Mount McDowell, Red sandstone summit in Salt River Pima-Maricopa Reservation, Arizona.
Mount McDowell is a summit on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Reservation in Arizona, rising about 2,832 feet (863 m) above the surrounding desert floor. Its rocky faces are made of red sandstone, making it a visible point of reference across the flat Maricopa County landscape.
The mountain was named after General Irvin McDowell, a Union officer during the Civil War in the 1860s. Since 1980, access to the summit has been closed to honor the interests and protection needs of the tribal community.
The mountain is considered sacred by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and is not open to the public. Visitors can only observe it from a distance, which gives the site a quiet sense of reverence.
The mountain is clearly visible from several spots along the Salt River, where you can get a good look at its red stone faces. Bringing binoculars helps you notice the details of the rock surface from those viewing areas.
The western face of the mountain has a natural cleft called Gunsight, which resembles the notch of a rifle sight. This feature is easy to spot when looking at the mountain from the riverbank viewing areas.
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