The Tortolita Mountains (locally, "the Torts") are a minor mountain range located northwest of Tucson

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...

, 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...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. With a peak elevation of 4,652 feet , the Tortolita Mountains are situated at the northern boundaries of Oro Valley

Oro Valley, Arizona

Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, USA in Pima County. According to a July 2008 estimate, the population of the town is 43,223, an increase from 29,700 in 2000 Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson,...

 and Marana

Marana, Arizona

Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, located northwest of Tucson, with a small portion in Pinal County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 34,961...

, two suburbs of Tucson. Much of the mountain range is protected within the Tortolita Mountain Park, established in 1986 by Pima County and slated for further expansion. Public access to the Park, especially from Marana, has become contentious.

The Tortolita Mountains include extensive cultural resources. Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 peoples known as the Hohokam

Hohokam

Hohokam is one of the four major prehistoric archaeological Oasisamerica traditions of what is now the American Southwest. Many local residents put the accent on the first syllable . Variant spellings in current, official usage include Hobokam, Huhugam and Huhukam...

 heavily occupied the area for approximately 700 years beginning around AD 500

500

Year 500 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Patricius and Hypatius...

. In the eastern foothills of the Tortolita Mountains are the ruins of Honeybee Village, a former Hohokam pueblo preserved and maintained by the Town of Oro Valley. Nearby is Honeybee Canyon, a riparian area with one of Pima County's only perennial stream

Perennial stream

A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river that has continuous flow in parts of its bed all year round during years of normal rainfall. "Perennial" streams are contrasted with "intermittent" streams which normally cease flowing for weeks or months each year, and with "ephemeral"...

s , Honeybee Creek. Honeybee Canyon has been the source of conflict between environmentalists and real estate developers, beginning in the 1990s. Resorts, golf courses, and million-dollar homes have been developed near the canyon with significant controversy . Honeybee Canyon Park is a small developed area with restrooms, and is the trailhead for the popular Honeybee Canyon trail.

Other mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson Valley include the most prominent, the Santa Catalina Mountains

Santa Catalina Mountains

The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...

, followed by the Rincon Mountains

Rincon Mountains

The Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...

, the Santa Rita Mountains

Santa Rita Mountains

The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...

, and the Tucson Mountains

Tucson Mountains

The Tucson Mountains are a minor mountain range west of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountains, including Wasson Peak, are one of four notable mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...

.

External links

• Tortolita Mountain Range, topo map, coords, elevations
• Recreation in the Tortolitas