Tank Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Tank Mountains are a mountain range
in the Sonoran Desert
of southwest Arizona
; the range is part of the eastern border of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
.
The Tank Mountains are east-west trending and about 14 miles long; the highest peak, Black Dome
is on the west end of the range at 2236 feet (682 m); two minor peaks of 1568 feet (478 m) and 2236 feet (682 m) flank the east end of the range separated by an alluvial valley
. The western two thirds of the mountains lie in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and connect to the southeast corner of the Kofa Mountains
where the Kofa Butte-(at 3247 feet (990 m)) is located, across Engesser Pass.
The Tank Mountains abut the Palomas Mountains on the south, which are also in the wildlife refuge. North, east, and southeast of the Tank Mountains lies the extensive Palomas Plain which drains southeastly towards Hyder
and the Gila River
valley. Of note, to the northeast across the Palomas Plain lies the Little Horn Mountains and the adjacent Eagletail Mountains Wilderness
.
The closest access points to the Tank Mountains on the south and east is Hyder, by way of the communities of Dateland
and Sentinel on Interstate 8.
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 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...
of southwest 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 is part of the eastern border of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is located northeast of Yuma, Arizona, southeast of Quartzsite, Arizona, in the southwestern United States. The refuge, established in 1939 to protect Desert Bighorn Sheep, encompasses over of the Yuma Desert region of the Sonoran Desert...
.
The Tank Mountains are east-west trending and about 14 miles long; the highest peak, Black Dome
Black Dome (Arizona)
Black Dome is the highest point on the west end of the Tank Mountains, located in the northwestern Sonoran Desert in northeastern Yuma County, Arizona....
is on the west end of the range at 2236 feet (682 m); two minor peaks of 1568 feet (478 m) and 2236 feet (682 m) flank the east end of the range separated by an alluvial valley
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
. The western two thirds of the mountains lie in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and connect to the southeast corner of the Kofa Mountains
Kofa Mountains
The Kofa Mountains is the central mountain range comprising the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, about 60 miles northeast of Yuma, Arizona in the southwestern part of the state...
where the Kofa Butte-(at 3247 feet (990 m)) is located, across Engesser Pass.
The Tank Mountains abut the Palomas Mountains on the south, which are also in the wildlife refuge. North, east, and southeast of the Tank Mountains lies the extensive Palomas Plain which drains southeastly towards Hyder
Hyder, Arizona
Hyder is a ghost town and farming community in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It and surrounding areas houses several different types of fish, shrimp, and other types of farms, one school , and two gas stations/general markets...
and 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:...
valley. Of note, to the northeast across the Palomas Plain lies the Little Horn Mountains and the adjacent Eagletail Mountains Wilderness
Eagletail Mountains Wilderness
The Eagletail Mountains Wilderness is part of the Eagletail Mountains of central-west Arizona, about 65 mi west of Phoenix. The wilderness is of moderate size, with the Eagletail Mountains forming its northeast perimeter, and the much shorter Cemetery Ridge section, forming its southwest border...
.
The closest access points to the Tank Mountains on the south and east is Hyder, by way of the communities of Dateland
Dateland, Arizona
Dateland is an unincorporated community in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is in an area well known for date palm dates.Dateland has the ZIP Code of 85333; in 2000, the population of the 85333 ZCTA was 852....
and Sentinel on Interstate 8.