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Arizona's Top 100 Peaks by Prominence
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Arizona's Top 100 Peaks by Prominence 

Page Type: List

Location: Arizona, United States, North America

 

Page By: surgent

Created/Edited: Dec 28, 2006 / Apr 23, 2008

Object ID: 255068

Hits: 2570 

Page Score: 88.69% - 10 Votes 

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Overview

This page features the top 100 Arizona Peaks by prominence. Many have SummitPost pages, a lot do not. The Top 50 - "The Fifty Finest" - is a popular goal among hikers and climbers in the state. Those seeking the 2,000-foot prominences will be interested in all peaks down to spot 73. Finally, the remaining peaks in the top 100 are listed. Curiously, many of these do not have SummitPost pages... yet...

I will be creating lists for the remaining peaks very soon, plus adding photos and some color.

12/29/06 - still working on the page...
1/2/07 - added a map, still want to add some more stuff...
1/3/07 - added some info on the obscure peaks, fixed some goofs, still tweaking the page.
2/27/07 - added some more links to newly created pages.
3/8/07 - more linkage.
3/20/07 - Yet more linkage, clean-up.
8/15/07 - More linking.
9/17/07 - Re-ordering of some peaks based on updated figures.
1/25/08 - More attaching of pages
2/26/08 - Ditto
4/23/08 - Same

General: I plan on updating this page about once a month with new links or as appropriate.

The Top 50 • Mountains Ranked 1-50 by Prominence

The top 50 mountains in Arizona, by prominence. This list is courtesy of Aaron Maizlish's site at this link. A number of people have submitted information to Aaron's list and the list changes as more detailed information comes in - sometimes a peak will move up or down a notch when a more exact prominence figure is determined. Each peak is linked to its summitpost page or in rare cases, to my own report at www.surgent.net. Those without links do not have (yet) summitpost pages.

Rank Peak Name
Elevation
Prominence
Range County
1
Mount Graham
10,720
6,340
Pinaleno Graham
2
Humphreys Peak
12,633
6,039
San Francisco Coconino
3
Mount Lemmon
9,157
5,177
Catalina Pima
4
Chiricahua Peak
9,759
5,149
Chiricahua Cochise
5
Miller Peak
9,466
5,011
Huachuca Cochise
6
Baldy Peak
11,420
4,728
White Apache - White Mtn/Apache IR
7
Mica Mountain
8,664
4,604
Rincon Pima - Saguaro NP
8
Mount Wrightson
9,453
4,591
Santa Rita Santa Cruz
9
Hualapai Peak
8,417
4,447
Hualapai Mohave
10
Baboquivari Peak
7,734
4,204
Baboquivari Pima - Tohono O'odham IR
11
Pinal Peak
7,848
4,086
Pinal Gila
12
Mazatzal Peak
7,903
3,963
Mazatzal Gila/Yavapai
13
Mount Tipton
7,148
3,638
Cerbat Mohave
14
Kaibab Plateau HP
9,220
3,610
Kaibab Plateau Coconino
15
Mount Turnbull
8,282
3,582
Santa Teresa Graham - San Carlos IR
16
Signal Peak
4,877
3,487
Kofa Yuma
17
Harquahala Mountain
5,681
3,471
Harquahala La Paz
18
Browns Peak
7,657
3,317
Mazatzal Maricopa/Gila
19
Dos Cabezas Peaks
8,354
3,244
Dos Cabezas Cochise
20
Mount Wilson
5,445
3,225
Black Mohave
21
Sierra Estrella
4,512
3,217
Estrella Maricopa
22
Roof Butte
9,820
3,170
Chuska Apache - Navajo IR
23
Bassett Peak
7,663
3,133
Galiuro Graham
24
Crossman Peak
5,100
3,120
Mojave Mohave
25
Mount Trumbull
8,029
2,974
Uinkaret Mohave
26
Mount Union
7,979
2,949
Bradshaw Yavapai
27
Woodchute Mountain
7,860
2,930
Black Hills Yavapai
28
Mount Bangs
8,012
2,912
Virgin Mohave
29-T
Apache Peak
7,711
2,899
Whetstone Cochise
29-T
Mount Glenn
7,519
2,899
Dragoon Cochise
31
Smith Peak
5,242
2,797
Harcuvar La Paz
32
Pastora Peak
9,407
2,707
Carrizo Apache - Navajo IR
33
Mount Ajo
4,808
2,703
Ajo Pima - Tohono O'odham IR
34
Mts Ballard/Fissure
7,370
2,680
Mule Cochise
35
Gu Achi Peak
4,556
2,646
Santa Rosa Pima - Tohono O'odham IR
36
Apache Peaks
6,940
2,600
Gila
37
Newman Peak
4,506
2,531
Picacho Pinal
38
White Tank Mountains
4,083
2,513
White Tank Maricopa
39
Pinnacle Ridge
7,550
2,490
Santa Teresa Graham
40-T
Kendrick Peak
10,418
2,488
S. F. Volcanic Field Coconino
40-T
Aztec Peak
7,748
2,488
Ancha Gila
42
Keystone Peak
6,188
2,458
Sierrita Pima
43
Mount Ord
7,128
2,428
Mazatzal Maricopa/Gila
44
Guthrie Peak
6,571
2,401
N. Peloncillo Greenlee
45
Maple Peak
8,294
2,394
Sierra Aguilada Greenlee
46
Escudilla Mountain
10,912
2,382
White Apache
47
Reiley Peak
7,660
2,360
Winchester Graham
48
Coyote Peak
6,529
2,349
Coyote Pima
49
Table Top
4,373
2,338
Table Top Pinal
50
Sheep Mountain
3,156
2,331
Gila Yuma

