southwest Yavapai County, Arizona
. Congress
is on its southeast foothills, and Wickenburg
lies 15 mi (24 km) southeast.
on its southwest. It borders the lower elevation Sonoran Desert
to the southwest, where U.S. Route 93 in Arizona
travels northwest x southeast, from Phoenix, Arizona
to Kingman, Arizona
, a stretch called the Joshua Tree Highway; the Yucca brevifolia Joshue trees finds there southeast range here, as does an extension southeast of the Mojave Desert
.
The Date Creek Range is also on the northeast boder of landforms creating the separation between the southeast Mojave and northwest Sonoran Desert
s. The region is named the Maria fold and thrust belt
but here, southwest of the Date Creek's is the northewest of the region where three-ranges, and two-intermontane-valleys line parallel in an arc-shape. At these parallel landforms' northeast is the basin draining north to Alamo Lake. The Date Creek's lie to the ENE, the Aguila Valley lies to the southeast. The Poachie Range
massif
and the Arrastra Mountain Wilderness
anchor this basin to the north, and northwest of the Date Creek Mountains.
The highpoint of the range is on its southeast, Tenderfoot Hill, 3477 feet (1,060 m).
region are, from north to south:
Some of the thirty landforms in the fold-and-thrust-belt listed in a circular path around these three ranges are: 1. NE, Alamo Lake State Park
, NE Buckskin Mtns; 2. Access roads from U.S. Route 93
, northwest, dirt, and southwest, Arizona State Route 71 terminating at Aguila, Arizona
, at the northeast of the Harquahala's; 3. Southeast of the Harquahalas, three mountain ranges, and the Hassayampa and Harquahala Plains-(Harquahala Valley); 4. The southwest and west perimeter of the three ranges is the Bouse Wash
Drainage; the drainage is in the Ranegras Plain, but two small ranges, and the Bouse Hills abut the perimeter as well; 5. The northwest abuts the Cactus Plain
and the Cactus Plain Wilderness; 6. The northwest also has the Buckskin Mountains extending into a western section at the confluence of the Colorado and Bill Williams Rivers. Buckskin Mountain State Park
is located here. 7. The Bill Williams River
downstream from Alamo Lake State Park
is the northern border of the three ranges, as well as the de facto border of fold-and-thrust-belt. The river is also a dividing line between the Mojave Desert
north and northwest, and the Sonoran Desert
, south and southeast; in California, the Colorado Desert
subsection of the Sonoran Desert lies southwest.
Yavapai County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. Congress
Congress, Arizona
Congress is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,717 at the 2000 census. Congress, a gold-mining ghost town, now serves as a retirement and bedroom community for nearby Wickenburg.-History:...
is on its southeast foothills, and Wickenburg
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 ....
lies 15 mi (24 km) southeast.
Description and area
The short range is only about 13 mi (21 km) long. The Date Creek Mountains are located in the western region of the Arizona transition zoneArizona 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...
on its southwest. It borders the lower elevation 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...
to the southwest, where 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....
travels northwest x southeast, from Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
to Kingman, Arizona
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
, a stretch called the Joshua Tree Highway; the Yucca brevifolia Joshue trees finds there southeast range here, as does an extension southeast 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...
.
The Date Creek Range is also on the northeast boder of landforms creating the separation between the southeast Mojave and northwest 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...
s. The region is named the Maria fold and thrust belt
Maria Fold and Thrust Belt
The Maria fold and thrust belt is a portion of the North American Cordillera orogen in which geological structures accommodate roughly north-south to northwest-southeast vergent Mesozoic age crustal shortening. This lies in contrast to the remainder of the Cordillera, in which shortening is...
but here, southwest of the Date Creek's is the northewest of the region where three-ranges, and two-intermontane-valleys line parallel in an arc-shape. At these parallel landforms' northeast is the basin draining north to Alamo Lake. The Date Creek's lie to the ENE, the Aguila Valley lies to the southeast. The Poachie Range
Poachie Range
The Poachie Range is a moderate length mountain range and massif in southeast Mohave County, Arizona, and the extreme southwest corner of Yavapai County; the range also abuts the northeast corner of La Paz County...
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...
and the Arrastra Mountain Wilderness
Arrastra Mountain Wilderness
The Arrastra Mountain Wilderness is located in Mohave, Yavapai, and La Paz counties, northwest of Phoenix and southeast of Kingman, Arizona. This sprawling wildland encompasses imposing landscapes and unique natural features. The Poachie Range, which trends northwest-southeast through the...
anchor this basin to the north, and northwest of the Date Creek Mountains.
