Granite Mountain (Arizona)
Encyclopedia
Granite Mountain is a 7626 feet (2,324 m) mountain located in Yavapai County, Arizona
that covers roughly 12 square miles (31 km²). It was once known as Mount Gurley for the first governor of the Arizona Territory, John A. Gurley
. Its southwest face has a sheer granite cliff approximately 500 feet high that is one of the best locations for rock climbing in the state of Arizona. It is located in the Granite Mountain Wilderness, which itself is in Prescott National Forest
. Often lumped in with the Sierra Prieta range, Granite Mountain actually stands by itself, outside of any other range. The mountain stands at the northern end of the Sierra Prietas, and borders Skull Valley on the west, on the northwest by the Santa Maria Mountains
, and east by the Williamson Valley.
s of the schist
are commonly found in the granodiorite
. The gray granodiorite was a popular building stone in early-day Prescott. It was used to build the Yavapai County Courthouse and in many other older buildings around town, including Fort Whipple
.
. Granite Mountain is a nesting site for the Peregrine Falcon
(Falco peregrinus), and the climbing area on the south face is closed to rockclimbing, typically from February 1 until July 15 each year.
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:...
that covers roughly 12 square miles (31 km²). It was once known as Mount Gurley for the first governor of the Arizona Territory, John A. Gurley
John A. Gurley
John Addison Gurley was a U.S. Congressman from Ohio during the early part of the American Civil War. He was appointed as the first Governor of the Arizona Territory, but died before taking office....
. Its southwest face has a sheer granite cliff approximately 500 feet high that is one of the best locations for rock climbing in the state of Arizona. It is located in the Granite Mountain Wilderness, which itself is in Prescott National Forest
Prescott National Forest
The Prescott National Forest is a 1.25 million acre United States National Forest located in north central Arizona in the vicinity of Prescott. The forest is located in the mountains southwest of Flagstaff and north of Phoenix in Yavapai County, with a small portion extending into southwestern...
. Often lumped in with the Sierra Prieta range, Granite Mountain actually stands by itself, outside of any other range. The mountain stands at the northern end of the Sierra Prietas, and borders Skull Valley on the west, on the northwest by the Santa Maria Mountains
Santa Maria Mountains
The Santa Maria Mountains are a 16-mi long mountain range in central-northwest Arizona, and in northwest Yavapai County. The range lies in a region of mesas and mountain ranges in the northwest of Arizona's transition zone...
, and east by the Williamson Valley.
Geology
Granite Mountain is composed of the Prescott Granodiorite, a 1.7 billion year-old stock (geology) intruded into Yavapai schist. XenolithXenolith
A xenolith is a rock fragment which becomes enveloped in a larger rock during the latter's development and hardening. In geology, the term xenolith is almost exclusively used to describe inclusions in igneous rock during magma emplacement and eruption...
s of the schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
are commonly found in the granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
. The gray granodiorite was a popular building stone in early-day Prescott. It was used to build the Yavapai County Courthouse and in many other older buildings around town, including Fort Whipple
Fort Whipple
Fort Whipple may refer to:*Fort Whipple, Arizona, first capital of Arizona Territory*Fort Whipple, Virginia, historical name for U.S. Army's Fort Myer...
.
Ecology
The biotic communities at Granite Mountain range from montane conifer forest and juniper pinyon woodland, to interior chaparralChaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
. Granite Mountain is a nesting site for the Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
(Falco peregrinus), and the climbing area on the south face is closed to rockclimbing, typically from February 1 until July 15 each year.
External links
- Granite Mountain Wilderness at Prescott National ForestPrescott National ForestThe Prescott National Forest is a 1.25 million acre United States National Forest located in north central Arizona in the vicinity of Prescott. The forest is located in the mountains southwest of Flagstaff and north of Phoenix in Yavapai County, with a small portion extending into southwestern...