Four Peaks
Landform near Phoenix, Arizona
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Four Peaks (Yavapai: Wi:khoba[4]) is a prominent landmark on the eastern skyline of Phoenix. Part of the Mazatzal Mountains, it is located in the Four Peaks Wilderness[5] in the Tonto National Forest, 40 miles (64 km) east-northeast of Phoenix. In winter, Four Peaks offers much of the Phoenix metro area a view of snow-covered peaks. Four Peaks is the site of an amethyst mine that produces top-grade amethyst.
| Browns Peak | |
|---|---|
| Yavapai: Wi:khoba | |
View of Four Peaks with some snow | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,659 ft (2,334 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Prominence | 3,297 ft (1,005 m)[2] |
| Listing | Arizona county high point[3] |
| Coordinates | 33°41′04″N 111°19′32″W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Browns Peak | |
| Location | Gila / Maricopa counties, Arizona, U.S. |
| Parent range | Mazatzal Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Four Peaks |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Exposed scramble, class 3 |
The name Four Peaks is a reference to the four distinct peaks of a north–south ridge forming the massif's summit. The northernmost peak is named Brown's Peak and is the tallest of the four at 7,659 feet (2,334 m).[1] It is the highest point in Maricopa County. The remaining summits have no official names, and from north to south are 7,644 feet (2,330 m),[6] 7,574 feet (2,309 m)[7] and 7,526 feet (2,294 m)[8] in elevation.
View of other three peaks from Browns Peak
View from desert floor of Four Peaks
Four Peaks is depicted on the standard Vehicle registration plates of Arizona.[9]
Four Peaks Wilderness
The Four Peaks Wilderness, established in 1984, covers 60,740 acres of land. It is home to a diverse variety of plants and animals due to the quick change of elevation in the range.[10] Brown's Trail, found in the Four Peaks Wilderness, is used to reach the tallest peak and is home to black bears, ring-tailed cats, skunks, and coyotes.[11] The Four Peaks Wilderness contains a section of the Arizona Trail,[12] which is considered one of the most difficult passages, as it is infrequently maintained.[13] On April 27, 1996, a party of two campers left a campfire unattended near Lone Pine Saddle. This caused the Lone Fire which burned over 61,000 acres and lasted 11 days.[14] The Lone fire was Arizona's largest recorded wildfire prior to the Rodeo–Chediski Fire in 2002.
