A short, steep hike to the summit ridge of the Sierra Estrella Mountains at Quartz Peak. LockA locked padlock Allow at least one hour for the traverse from one mountain to another. Unmaintained dirt roads extend eastward to the wilderness boundary from here. Only the western boundary of the wilderness is accessible to the public; elsewhere the area is bounded by the Gila River Indian Reservation. Please respect the property rights of the owners and do not cross or use these lands without their permission. A lock ( Butterfly Mountain, 4,119 feet (1,255 m) [7] Quartz Peak, 4,052 feet (1,235 m) [8] (usually obscured by Butterfly Mountain when viewed from the east) Montezuma Peak, 4,337 feet (1,322 m) [9] Montezuma Head; The names of the peaks can vary by map. The Quartz Peak Trail takes you to the summit of the Sierra Estrella. I chose to ignore it and you have to drive through a wash to continue which should be no problem unless you are in a little sports sedan. "Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men listen." This rugged desert range forms the impressive southwestern skyline of the Phoenix metro area. ed. It's about 10 miles to the turnoff to the trailhead. Although distinguished as one of the closest wilderness areas to metropolitan Phoenix, four-wheel-drive vehicles are required to approach the wilderness boundary. Directly ahead of us, the mysterious Sierra Estrella Mountains stretch for 25 miles from north to south, jutting 4,500 feet up into the blue desert sky. Some lands around and within the wilderness are not federally administered. Butterfly Mountain, 4,119 feet (1,255 m) Quartz Peak, 4,052 feet (1,235 m) (usually obscured by Butterfly Mountain when viewed from the east) Montezuma Peak, 4,337 feet (1,322 m) As always, the sight of them puts helium in my heart, a sense of lightness and freedom. The Quartz Peak Trail is in the Sierra Estrella Wilderness. According to legend, in 1847 a Spaniard named Don Joaquin led a mining expedition in these mountains, in the hopes of … (5), Comments Downtown Phoenix is barely visible just below Squaw Peak, and slightly to the right. ), Gem Guides, Upland, CA, 2000. The distinctive pointed summit of the Sierra Estrella highpoint is perhaps the most noticeable natural feature of the Phoenix skyline. Estrella Mountain Regional Park is located southwest of Phoenix and boasts 20,000 acres of pristine desert, mountains and a large wetland. This road was in extremely poor condition,very rocky and washed out after the recent rains, in particular the first 5 miles. Despite its incredible natural features – thick forests, hidden lakes and a lofty peak – Portugal's Serra da Estrela mountain range is often overlooked. Estrella Mountains. The range lies in the north-central part of the country and runs for some 40 miles (65 km) between the basins of the Tagus and Mondego rivers. Entries with a † indicate the peak has a low topographic prominence and may be considered a subpeak to a higher nearby summit. Map and location information for Butterfly Peak in Arizona: Butterfly Peak is one of the Summits in Pima County, AZ and can be found on the Mount Bigelow USGS topographic quad map. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Sat, Mar 10, 2012, 9:00 AM: RSVP's open February 29, 6:00 P.M.A new adventure for the HHH group last year, The Quartz Peak Trail offers us views of the desert, Sierra Estrella Wilderness, Butterfly Mo I’ll post something law-related for you soon. Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution. Search Wilderness Connect For Practitioners Search Wilderness Connect For Practitioners You can look back from there to where this picture was taken, for the reverse view. This range dramatically rises out of the desert floor. Overview. The Sierra Estrella rise sharply from the desert floor, and tower over 3,000' above the Gila Valley. If I could get up here fast enough I might have time to zip over, climb up the twin peaks of Butterfly, and then come back just as Chris made the first summit. The Sierra Estrella is a northwest-trending mountain range consisting of a single compact ridge that is 38 km in length, and 5 to 7 km wide. blm.gov The high, pointed peak near the center of the photo is Montezuma Sleeping (elevation ~4200 feet, 1280 meters).To the left (south) of that, about one-fourth of the width of the photo across, is Butterfly Mountain (elevation 4119 feet, 1255 meters).Quartz Peak is one of its summits. It is beautiful, for sure, and offers great opportunities for exploring nature. The name could also refer to the abundant, sparkling flakes of mica present in the Precambrian schist. Butterfly Mountain is a peak inside of Sierra Estrella Wilderness. The turnoff is at mile marker 35 on Hwy 238. This is a 5.2 mile out-and-back hike with 3100 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 3-5 hours to complete. The GPS coordinates are 32.4314646 (latitude), -110.7306491 (longitude) and the approximate elevation is 7,323 feet (2,232 meters) above sea level. Hiking trip report, map, and photos for Sierra Estrella High Point (Hayes Peak), located in Estrella Mountains BLM, Arizona. An