place

Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area

1978 establishments in ArizonaCoronado National ForestIUCN Category IbProtected areas established in 1978Protected areas of Pima County, Arizona
Santa Catalina MountainsWilderness areas of Arizona
Pusch Ridge from the southeast
Pusch Ridge from the southeast

Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area is a 56,430 acre (228.36 km2) wilderness area. It is located within the Coronado National Forest in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona, United States. Established in 1978, the area varies greatly in elevation and biodiversity, rising from 2,800 feet to over 9,100 feet in elevation. The area was originally created in an ill-fated effort to preserve and protect the sensitive Desert Bighorn Sheep population on Pusch Ridge, one of the last remaining populations in Arizona. Due in part to increased residential and commercial development around the Santa Catalina Mountains in Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills, however, the Desert Bighorn Sheep population in the wilderness area has dwindled dramatically, and sightings have nearly ceased in recent years. In November 2013, 31 adult bighorn sheep were reintroduced to the area. In early February 2014, 2 lambs were spotted by an Arizona Game and Fish Department official. These two are the first Catalina-born desert bighorn sheep in nearly 25 years.Plant life at lower elevations includes saguaro cactus and other desert plants. Trees found at mid-level elevations include mountain mahogany, juniper and pinyon pine. Forests of fir and aspen grow above 8,000 feet.In the middle of the Santa Catalina mountains there is a dome-shaped core of Catalina granite, formed in the Triassic period. The south face of the mountains is formed by Catalina gneiss with bands of white quartzite, this face is the form of a steep anticline and it is separated from the rest of the mountains by a series of valleys.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Pusch Ridge Wilderness AreaContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 32.366666666667 ° E -110.81666666667 °
placeShow on map

Address

Pima County (Pima)



Arizona, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Pusch Ridge from the southeast
Pusch Ridge from the southeast
Share experience

Nearby Places

Santa Catalina Mountains
Santa Catalina Mountains

The Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains or the Catalinas, are north and northeast of Tucson in Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation. The highest point in the Catalinas is Mount Lemmon at an elevation of 9,157 feet (2,791 m) above sea level and receives 18 inches (46 cm) of precipitation annually. Originally known by the Tohono O'odham Nation as Babad Do'ag, the Catalinas were later named in 1697 by Italian Jesuit priest Eusebio Francisco Kino in honor of St. Catherine who was the patron saint of Kino's oldest sister.The Catalinas are part of the Santa Catalina Ranger District located in the Coronado National Forest, and also include the Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area. The mountain range is considered a prominent range in the Madrean sky islands, and partially delimits the mountain ranges in the northwest of the sky island region; lower elevation bajadas associated with the Santa Cruz River Valley spread northwestwards towards Phoenix. Catalina Sky Survey (CSS), on Mt. Lemmon, is a project to discover comets and asteroids, and to search for near-Earth objects (NEOs). More specifically, CSS is to search for any potentially hazardous asteroids that may pose a threat of impact. Its southern hemisphere counterpart, the Siding Spring Survey (SSS) was closed in 2013. The Catalinas are a significant focus of recreational activity, with areas such as Sabino Canyon providing streams and perennial pools for visitors, by road access; Sabino Canyon is also a dayhiking access point. Catalina State Park in the western foothills of the Catalinas attracts visitors for its hiking opportunities and permanent pools in Romero Canyon. The village of Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon serves as a popular summer retreat from the heat of Arizona's lower deserts. Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is also notable as it is the southernmost ski destination in the United States. Other mountain ranges surrounding the Santa Cruz Valley include the Santa Rita Mountains, the Rincon Mountains, the Tucson Mountains, and the Tortolita Mountains.

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District is the artistic manifestation and architecture constructed by Ettore DeGrazia. The property is a series of buildings scattered throughout a natural desert setting. Built in Tucson near the intersection of Swan Road and Skyline the property is now a museum open to the public. Construction began in 1951 with the open air Mission in the Sun followed by a series of other expressionistic adobe buildings. The gallery/museum was constructed in 1965 with details including cactus flooring, exposed wood beams, rafters and unique artistic finishes. The gallery replaced the first DeGrazia Building constructed in 1944 on the corner of Prince and Campbell Road. Artists and friends who spent time at the new gallery included Thomas Hart Benton, Olaf Wieghorst, Jack Van Ryder, Pete Martinez and Ross Santee. In 2006, the 10-acre (40,000 m2) property, now a museum of DeGrazia's work, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first building on the site, The Mission in the Sun was dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and to the memory of Padre Eusebio Kino. DeGrazia hand painted every wall with murals and included a large painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the brick altar. Visitors have used the Mission as their own spiritual site often leaving photos, candles and other mementos. The Mission has also hosted many weddings throughout the years. On May 30, 2017 a fire heavily damaged the Mission. At the time of the fire there were no hanging pictures by DeGrazia inside the chapel, but walls, murals and the roof were damaged. Conservators began work to salvage and restore some of the artifacts. The walls were plastered over to secure what remained of the original murals, 80% of which were destroyed. One of the conservators is an artist personally mentored by DeGrazia. The restored chapel reopened to the public in the fall of 2019. Some of the fire damage was intentionally retained.