Peaks 51-73 • Mountains above 2,000 ft of Prominence

Here are the remaining 23 peaks that comprise the set of 73 peaks in Arizona with at least 2,000 feet of prominence. Again, the bulk of the information is derived from Aaron Maizlish's fine list at this link.

Rank Peak Name
Elevation
Prominence
Range County
51
Bill Williams Mountain
9,256
2,306
Bill Williams Coconino
52
Rincon Peak
8,482
2,302
Rincon Pima
53
Bryce Mountain
7,298
2,233
Gila Graham
54
Grand Wash Cliffs HP
6,769
2,219
Grand Wash Cliffs Mohave - Hualapai IR
55
Peloncillo Mountains
6,540
2,213
Peloncillo Cochise
56
Weaver Peak
6,574
2,154
Weaver Yavapai
57
Cunningham Mountain
3,316
2,146
Dome Rock La Paz
58
Mohawk Mountains HP
2,775
2,143
Mohawk Yuma
59
Wasson Peak
4,687
2,122
Tucson Pima - Saguaro NP
60
Peacock Peak
6,292
2,112
Peacock Mohave
61
Castle Dome Peak
3,788
2,098
Castle Dome Yuma
62
Kitt Peak
6,880
2,092
Quinlan Pima - Tohono O'odham IR
63
Woolsey Peak
3,171
2,081
Gila Bend Maricopa
64
Pine Mountain
6,814
2,074
Verde Rim Yavapai
65
Mohon Peak
7,499
2,064
Mohon Yavapai
66
Harcuvar Peak
4,618
2,048
Harcuvar La Paz
67
Mount Perkins
5,456
2,046
Mohave
68
Swisshelm Mountain
7,185
2,045
Swisshelm Cochise
69
South Mountain
4,170
2,040
South Pima - Tohono O'odham IR
70
Mae West Peaks
6,726
2,036
Little Dragoon Cochise
71
Silver Peak
8,008
2,028
Portal Cochise
72
Turtle Mountain
7,004
2,024
Graham
73
Sierra Pinta
2,950
2,020
Pinta Yuma

Peaks 74 - 100 • Rounding Out the Top 100

This list rounds out the top 100 peaks by prominence in Arizona. Surprisingly few have Summitpost Pages and many are not very well known peaks at all. A few, however, are popular hikes. A couple are extremely tough customers: Eagletail Peak involves some fairly hairy exposed climbing, while Vishnu Temple is actually an eroded formation completely within the Grand Canyon, reguiring a hefty downhike just to get to it, then some technical climbing to achieve its top. This list is the result of a compilation by Andy Martin, et al, at this link.