official website of the United States government. The Sierra Estrella (O'odham: Komaḍk , Maricopa: Vii Lyxa , Yavapai: Wi:kchasa ) is a mountain range located southwest of Phoenix, Arizona. Along the way, visitors are treated to a variety of Sonoran Desert plants and wildlife, scenic vistas, and evidence of the area's volcanic history. Phoenix area trail descriptions are given to the nearest hundredth of a mile and illustrated on maps. (13), Climber's Log Entries Official websites use .gov Entries in bold indicate the peak is the highest point in its respective county.. In memory of John R Scott. The following is a list of the mountains and hills of Arizona, ordered by height.. Discover trails like Estrella Mountains Competitive Track Arizona, find information like trail length, elevation, difficulty, activities, and nearby businesses. It is accessed from Rainbow Valley and Riggs Roads, approximately 25 miles southwest of Phoenix.-Drive west on I-10 to exit 126 and go south on Estrella Parkway to Elliot Road.-Turn right on Elliot and go west to Rainbow Valley Road. ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Bing Maps has a collection of great trails with directions to trail heads as well as photos. Directions: The Sierra Estrellas are run in a NW - SE direction and lie just south of west Phoenix on the border of the Gila River Indian Reservation. Lower Sonoran Field Office View Butterfly Mountain/Quartz Peak Image Gallery - 13 Images. Finally finished this video series off. The extreme elevation differences have cause diverse plant and animal communities. I found the roads approaching from the North to be in MUCH better condition and will never use the Southern route again as I was lucky not to get stuck or tear up my rig. Phoenix, AZ 85027. © 2006-2021 SummitPost.org. You can see the Sierra Estrella in a reverse view from the McDowell Mountains. --John Muir, Images The arid Sierra Estrella Mountain Range south of Phoenix, Arizona can be a dangerous trek for even the most experienced hiker, as the jagged peaks provide no water along its few rarely used trails. The Mountain range is located south west of Phoenix with the trail located on the ... 40 desert bighorn sheep that roam this mountain range. Much of the range falls within the Gila River Indian Reservation, but 14,400 acres (5,800 ha) of BLM land is protected as the Sierra Estrella Wilderness. Butterfly Peak is located about a mile to the east and is much more difficult to reach. Estrella Mountain Regional Park Gadsden Trail Quartz Peak Rainbow Valley Rock Knob Loop: Guidebooks: Freeman, Roger and Ethel, Day Hikes and Trail Rides in and Around Phoenix, (2nd. However, what these mountains do offer, is a rich history and the promise of buried treasure. (5), Additions & Corrections The Sierra Estrella, or Star Mountains, are located in south-central Arizona. Butterfly Mountain is a commitment well beyond the requirement of the Quartz Peak Trail. Update as of 12-22-14: I drove in from the South. While the area looks mostly empty, it is home to over three million people. Butterfly Mountain rises 2,600 feet above the desert plain to an elevation of 4,119 feet in only two miles. Many postcards of downtown Phoenix have the Sierra Estrella’s as the backdrop. GENERAL INFORMATION: Quartz Peak Trail, in the 14,400-acre Sierra Estrella Wilderness, leads visitors from the floor of Rainbow Valley (elevation 1,550 feet) to the summit ridge of the Sierra Estrella at Quartz Peak (elevation 4,052 feet) in just 3 miles. (1 ). Secure .gov websites use HTTPS At the bottom of Butterfly Canyon, Canyon to the east of Quartz Peak, the AZ Fish and Game has built a water catchment for the sheep. Take Interstate 10 to exit 121 and travel south to reach the Rainbow Valley Road and Riggs Road. The word ‘estrella’ means star in Spanish and indeed the highest peaks in this range reach for the stars above the low surrounding deserts. The Estrela Mountains are the highest mountains in continental Portugal. Theoretically. The Sierra Estrellas. Butterfly Peak 4119' Quartz Peak 4,052' The Sierra Estrella’s are the sharp range that’s lies south of Phoenix and south of South Mountain. Primitive dirt roads near the wilderness boundary are extremely sandy or silty, and wash crossings are rugged and deep. Feb 1, 2018 - Butterfly Mountain/Quartz Peak : SummitPost.org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering Butterfly Mountain, East Wing Quartz is not a ranked summit because there is only 275 feet of relief from the shared saddle with Butterfly, not the requisite 300. rock. It took me 2 hours to get there!You will need high clearance 4WD for this road. All Rights Reserved. If you don’t care about how to hike the highest peak in a rugged and desolate mountain range that towers above Phoenix, this probably isn’t going to be very interesting at all. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. On my way back I used the route described here (turning North) and the road was in much better condition, just a bit sandy and with a couple of minor wash crossings. Resources. 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