The Arizona Mountains Gazetteer

Despite its reputation as a "desert" state, Arizona is one of the most mountainous states in the country. Within its borders are nearly 200 named mountain ranges, over a hundred more hill-ranges, many hundreds of volcanic mounds, and many more hundreds of eroded mountain-like formations within the Grand Canyon and other great canyons and at the periphery of the giant plateaus. By one measure, Arizona has over 7,000 distinct mountains. There is virtually nowhere within the state that one could stand and not see a mountain close by or on the distant horizon. The Arizona Mountains Gazetteer is an encyclopedic compendium of over 1,600 mountains, peaks, hills, mesas, buttes, mounds, cinder cones and eroded formations within Arizona. Not a guidebook in the usual sense, information ranges from thumbnails on hiking or climbing a particular mountain to important and often fascinating aspects of its role in history. Which mountains played roles in the Civil War? Where did the various Native Americans seek refuge during the American presence in the latter 19th century? Where did early American explorers discover mineral wealth that established an economic foothold and would eventually result in the creation of the Territory of Arizona? Which mountain was the site of one of the worst airplane disasters in American history? Which mountains have been in the movies? Which mountains have been in song lyrics? Which mountain is named for a wandering mule? Which famous Hollywood actor climbed a vertical spire on the Navajo Nation? Which mountain appears on the state's license plates? Which mountain is less than a thousand years old? Which mountain has interesting mathematical qualities to it? Which mountain has a boat on top of it? Somewhere in the pages of this book are the answers!