Silver Bell Mountains | |
Photo Size: | 300 |
Country: | United States |
State: | Arizona |
District Type: | County |
District: | Pima County |
Region: | Ironwood Forest National Monument (northeast)-Sonoran Desert (Avra Valley) |
Settlement: | Silver Bell, AZ |
Border: | West Silver Bell Mountains-NW Waterman Mountains-S Aguirre Valley-W & SW Avra Valley-E & I-10-NE |
Length Mi: | 6 |
Length Orientation: | N-NW x SE |
Width Mi: | 5 |
Highest: | Silver Bell Peak |
Elevation Ft: | 4,261 |
Coordinates: | 32.4084°N -111.4923°W |
Map: | USA Arizona |
The Silver Bell Mountains are a northwest–southeast trending mountain range in north–central Pima County, Arizona.[1] The range lies 14miles west of Marana, Arizona, located on Interstate-10, northwest of Tucson.
The range is located to the east of the Ironwood Forest National Monument. Ragged Top, located in the north of the range, is a well-known landmark in this former mining region.
The range is named after the Silver Bell Mine located at the southern end of the mountains. The range abuts the Waterman Mountains to the southeast, where palynology-(pollen) studies have shown some of the recent floristic history of Arizona during the Pliocene. Both ranges lie in the northeast Sonoran Desert; the Madrean Sky Island ranges begin just southeast of here, with the large, and most western sky island range, the Baboquivari Mountains-Quinlans 20–35 mi south.
The Silver Bell range can be accessed by Avra Valley Road and Silver Bell Road from the south of Marana.
Climate is characterized by extremely variable temperature conditions. The Köppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is "Bsh" (Mid-Latitude Steppe and Desert Climate).[2]
Silver Bell Peak
----Ragged Top Peak