Rawhide Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Rawhide Mountains are a mountain range of western Arizona
, in the southwest of Mohave County
. It is part of a block of mountain ranges on the north of an insular region called the Maria fold and thrust belt
, containing mountain ranges, valleys, and plains. The Rawhide Mountains border the much smaller Artillery Mountains
southeast, bordering on Alamo Lake State Park
and the south-flowing Big Sandy River (Arizona)
.
The border to the southwest are the Bill Williams Mountains, and the Poachie Range
with the large Arrastra Mountain Wilderness
is northeast and east.
The high point of the range is Aubrey Peak (Rawhide Mountains) at 2953 feet (900 m). Two other peaks lie at the southeast, Miller Peak at 2793 feet (851 m), and Fools Peak at 2939 feet (896 m).
The southern perimeter of the Rawhide Mountains is the west-flowing Bill Williams River
. The river is part of the northern border of the Maria fold and thrust belt
with the block of mountains north forming the border, and is also part of the southeast Mojave Desert
, another de facto border. South of the river is the northwestern Sonoran Desert
. The major mountain block at the intersection of the this region west in California is the Whipple Mountains
of southeast California
, in the northeast Colorado Desert
(the northwestern Sonoran Desert). The Whipple Mountains cause the south-flowing Colorado River
to traverse southeast, then back southwest around the Whipple Mountains massif
. The Colorado then turns back to the south. (It makes another excursion south of the Trigo Mountains
massif.)
, of 15400 acres (6,232 ha). It is accessed by unimproved dirt roads, which are on the southwest and southeast perimeter. Two geologic hikes are profiled in the region. The route starts at Wikieup
and Hike 29 is in the southern Hualapai Mountains at a mountain saddle. The route is the access to Centennial Wash (Mohave County)
, Hike 30, where the wash is part of the southeast border of the Aubrey Peak Wilderness.
. It is in the northeast of the Buckskin Mountains
, the southeast of the Rawhide's and forms the western border of Alamo Lake, at Alamo Lake State Park
.
Aubrey Peak
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 southwest of Mohave County
Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...
. It is part of a block of mountain ranges on the north of an insular region called the Maria fold and thrust belt
Maria Fold and Thrust Belt
The Maria fold and thrust belt is a portion of the North American Cordillera orogen in which geological structures accommodate roughly north-south to northwest-southeast vergent Mesozoic age crustal shortening. This lies in contrast to the remainder of the Cordillera, in which shortening is...
, containing mountain ranges, valleys, and plains. The Rawhide Mountains border the much smaller Artillery Mountains
Artillery Mountains
The Artillery Mountains are a mountain range in Mohave County in western Arizona. High point of the range is Artillery Peak, 2,917 feet above sea level. Artillery Peak is at coordinates N 34.36946 W 113.58160 ....
southeast, bordering on Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, centered around Alamo Lake, a flood control and recreational reservoir. The park is located in western Arizona about north of Wenden. It is accessed via dirt road off either U.S. Route 60 to the south or U.S. Route 93 to the east...
and the south-flowing Big Sandy River (Arizona)
Big Sandy River (Arizona)
The Big Sandy River is in northwestern Arizona in Mohave County. It begins where Cottonwood Wash and Trout Creek converge in the Hualapai Indian Reservation near Hualapai Peak then flows past Wikieup south of Kingman. It has a length of and joins the Santa Maria River to form Bill Williams River...
.
The border to the southwest are the Bill Williams Mountains, and the Poachie Range
Poachie Range
The Poachie Range is a moderate length mountain range and massif in southeast Mohave County, Arizona, and the extreme southwest corner of Yavapai County; the range also abuts the northeast corner of La Paz County...
with the large Arrastra Mountain Wilderness
Arrastra Mountain Wilderness
The Arrastra Mountain Wilderness is located in Mohave, Yavapai, and La Paz counties, northwest of Phoenix and southeast of Kingman, Arizona. This sprawling wildland encompasses imposing landscapes and unique natural features. The Poachie Range, which trends northwest-southeast through the...
is northeast and east.
The high point of the range is Aubrey Peak (Rawhide Mountains) at 2953 feet (900 m). Two other peaks lie at the southeast, Miller Peak at 2793 feet (851 m), and Fools Peak at 2939 feet (896 m).
