City high points

[chumley]

In a recent discussion I was intrigued to figure out the high points of populated Arizona cities.

I’ve been too lazy to look it up. So I’ll ask HAZ.

Highest point in city limits of:
Phoenix
Tempe
Mesa
Scottsdale
Carefree
Cave Creek
Gilbert
Chandler
Peoria
Glendale
Surprise
Payson
Prescott
Tucson


Might need to be a new mapped area....

[DixieFlyer]

I think that East End is in the Scottsdale City Limits, and since East End is the highest point in the McDowells, I'd guess that East End is the highest point in Scottsdale.

[DixieFlyer]

For Mesa, I would think that the high point would be Peak 3312, the high point on the Pass Mountain Ridgeline. That's assuming that Pass Mountain is in the Mesa city limits.

[joebartels]

Phoenix I'd guess Mount Suappoa - Salt River Mountains

[CannondaleKid]

That's assuming that Pass Mountain is in the Mesa city limits.

Pass Mountain itself falls within the borders of Tonto National Forest so it is not within the city limits.

Even Usery Park, if it happened to fall within the 'perimeter' of the City of Mesa, since it is a Maricopa County Park it would be considered a 'county island' and technically not part of the City of Mesa.

It just so happens I live in a county island (Dreamland Villa) which is within the perimeter of the City of Mesa, so technically I'm not a resident of Mesa, yet I am a resident of Maricopa County.
Go figure...

As for the high point of Mesa, it's probably Peak 2786, which is on the west side of Usery Pass Road from Usery Park. (Not the PHOENIX peak, but the one just south and west of it... barely into the Mesa city limits.

[DixieFlyer]

If you want to cheat, here is a list of highpoints: http://www.surgent.net/highpoints/az/ma ... tyhps.html

[big_load]

@chumley
Some of those are in areas of such limited relief that the location of their high points varies with the phase of the moon.

[chumley]

@DixieFlyer not surprised surgent has a list. He's the man! But it's 5 years old, and as strange as this seems for a topic like this, things change over time!
@big_load Yeah I figured the Chander high point might be a freeway overpass

I had no idea that Camelback and SoMo were exactly the same height! But it also doesn't surprise me that there are peaks in North Phoenix that are higher.

I wasn't sure if Tempe Butte was higher than any of the Papago points still in north Tempe.

And I'm surprised the Scottsdale highpoint isn't in the McDowells. I thought that was all Carefree and Cave Creek up there!

[SpiderLegs]

Barrett and I did the high point of Phoenix. With all of the annexation they've done, it was up near Anthem. A tough 4X4 approach to a dull, non-descript mountain.

For a challenge, do the high point of Tolleson, it's the Circle K parking lot off of 83rd Avenue and I-10.

[DixieFlyer]

Has anyone ever hiked up to Butte Peak, the City of Scottsdale high point? In looking at a topo map, it looks doable to get to Butte Peak from Bronco Butte. I guess that I will have to go check it out.

[chumley]

Has anyone ever hiked up to Butte Peak

If you look up this thread by four posts ... to the last time you posted ... you'll find a link with your answer.

[mazatzal]

You can get there from Bronco Butte (longer) or from Old Mine Road in Tonto Hills (shorter):
[ photoset ]

[DixieFlyer]

You can get there from Bronco Butte (longer) or from Old Mine Road in Tonto Hills (shorter)

Thanks -- I'm thinking that going from Old Mine Road may take you on some private trails in a ritzy development, so I think that I will try and get there from Bronco Butte

[mazatzal]

Looks to me like Butte Peak is in the "ritzy development" = Desert Mountain.

[DixieFlyer]

Looks to me like Butte Peak is in the "ritzy development" = Desert Mountain.

Thanks...do you have a link to a map or anything? My National Geographic Map of the Tonto National Forest shows a trail (which I believe is Trail #287) going from Bronco Butte to Butte Peak, and then continuing SE to just north of Gold Hill before going NE to Rackensack Canyon...but once you get very far south of Bronco Butte you are in the city of Scottsdale instead of the Tonto National Forest...coming from Bronco Butte unless there is a sign saying that you are on private property instead of the Tonto National Forest I am not sure how someone is supposed to know that you are in the Desert Mountain property

[mazatzal]

I was lookking at the TNF map. Trail #287 goes west of bronco to China wall. If you see a trail from bronco it is new and is most likely a desert mtn trail. However I agree with your final point.

[DixieFlyer]

@mazatzal

I've highlighted the trail in the attachment...the trail running south from Trail 245 looks like Trail 287 going to China Wall and then to Bronco Butte...but this is the only map that I have seen that shows the trail continuing to Butte Peak, and then past Butte Peak...but perhaps it is a private trail

I guess this shows the importance of having public lands for the people to use...otherwise someone like Bill Gates would buy the Grand Canyon, the San Francisco Peaks, Mogollon Rim, Four Peaks, Flatiron, etc for his own personal use...then the rest of us would be stuck with hiking the Lost Goldmine Trail and Silly Mountain..lol

[chumley]

@DixieFlyer
That map makes it look like the segment you highlighted is part of the Maricopa Trail, which it is definitely not (it runs east of 7 Springs Rd near Kentuck Mtn).

The shaded portion marks the private property of Desert Mtn, with NF land north and east of it. That trail definitely crosses Desert Mtn, and the peak is definitely on private property. Whether or not there are fences, gates, or signs prohibiting public entry from the forest trail, you'll find out when you get there.

Make sure to smile at the trail cams when you pass by.

[mazatzal]

It's definitely in desert mtn.
I have an older TNF map that shows this was TNF land but they sold it for development. A bit sad but inevitable

[DixieFlyer]

@chumley
yeah, I couldn't tell for sure from my map whether it was on private land or not...but I suspected that it was, especially since Butte Peak doesn't seem to be one that people brag about hiking...that is too bad -- it would have been nice to hike the city of Scottsdale high point, but it's not like it's a bucket lister for me