Places in the Goldfield Mountains

Places in the Goldfield Mountains

Bulldog Ridge from the hill south of Lone Mountain Trailhead.

The US Board on Geographic Names has named only a few places in the Goldfields. Yet hikers need place names, if only to tell each other where we have been. So hikers have named the places of interest which aren't otherwise marked on USGS topographic maps. Several naming principles were applied:

•	Place names which do appear on the USGS maps are used in this book.
•	Unnamed mountain peaks whose elevation is given on the map are identified by their elevation in feet, such as peak 3141. Dome Mountain is the only Goldfield peak actually named on a USGS topographic map.
•	Other places are named after something which describes them.
•	A person's name is used only if the place is historically associated with the person, such as Gonzales Needle.

In the table below, the added names are in italics.

GPS coordinates are given for all the places. Remember that GPS latitudes and longitudes are approximate, and that some places such as canyons cover a considerable area. But my GPS coordinates will get you close.

All of the GPS coordinates in this book refer to the 1927 North American datum. Set your receiver accordingly.

name	description	latitude longitude	USGS quad	hikes
Bagley Tank	The Bagleys brought livestock to this region.	33°32.339'N 111°28.787'W	Mormon Flat Dam	7D 8A
Black Glass Canyon	The black glass in the canyon is obsidian.	33°31.880'N 111°30.146'W	Stewart Mountain Mormon Flat Dam	7B 7C
Blue Ridge	The ridge is every color but blue.	33°27.928'N 111°31.006'W	Apache Junction	4A
Bulldog Canyon	Begins near the Bulldog Mine.	33°29.072'N 111°31.938'W	Apache Junction Stewart Mountain	3A 3B 3D2 4B
Bulldog Gunsight Pass	A gunsight between 3269 and Dome Mountain.	33°29.867'N 111°32.722'W	Apache Junction	6A 6C
Bulldog Ridge	A volcanic dike parallels Bulldog Canyon.	33°28.997'N 111°34.231'W	Apache Junction Stewart Mountain	3C 3D
Bulldog Saddle	Approach to Bulldog Ridge from Meridian.	33°28.937'N 111°34.483'W	Apache Junction	2B 3C 3D
Camouflage Tanks	Wildlife watering tanks south of Razorback.	33°31.394'N 111°30.568'W	Stewart Mountain	7B
Cottonwood Spring	Cottonwood trees and a corral near the spring.	33°29.870'N 111°30.017'W	Apache Junction	4B
Coyote Rock	Rock pinnacle like a howling coyote.	33°28.127'N 111°32.645'W	Apache Junction	3D3 3E
Disaster Canyon	Disastrous shapes of rocks, cholla and catclaw.	33°32.968'N 111°29.644'W	Mormon Flat Dam Stewart Mountain	7D
Disaster Ridge	The rough ridge overlooks Disaster Canyon.	33°32.504'N 111°29.603'W	Mormon Flat Dam Stewart Mountain	7D 7E
Do or Die	Don't slip when you climb down the crag.	33°32.721'N 111°29.945'W	Mormon Flat Dam	7D 7E
Dome Mountain	Highest point in the Goldfields, 3381'.	33°30.146'N 111°32.658'W	Stewart Mountain	6A 6C
Gateway Canyon	Western gateway from river to high country.	33°32.433'N 111°32.479'W	Stewart Mountain	5A 5B 5D 6A 6B 6E
Golden Dome	Golden volcanic tuff formation on ridgeline.	33°31.699'N 111°31.406'W	Stewart Mountain	6E
Golden Dome Pass	Windswept pass north of the Golden Dome.	33°31.749'N 111°31.329'W	Stewart Mountain	6E