The southern perimeter of the Rawhide Mountains is the west-flowing Bill Williams River
Bill Williams River
The Bill Williams River is a river in western-central Arizona in Mohave County; the river proper is the northern border of La Paz County which it drains in the north, as well as areas of far western Yavapai County...
. The river is part of the northern border of the Maria fold and thrust belt
Maria Fold and Thrust Belt
The Maria fold and thrust belt is a portion of the North American Cordillera orogen in which geological structures accommodate roughly north-south to northwest-southeast vergent Mesozoic age crustal shortening. This lies in contrast to the remainder of the Cordillera, in which shortening is...
with the block of mountains north forming the border, and is also part of the southeast Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, another de facto border. South of the river is the northwestern 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...
. The major mountain block at the intersection of the this region west in California is the Whipple Mountains
Whipple Mountains
The Whipple Mountains, 'Avii Kur'utat in the Mojave language, are located in eastern San Bernardino County, California. They are directly west of the Colorado River, Parker Dam, and Lake Havasu; south of Needles, California; north of Parker, Arizona and Vidal, California; and northeast of Vidal...
of southeast California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the northeast Colorado Desert
Colorado Desert
California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert, which extends across southwest North America. The Colorado Desert region encompasses approximately , reaching from the Mexican border in the south to the higher-elevation Mojave Desert in the north and from the Colorado River in...
(the northwestern Sonoran Desert). The Whipple Mountains cause the south-flowing Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
to traverse southeast, then back southwest around the Whipple Mountains massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
. The Colorado then turns back to the south. (It makes another excursion south of the Trigo Mountains
Trigo Mountains
The Trigo Mountains is a north-south trending mountain range, bordering the Colorado River on the east in the Lower Colorado River Valley and lies north of the Colorado River as it turns east, north of Martinez Lake and the Imperial Reservoir...
massif.)
Rawhide Mountains and Aubrey Peak wildernesses
Approximately half of the Rawhide Mountains contain wilderness areas.Aubrey Peak Wilderness
The northwest of the range consists of the Aubrey Peak WildernessAubrey Peak Wilderness
The Aubrey Peak Wilderness is a wilderness administered by the Bureau of Land Management . The wilderness is located in northwest Arizona in the southwest of Mohave County, a region of the southeastern Mojave Desert's extension into northwest Arizona....
, of 15400 acres (6,232 ha). It is accessed by unimproved dirt roads, which are on the southwest and southeast perimeter. Two geologic hikes are profiled in the region. The route starts at Wikieup
Wikieup, Arizona
Wikieup is a small unincorporated community located on U.S. Route 93 in Mohave County, Arizona. It is located approximately south of Interstate 40 and approximately northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. In 2000, the population of Wikieup's ZCTA was 305....
and Hike 29 is in the southern Hualapai Mountains at a mountain saddle. The route is the access to Centennial Wash (Mohave County)
Centennial Wash (Mohave County)
The Centennial Wash is a northern minor wash tributary to the west-flowing Bill Williams River. The wash drains from the western third of the Rawhide Mountains, and partially forms the southeast border of the wilderness at the northwest of the Rawhide's, the Aubrey Peak Wilderness.-Geology:Being...
, Hike 30, where the wash is part of the southeast border of the Aubrey Peak Wilderness.
Rawhide Mountains Wilderness
The Rawhide Mountains Wilderness is a large wilderness that is on both banks of the Bill Williams River, and the confluence of the Big Sandy River (Arizona)Big Sandy River (Arizona)
The Big Sandy River is in northwestern Arizona in Mohave County. It begins where Cottonwood Wash and Trout Creek converge in the Hualapai Indian Reservation near Hualapai Peak then flows past Wikieup south of Kingman. It has a length of and joins the Santa Maria River to form Bill Williams River...
. It is in the northeast of the Buckskin Mountains
Buckskin Mountains
The Buckskin Mountains are a mountain range in western-central Arizona, USA. The range lies just east of the north-south Colorado River, and borders south of the east-west, west-flowing Bill Williams River....
, the southeast of the Rawhide's and forms the western border of Alamo Lake, at Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park
Alamo Lake State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, centered around Alamo Lake, a flood control and recreational reservoir. The park is located in western Arizona about north of Wenden. It is accessed via dirt road off either U.S. Route 60 to the south or U.S. Route 93 to the east...
.
External links
Aubrey Peak