Rincon Peak

Location in Arizona

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Rincon Peak

Rincon Peak (the United States)

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CountryUnited StatesStateArizonaCountyPimaProtected areaSaguaro National ParkParent rangeRincon Mountains^[4]Topo mapUSGS Rincon PeakGeologyMountain typeFault blockType of rockMetamorphic rock, Granite^[5]ClimbingEasiest routeTrail (class 1)^[1]

Rincon Peak is an 8,482-foot-elevation (2,585-meter) mountain summit in Pima County, Arizona, United States.

Description

Rincon Peak is located in the Rincon Mountains, 25 miles (40 km) east-southeast of Tucson in Saguaro National Park. It ranks as the second-highest peak within the park, second-highest in the range, and fourth-highest in the county.^[1]^[2] The nearest higher neighbor is Mica Mountain 6.84 miles (11 km) to the north.^[4] Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into the Gila River watershed.^[4] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,000 feet (914 meters) above Paige Creek in one mile (1.6 km) and 3,400 feet (1,036 meters) above Rincon Valley in three miles (4.8 km). Because of the higher elevation on Rincon Peak, animals such as the black bear, Mexican spotted owl, Arizona mountain king snake, and white-tailed deer make this mountain their habitat.^[6] An ascent of the peak involves an 8.1-mile hike (one-way) with 4,288-feet of elevation gain via the Rincon Peak Trail in combination with the Miller Creek Trail.^[2] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.^[3] Rincón is Spanish for "corner", referring to the topographic outline of the mountain range.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Rincon Peak is located in a Hot-summer Mediterranean climate zone which is surrounded by the Sonoran Desert.^[7] This climate supports a pine and conifer forest on the peak's slopes. Climbers can expect afternoon rain and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

Gallery

Southwest aspect
North aspect

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Rincon Peak - 8,482' AZ". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c Betty Leavengood, Tucson Hiking Guide, Graphic Arts Books, 2013, ISBN 9780871089762
^ ^a ^b "Rincon Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Rincon Peak, Arizona". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
^ Learning about the secrets of the Rincon Mountains, Western National Parks Association wnpa.org, Retrieved 2023-11-05.
^ Saguaro National Park - Nature, nps.gov, Retrieved 2023-11-05.
^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.