South Mountains (Arizona) facts for kids
The South Mountains, often called South Mountain, are a mountain range in central Arizona. You can find them in the southern part of Phoenix, Arizona. The city of Phoenix manages these mountains as South Mountain Park. This means they are public land for everyone to enjoy! In the O'odham language, they are called Muhaḍagĭ Doʼag, and in Yavapai, they are Wi:ki'tiyeda.
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How South Mountain Was Formed
The South Mountains were created by huge forces deep inside the Earth. Scientists believe they are a special type of mountain called a metamorphic core complex. This means they formed when giant pieces of the Earth's crust, called tectonic plates, slowly moved. These plates pushed and pulled, causing the land to rise up and create mountain ranges like South Mountain.
The area around Phoenix looks flat, almost like a big lake with mountains rising out of it like islands. This flat area is actually a large basin filled with dirt and rocks. Underneath this flat land are more hidden ridges, similar to the South Mountains. These buried ridges are about one kilometer tall and spaced about one kilometer apart.
A Sacred Place
The South Mountains are very important to the Akimel O'odham and the Kwevkepaya people. Both groups consider these mountains to be sacred. This means the mountains hold deep spiritual and cultural meaning for them.
Exploring South Mountain Park
South Mountain Preserve is a huge part of the Phoenix Parks System. It is one of the largest city parks in the world! This park offers many fun activities for visitors. You can find picnic areas called ramadas, and lots of trails for hiking and mountain biking. There are also special areas for horseback riding. From the mountains, you get amazing views of downtown Phoenix.
South Mountain Peaks
The South Mountains have several important peaks. Here are the main ones, listed from west to east:
- Maricopa Peak (2,523 feet)
- Goat Hill (2,526 feet)
- Mount Suppoa (2,690 feet / 820 meters): This is the highest point in the mountains. It's also known as South Mountain or TV Tower Peak. Many radio and television towers are located here. These towers send signals for major TV networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC to the Phoenix area.
Cool Features to Discover
The South Mountains are full of interesting places and historical sites:
- Dobbins Lookout is the highest point you can reach by car or trail. It's at 2,330 feet (710 meters) and offers incredible views.
- Alta Ridge is a ridge located on the eastern side of Maricopa Peak.
- Telegraph Pass is a natural gap between South Mountain to the east and Goat Hill to the west.
- Fat Man's Pass is a unique rock formation found along the National Trail. It's a fun, narrow squeeze!
- Mystery Castle is located at the base of the mountains on the north side. This unique house was built around 1930 using unusual and recycled materials.
- You can see about 20 communication towers on the very top of South Mountain.
- The mountains also hold ruins from both ancient Native American people and later military groups. You can also find many petroglyphs, which are ancient carvings made into the dark rock surfaces.
Nature and Wildlife
The South Mountains are part of a larger area called the Salt River Mountains. This mountain range helps divide the Salt River valley. The mountains are home to many different plants and animals. One special tree you might see here is the elephant tree, also known as Bursera microphylla.
