Wilson Mountain (Arizona) - Misplaced Pages

Mountain in Arizona, United States For other uses, see Wilson Mountain.

Wilson Mountain
South aspect
Highest point
Elevation	7,122 ft (2,171 m)
Prominence	1,422 ft (433 m)
Parent peak	East Pocket Knob (7,196 ft)
Isolation	4.12 mi (6.63 km)
Coordinates	34°55′04″N 111°45′04″W / 34.9177184°N 111.7511301°W / 34.9177184; -111.7511301
Naming
Etymology	Richard Wilson
Geography
Wilson MountainLocation in ArizonaShow map of ArizonaWilson MountainWilson Mountain (the United States)Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Coconino
Protected area	Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Wilson Mountain
Geology
Rock age	Permian
Mountain type	Mesa
Rock type	Basalt Coconino Sandstone Schnebly Hill Formation
Climbing
Easiest route	Scrambling (class 2+)

Wilson Mountain is a 7,122-foot-elevation (2,171-meter) summit in Coconino County, Arizona, United States.

Description

Wilson Mountain is located three miles north of Sedona in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness, on land managed by Coconino National Forest. It is the highest peak in Sedona, and second-highest in the wilderness. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains to Oak Creek which is part of the Verde River watershed. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over 2,400 feet (732 meters) above Oak Creek Canyon in one mile (1.6 km). The nearest higher neighbor is East Pocket Knob, 3.73 miles (6 km) to the north. Wilson Mountain is composed of light-colored Coconino Sandstone overlaying reddish Schnebly Hill Formation, which is all capped by a layer of dark-gray basalt. Hiking to the top via the Wilson Mountain Trail covers 5.6 miles (one-way) with 2,300 feet of elevation gain.

Etymology

Wilson Mountain and Wilson Canyon, which is on the mountain's southern slope, are named after Richard Wilson who was killed by a grizzly bear in the canyon in June 1885. Wilson, a bear hunter, was unable to resist the temptation to shoot the large grizzly with a small rifle he had with him instead of his usual large caliber bear gun, which was being repaired. The bear was only wounded, and attacked Wilson, and his mauled body was found nine days later. The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. Landforms officially named in association include Wilson Canyon, Lost Wilson Mountain, and First Bench of Wilson Mountain.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Wilson Mountain is located in a temperate semi-arid climate zone. Hikers can expect afternoon rain and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.

Gallery

Wilson Mountain viewed from Munds Mountain
SSW aspect, from airport
South aspect from Midgely Bridge on Highway 89A
West aspect of Wilson Mountain on skyline viewed from Bear Mountain
North aspect of Wilson Mountain to right of center, with Oak Creek Canyon below.

References

^ "Wilson Mountain - 7,122' AZ". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
^ "Wilson Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
^ "Wilson Mountain, Arizona". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
^ Wilson Mountain in Sedona Arizona, Alltrips.com, Retrieved 2024-05-09.
Ivo Lucchitta, Hiking Arizona's Geology, The Mountaineers Books, 2001, ISBN 9781594853067, p. 100.
Wilson Mountain Trail No. 10, US Forest Service, Retrieved 2024-05-09.
David Earl Brown, The Last Grizzly and Other Southwestern Bear Stories, 1988, University of Arizona Press, ISBN 9780816510672, p. 69–73.
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.