Gila Bend Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Gila Bend Mountains are a 35-mile (56 km) long mountain range
of the north-central Sonoran Desert
southwest of Phoenix
, Arizona and in southwest Maricopa County.
The Gila River
of New Mexico
and Arizona transects the entire state of Arizona, and the watershed covers about 65% of Arizona. The famous Gila Bend of the river changes the west-southwest flow to south-flowing, then back to west-flowing. Painted Rock Reservoir and the Dendora Valley
are nestled at the south of the Gila Bend Mountains, the monolith which causes the diversion of the Gila Bend. Gila Bend
, Arizona is located at the southeast of the bend, on Interstate 8.
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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...
of the north-central 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...
southwest of Phoenix
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...
, Arizona and in southwest Maricopa County.
The Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Arizona transects the entire state of Arizona, and the watershed covers about 65% of Arizona. The famous Gila Bend of the river changes the west-southwest flow to south-flowing, then back to west-flowing. Painted Rock Reservoir and the Dendora Valley
Dendora Valley
The Dendora Valley is a small valley on the Gila River west of Painted Rock Dam and Reservoir. The valley is north of the river, and is the valley west of the north-south Painted Rock Mountains which form the western end of the Painted Rock Reservoir....
are nestled at the south of the Gila Bend Mountains, the monolith which causes the diversion of the Gila Bend. Gila Bend
Gila Bend, Arizona
Gila Bend , founded in 1872, is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The town is named for an approximately 90-degree bend in the Gila River, which is close to but not precisely at the community's current location...
, Arizona is located at the southeast of the bend, on Interstate 8.
The Gila Bend Mountains
The Centennial Wash (Maricopa County) borders the north of the range and has its oufall at the Gila River in the Arlington State Wildlife Area.Peaks, and landforms
The highest elevation in the mountains is Woolsey Peak at 3170 feet (966 m), in the range's center-east. Two peaks are slightly west. In the north-center, Signal Peak, at 2182 feet (665 m), anchors the center of the small Signal Mountain Wilderness. The peak south is Bunyan Peat at 2410 feet (735 m). Bunyan and Woolsey Peak slightly east are part of the larger Woolsey Peak Wilderness. Bunyan Peak is located at 33.1142°N 112.9652°W. Woolsey Peak is located at 33.167266°N 112.9652°W. The closest access town to Woolsey Peak is Arlington, ArizonaArlington, Arizona
Arlington is a census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located about 40 miles west of Phoenix. It follows the street numbering system of Phoenix. As of the 2010 census, the population was 194.- Demographics :...
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