Golden Gate Mountain

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Tucson Mountains
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Golden Gate Mountain

Page Type:	Mountain/Rock
Lat/Lon:	32.20920°N / 111.1061°W
County:	Pima
Activities:	Hiking, Scrambling
Season:	Spring, Fall, Winter
Elevation:	4288 ft / 1307 m
	Sign the Climber's Log!

Overview

Barrel Cactus and Gates Pass

Residing about one mile as the raven flies south-southwest of Gates Pass is Golden Gate Mountain. Rising more than 1,500 feet from the desert floor to the west, Golden Gate Mountain presents itself as a striking, rugged desert sentinel a to motorists and bicyclists along Kinney Road. Fortunately for us, most people admire Golden Gate Mountain from a distance and do not leave the road to visit its summit.

Typical of the mountains in the Tucson Mountain Range, Golden Gate Mountain is a jumbled collection of rough rocks (Tucson Mountain Chaos, as it's known to geologists) covered with an exciting collection of Sonoran desert plants. The peak has no trail to the summit, but this only gives you more time to explore the desert flora.

Arizona Rank: 3950th highest peak in Arizona
Prominence: 1,138 feet
USGS Quad: Cat Mountain
Trails Illustrated Map: #237 Saguaro National Park

Rank and Prominence Source: Lists of John

Getting There

Tucson Mountain Park resides 13 miles to the west of Tucson, Arizona in Pima County. The park can be reached via Gates Pass Road or by taking Ajo Road to Kinney Way.

Rocky northern summit

Typical off-trail conditions

Saguaro Sentinel

Red Tape

There is no entry fee for Tucson Mountain Park. The park is open daily 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Click here for full rules governing use of Pima County Parks.

South from the summit

On the Golden Gate Mountain summit

Cat Mountain and Tucson Estates

Camping & Lodging

UN 3990 and Mount Lemmon

Desert flora from the Yetman Trail

The only nearby campground is the 130-site Gilbert Ray Campground, located in Tucson Mountain Park.

The proximity of Golden Gate Mountain to the Tucson Metro area means lodging options are virtually unlimited. Visit the Trip Advisor site covering Tucson, AZ, for more information about area accommodations.

Weather & Seasons

Month	Avg High	Avg Low	Rain
January	64.5 F	38.9 F	0.99 in.
February	68.4 F	41.6 F	0.88 in.
March	73.3 F	45.1 F	0.81 in.
April	81.5 F	50.5 F	0.28 in.
May	90.4 F	58.6 F	0.24 in.
June	100.2 F	68.0 F	0.24 in.
July	99.6 F	73.4 F	2.07 in.
August	97.4 F	72.4 F	2.30 in.
September	94.0 F	67.7 F	1.45 in.
October	84.0 F	57.0 F	1.21 in.
November	72.3 F	45.1 F	0.67 in.
December	64.6 F	39.2 F	1.03 in.

*Most hikes in the Tucson Mountains, thanks to their low
elevation, would be most comfortable in the fall,
winter or spring.

*March and April are primo wildflower viewing months.

*Summer temperatures in this part of the Sonoran
desert can be worse than uncomfortable;
they can be downright dangerous!

*According to the United States National Weather Service,
the record high temperature for Tucson, Arizona,
set on 26^th June 1990, was 117 degrees Farenheit
/ 47 degrees Celsius.