The highpoint of the range is on its southeast, Tenderfoot Hill, 3477 feet (1,060 m).
3 major thrust-faulted ranges
The major mountain ranges that are thrusted northwesterlly in the Maria fold and thrust beltMaria Fold and Thrust Belt
The Maria fold and thrust belt is a portion of the North American Cordillera orogen in which geological structures accommodate roughly north-south to northwest-southeast vergent Mesozoic age crustal shortening. This lies in contrast to the remainder of the Cordillera, in which shortening is...
region are, from north to south:
- Buckskin MountainsBuckskin MountainsThe Buckskin Mountains are a mountain range in western-central Arizona, USA. The range lies just east of the north-south Colorado River, and borders south of the east-west, west-flowing Bill Williams River....
- Butler Valley (Arizona)Butler Valley (Arizona)Butler Valley is a valley of the Maria fold and thrust belt in western Arizona, USA. It lies east of the Colorado River, and is south of the west-flowing Bill Williams River.-Description of valley and region:...
- Harcuvar MountainsHarcuvar MountainsThe Harcuvar Mountains are a narrow mountain range in western-central Arizona, USA. The range lies just east of the north-south Colorado River, and south of the east-west, west-flowing Bill Williams River, from Alamo Lake....
- McMullen Valley
- Harquahala MountainsHarquahala MountainsThe Harquahala Mountains are the highest mountain range in southwestern Arizona, USA and are located southwest of the towns of Aguila and Wenden. The name originated from a local Native American people "Aha qua hala" which meant "water there is high up". The range is oriented from northeast to...
Some of the thirty landforms in the fold-and-thrust-belt listed in a circular path around these three ranges are: 1. NE, Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, centered around Alamo Lake, a flood control and recreational reservoir. The park is located in western Arizona about north of Wenden. It is accessed via dirt road off either U.S. Route 60 to the south or U.S. Route 93 to the east...
, NE Buckskin Mtns; 2. Access roads from U.S. Route 93
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....
, northwest, dirt, and southwest, Arizona State Route 71 terminating at Aguila, Arizona
Aguila, Arizona
Aguila is a CDP in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 60 approximately 20 miles west of Wickenburg, or at approximately 50000 N. 510th Ave. Major economic activities include cantaloupe farming and formerly included mining. It uses the same street numbering system...
, at the northeast of the Harquahala's; 3. Southeast of the Harquahalas, three mountain ranges, and the Hassayampa and Harquahala Plains-(Harquahala Valley); 4. The southwest and west perimeter of the three ranges is the Bouse Wash
Bouse Wash
Bouse Wash is one of the larger eastern-bank dry washes that enter the Colorado River in western Arizona.Bouse Wash is located on the north end of the La Posa Plain and drains into the area along the Colorado River occupied by the Colorado River Indian Reservation, south of Parker, Arizona...
Drainage; the drainage is in the Ranegras Plain, but two small ranges, and the Bouse Hills abut the perimeter as well; 5. The northwest abuts the Cactus Plain
Cactus Plain
The Cactus Plain is a plain east of Parker, Arizona and the Parker Valley within the Lower Colorado River Valley.The Cactus Plain is adjacent to the Bouse Wash on the south, which drains northwest-west into the Colorado River...
and the Cactus Plain Wilderness; 6. The northwest also has the Buckskin Mountains extending into a western section at the confluence of the Colorado and Bill Williams Rivers. Buckskin Mountain State Park
Buckskin Mountain State Park
Buckskin Mountain State Park is a state park located near Parker, Arizona, USA. A second developed area of the park is known as the River Island Unit or River Island State Park. Both park areas have shoreline on the Colorado River and views of the Buckskin Mountains...
is located here. 7. The Bill Williams River
Bill Williams River
The Bill Williams River is a river in western-central Arizona in Mohave County; the river proper is the northern border of La Paz County which it drains in the north, as well as areas of far western Yavapai County...
downstream from Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, centered around Alamo Lake, a flood control and recreational reservoir. The park is located in western Arizona about north of Wenden. It is accessed via dirt road off either U.S. Route 60 to the south or U.S. Route 93 to the east...
is the northern border of the three ranges, as well as the de facto border of fold-and-thrust-belt. The river is also a dividing line between 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...
north and northwest, and the 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...
, south and southeast; in California, the Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
subsection of the Sonoran Desert lies southwest.