Rank Peak Name
Elevation
Prominence
Range County
74
Cimarron Peak
4,124
1,984
Cimarron Pima - Tohono O'odham IR - map
75
Mount Devine
4,783
1,983
Comobabi Pima - Tohono O'odham IR - map
76
Copper Mountains HP
2,888
1,968
Copper Yuma
77
Atascosa Peak
6,422
1,960
Atascosa Santa Cruz
78
Sitgreaves Mountain
9,389
1,949
S. F. Volcanic Field Coconino
79
Towers Mountain
7,628
1,948
Bradshaw Yavapai - map
80
San Cayetano Peak
6,007
1,924
San Cayetano Santa Cruz - map
81
Silver Bell Peak
4,261
1,921
Silver Bell Pima - map
82
Cathedral Rock
7,957
1,917
Catalina Pima
83
Cochise Head
8,113
1,913
Chiricahua Cochise - map
84
Huachuca Peak
8,410
1,910
Huachuca Cochise - map
85
Black Mountain
5,587
1,907
Black Pinal - map
86
Buckskin Mountain
3,917
1,887
Buckskin La Paz - map
87
Eagletail Peak
3,300
1,880
Eagletail Maricopa - map
88
Mitchell Peak
7,951
1,831
White Greenlee - map
89
Cabeza Prieta Mountains
2,830
1,830
Cabeza Prieta Yuma - map
90
Superstition Mountains HP
5,057
1,817
Superstition Pinal
91
Vishnu Temple
7,533
1,813
Grand Canyon Coconino - map
92
El Capitan Mountains
6,568
1,808
El Capitan Gila - map
93
Black Mesa
8,168
1,808
Black Mesa Navajo
94
Whitlock Mountains HP
5,682
1,782
Whitlock Graham - map
95
O'Leary Peak
8,938
1,778
S. F. Volcanic Field Coconino
96
Saddle Mountain
3,037
1,777
Saddle Maricopa - map
97
Mount Nutt
5,216
1,777
Black Mohave - map
98
West Cedar
5,489
1,769
Yavapai - map
99
Mesquite Mountains HP
3,789
1,769
Mesquite Pima - map
100
Mount Dellenbaugh
7,072
1,752
Mohave - map

Reference Map

The map below is a guide to the location of the Arizona P2K peaks (#1-73).

Poor Navajo County has just one top-100 prominent peak, but nothing above 2,000-feet of prominence.

A better map showing landforms and lineages can be found here.

 
 


Notes on the other peaks

Here is some very thumbnail info on some of the peaks above without summitpost pages. Some is based on my own experience and attempts and some is based on talking with others.

• Apache Peak (#29T): Near Benson in Cochise County. Bob Martin wrote about this peak in his Arizona's Mountains book. Mostly cross-country, not technical.
• Pastora Peak (#32): Located near Four Corners and Teec Nos Pos on the Navajo Nation, my wife and I managed to coax our truck up about 8 miles along below-average road, but without a detailed map and some rain clouds, we decided to retreat and try another day. One portion of road is cut narrowly into a bare mountainside and looks rather precarious. Four-wheel drive vehicles only, definitely. From the end of the road it should be a short easy x-country hike to the broad summit.
• Gu Achi Peak (#35): A large, attractive rounded summit on the Tohono O'odham Nation in southern Arizona. A mine road gets high on its east ridge. Andy Martin reported the hike up this ridge was manageable. Main issue: roads to the peak, getting permission from the TON.
• Apache Peaks (#36): Not to be confused with Apache Peak. These are a pair of summits near Globe. Andy Martin reported rough bushwhacking, but suggested an alternative approach might be feasible.
• Pinnacle Ridge (#39): Bob Martin also wrote about this one in his book, mentioning some interesting route finding and rock-scrambling.
• Grand Wash Cliffs (#54): Need to cross parts of the Hualapai Nation.
• Towers Mountain (#79): Located near Crown King in the Bradhsaw Mountains, Towers Mountain is accessed by a dirt road. We drove the road in 2005 for a visit to the top. Other forest roads offer alternatives and one could make a day hike along the roads. Crown King is a neat place and well worth the visit.

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