Sierra Pinta
Encyclopedia
The Sierra Pinta or Sierra Pintas (coll. Spanish
for "Painted Mountains") are a narrow remote block faulted northwest-southeast trending mountain range, about 22 miles (35 km) long located in southwestern Arizona
in the arid northwestern Sonoran Desert
, just north of the Pinacate Reserve of northern Sonora
, Mexico
. The mountains derive their name from visitor descriptions of its multicolored hues when viewed at sunrise and sunset.
The north end of the range contains the peak called Point of the Pintas at 1272 feet (388 m), then Bean Pass; adjacent southward is the peak Isla Pinta, at 2008 feet (612 m), and Sunday Pass. The Sierra Pinta range is toward the southern end of the Mohawk Valley
, which also borders the range on the east, and east to the Bryan Mountains
. West of the Sierra Pintas is the Tule Desert (Arizona)
, and south in northern Sonora is the El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar, the extensive and active volcanic and cinder cone
field and preserve. The highest peak in the range is in the south and is unnamed at 2202 feet (671 m).
An early noting of the existence of the Sierra Pinta Range was in the explorations of Anza
.
(all to the southwest of the Sierra Pintas). The road terminates close by at the US-Mexico Border at an unimproved road called the El Camino del Diablo
, or Devil's Highway, which parallels the border. This is a no man's land
region in the high point of summer heat.
. The closest access point from the north is Mohawk
on Interstate 8 in Arizona. Ajo
, Arizona is 35 air miles eastward beyond two mountain ranges and valleys; Sonoyta, Sonora is slightly southeastward at the south border crossing of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
.
The Sierra Pinta Range is a demarcation line of distribution for occurrence of a number of species. For example, this range is the southernmost occurrence of the California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera
.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "Painted Mountains") are a narrow remote block faulted northwest-southeast trending mountain range, about 22 miles (35 km) long located in southwestern 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...
in the arid 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...
, just north of the Pinacate Reserve of northern Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The mountains derive their name from visitor descriptions of its multicolored hues when viewed at sunrise and sunset.
The north end of the range contains the peak called Point of the Pintas at 1272 feet (388 m), then Bean Pass; adjacent southward is the peak Isla Pinta, at 2008 feet (612 m), and Sunday Pass. The Sierra Pinta range is toward the southern end of the Mohawk Valley
Mohawk Valley (Arizona)
The Mohawk Valley is a valley in the lower regions of the western Gila River Valley in southwestern Arizona in the western Sonoran Desert....
, which also borders the range on the east, and east to the Bryan Mountains
Bryan Mountains
The Bryan Mountains are a small mountain range in the northwestern Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. The range is located in southeastern Yuma County, about 75 mi southeast of Yuma and about 35 mi west of Ajo. The range is approximately ten miles long and about three miles wide at...
. West of the Sierra Pintas is the Tule Desert (Arizona)
Tule Desert (Arizona)
The Tule Desert is a small desert located in southwestern Arizona near the U.S.-Mexico border. It is considered to be part of the Lower Colorado Valley region of the Sonoran Desert. It lies in a north-south direction to the east of the Cabeza Prieta Mountains and almost entirely in the Barry M....
, and south in northern Sonora is the El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar, the extensive and active volcanic and cinder cone
Cinder cone
According to the , Cinder Cone is the proper name of 1 cinder cone in Canada and 7 cinder cones in the United States:In Canada: Cinder Cone In the United States:...
field and preserve. The highest peak in the range is in the south and is unnamed at 2202 feet (671 m).
An early noting of the existence of the Sierra Pinta Range was in the explorations of Anza
Anza
Anza may refer to:Anza ,area in agadir city , in Morocco* Anza, California, a town in Riverside County* Anza, Imperial County, California* Anzá, Antioquia, a town in Colombia* Anza , a river in Piedmont, Italy...
.
Roads and the region
West of the northwest end of the Sierra Pintas, the north-south "Christmas Pass Road" goes south from Interstate 8 and through Christmas Pass, adjacent to the Tule Desert, on the southeast end of the Cabeza Prieta MountainsCabeza Prieta Mountains
The Cabeza Prieta Mountains are a mountain range in the northwestern Sonoran Desert of southwest Arizona. It is located in southern Yuma County, Arizona....
(all to the southwest of the Sierra Pintas). The road terminates close by at the US-Mexico Border at an unimproved road called the El Camino del Diablo
El Camino Del Diablo
El Camino Del Diablo is a historic 250-mile Spanish colonial trail route, which originally ran from Caborca, Sonora through Quitovac, Sonoyta and Quitobaquito Springs, before continuing through extremely remote and arid desert to the Colorado River at Yuma Crossing, now Yuma, Arizona...
, or Devil's Highway, which parallels the border. This is a no man's land
No man's land
No man's land is a term for land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties that leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms...
region in the high point of summer heat.
Ecology
The Sierra Pintas lie in the central-western portion of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife RefugeCabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
The Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona in the United States. The refuge, established in 1939 to protect Desert Bighorn Sheep, is located along of the U.S.-Mexico border, and covers 860,010 acres — larger than the land area of the state...
. The closest access point from the north is Mohawk
Mohawk, Arizona
Mohawk is an unincorporated community in Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is part of the Yuma Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
on Interstate 8 in Arizona. Ajo
Ajo, Arizona
Ajo is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,705 at the 2000 census. Ajo is located on State Route 85 just from the Mexican border. It is the closest community to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument....
, Arizona is 35 air miles eastward beyond two mountain ranges and valleys; Sonoyta, Sonora is slightly southeastward at the south border crossing of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a U.S. National Monument and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in extreme southern Arizona which shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora. The park is the only place in the United States where the Organ Pipe Cactus grows wild...
.
The Sierra Pinta Range is a demarcation line of distribution for occurrence of a number of species. For example, this range is the southernmost occurrence of the California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera
Washingtonia filifera
Washingtonia filifera , with the common names California Fan Palm , Desert Fan Palm, Cotton palm, and Arizona Fan Palm. It is a palm native to southwestern North America between an elevation range of , at seeps, desert bajadas, and springs where underground water is continuously available...
.
See also
- Valley and range sequence-Southern Yuma CountyValley and range sequence-Southern Yuma CountyThe Valley and range sequence-Southern Yuma County is a 3-Valley sequence of NW–by–SE trending block faulted valleys and mountains...
- List of mountain ranges of Yuma County, Arizona
- List of mountain ranges of Arizona