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Mount Baldy (Arizona)
Encyclopedia
Mount Baldy is a mountain in northeastern Arizona
in the United States
. It is the highest point in the White Mountains
, making it the highest point in Apache County. It is the second highest point in the state after the six summits of the San Francisco Peaks
near Flagstaff
. With a summit 11,420 feet (3,480 meters) above sea level
, the peak of Mount Baldy rises above the tree line and is left largely bare of vegetation, lending the mountain its current name.
The summit of Mount Baldy is within the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
and is off-limits to hikers without permission. An unnamed sub-peak with an elevation of 11,400 ft (3,474 m) exists approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) to the north of the summit that is off reservation and accessible to the public via maintained trail.
Mount Baldy is one of the most sacred mountains to the Apache of Arizona. The Western Apache of Arizona inhabited the areas within their most four sacred mountain ranges: the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona, the Pinaleno Mountains near the town of Safford in southeastern Arizona, the Four Peaks near the City of Phoenix and the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff.
When Captain George M. Wheeler visited the mountaintop in 1873, he described the view as "The most magnificent and effective of any among the large number that have come under my observation". Wheeler named the mountain Mount Thomas after General Lorenzo Thomas
, who fought in the Mexican–American War
. It later became Mount Baldy.
Mount Baldy also contains the headwaters of the Salt River and produces the most abundant trout fishing streams in Arizona. No other mountain in Arizona produces as much rivers and streams.Along its slope it contains numerous manmade lakes. The area around Mount Baldy also averages the most abundant precipitation in Arizona. Mount Baldy also contains abundant wildlife including the recently introduced Mexican Grey Wolf.
While looking northeast from Historic Fort Apache (elevation 5,290 ft) Mount Baldy rises 6,130 ft in elevation.
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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the highest point in the White Mountains
White Mountains (Arizona)
The White Mountains of Arizona are a mountain range and mountainous region in the eastern part of the state, near the border with New Mexico; it is a continuation from the west of the Arizona transition zone–Mogollon Rim, with the Rim ending in western New Mexico...
, making it the highest point in Apache County. It is the second highest point in the state after the six summits of the San Francisco Peaks
San Francisco Peaks
The San Francisco Peaks are a volcanic mountain range located in north central Arizona, just north of Flagstaff.The highest summit in the range, Humphreys Peak, is the highest point in the state of Arizona at in elevation. The San Francisco Peaks are the remains of an eroded stratovolcano...
near Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
. With a summit 11,420 feet (3,480 meters) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, the peak of Mount Baldy rises above the tree line and is left largely bare of vegetation, lending the mountain its current name.
The summit of Mount Baldy is within the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, a Western Apache tribe. It has a land area of 2,627.608...
and is off-limits to hikers without permission. An unnamed sub-peak with an elevation of 11,400 ft (3,474 m) exists approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) to the north of the summit that is off reservation and accessible to the public via maintained trail.
Mount Baldy is one of the most sacred mountains to the Apache of Arizona. The Western Apache of Arizona inhabited the areas within their most four sacred mountain ranges: the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona, the Pinaleno Mountains near the town of Safford in southeastern Arizona, the Four Peaks near the City of Phoenix and the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff.
When Captain George M. Wheeler visited the mountaintop in 1873, he described the view as "The most magnificent and effective of any among the large number that have come under my observation". Wheeler named the mountain Mount Thomas after General Lorenzo Thomas
Lorenzo Thomas
Lorenzo Thomas was a career United States Army officer who was Adjutant General of the Army at the beginning of the American Civil War. After the war, he was appointed temporary Secretary of War by President Andrew Johnson, precipitating Johnson's impeachment.-Early life:Thomas was born in New...
, who fought in the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
. It later became Mount Baldy.
Mount Baldy also contains the headwaters of the Salt River and produces the most abundant trout fishing streams in Arizona. No other mountain in Arizona produces as much rivers and streams.Along its slope it contains numerous manmade lakes. The area around Mount Baldy also averages the most abundant precipitation in Arizona. Mount Baldy also contains abundant wildlife including the recently introduced Mexican Grey Wolf.
While looking northeast from Historic Fort Apache (elevation 5,290 ft) Mount Baldy rises 6,130 ft in elevation.