Gonzales Needle	Historic landmark by Willow Springs Trailhead.	33°30.320'N 111°28.031'W	Mormon Flat Dam	6E 7A 7B 7C 7D 7E 7F 8A
Green Thumb	Green landmark north of Hackamore Trailhead.	33°28.563'N 111°30.476'W	Apache Junction	4D1
Hat Top Hill	Golden hill wears a hat at a jaunty angle.	33°29.748'N 111°30.529'W	Apache Junction	4E
Helmet Rock	Like a fireman’s helmet, southeast of 2246.	33°30.629'N 111°29.082'W	Mormon Flat Dam	6E 7A 7B 7C 7F 7G
hill 2166	Brightly colored hill, halfway to Blue Point.	33°30.558'N 111°33.728'W	Stewart Mountain	3B 3C3
hill 2276	View of the century overlooks Canyon Lake.	33°32.833'N 111°26.471'W	Mormon Flat Dam	8C
hill 2290	Best view between Pass Mountain and 3004.	33°29.412'N 111°35.079'W	Apache Junction	2B 3C1
hill 2408	Go around this on north Bulldog Ridge.	33°30.284'N 111°34.128'W	Stewart Mountain	3C2
hill 2437	Colorful hill marking the end of a scenic ridge.	33°29.961'N 111°28.756'W	Goldfield	6D 7F
hill 2538	Volcanic plug looks like a sawed-off tree trunk.	33°29.975'N 111°33.998'W	Apache Junction	3C
hill 2685	Commanding view of the southern Goldfields.	33°28.819'N 111°32.338'W	Apache Junction	3F
hill 2726	Golden hill south of peak 3047 wears a hat.	33°29.758'N 111°31.082'W	Apache Junction	4D
Horns of a Dilemma	Volcanic tuff formation looks like stubby horns.	33°32.925'N 111°27.973'W	Mormon Flat Dam	8B
Junk Canyon	Full of junk washed down from the highway.	33°32.796'N 111°27.135'W	Mormon Flat Dam	8B
Panorama Peak	Fantastic 360° panorama from the top.	33°30.670'N 111°32.611'W	Stewart Mountain	6A
Pass Mountain	Western limit of the Goldfield Mountains.	33°28.834'N 111°35.771'W	Apache Junction	2A 2C
peak 2290	Colorful peak in the northwestern Goldfields.	33°32.385'N 111°33.108'W	Stewart Mountain	5C
peak 2578	Rugged peak in the northwestern Goldfields.	33°31.790'N 111°32.988'W	Stewart Mountain	5C
peak 2881	Highest point in the eastern Goldfields.	33°31.818'N 111°28.040'W	Mormon Flat Dam	8A 8B
peak 3004	Like Mercedes-Benz^®, a 3-pointed star.	33°29.063'N 111°34.911'W	Apache Junction	2B
peak 3010	Dark, rugged peak overlooks Bulldog Canyon.	33°31.013'N 111°33.443'W	Stewart Mountain	3B
peak 3075	Volcanic butte rising from Bulldog Ridge.	33°29.300'N 111°33.888'W	Apache Junction	3C
peak 3089	Panoramic view from southern Goldfield ridge.	33°29.813'N 111°31.508'W	Apache Junction	6D
peak 3097	Best view in the northwestern Goldfields.	33°31.813'N 111°32.302'W	Stewart Mountain	5B
peak 3108	Great view southeast of Bulldog Ridge V.	33°28.649'N 111°33.827'W	Apache Junction	3D
peak 3127	South peak of Pass Mountain, Wind Cave.	33°28.557'N 111°35.699'W	Apache Junction	2C
peak 3134	Scenic peak southeast of Dome Mountain.	33°29.847'N 111°31.878'W	Apache Junction	6D
peak 3141	Commanding view of the central Goldfields.	33°31.882'N 111°31.183'W	Stewart Mountain	7C
peak 3163	Dark, rugged peak near Bulldog Ridge V.	33°29.067'N 111°34.180'W	Apache Junction	3C
peak 3195 (northern)	Volcanic butte rising from Bulldog Ridge.	33°29.200'N 111°34.028'W	Apache Junction	3C
peak 3205	Central peak on Pass Mountain; photo ops.	33°28.964'N 111°35.801'W	Apache Junction	2C
peak 3269	Brilliant colors, arduous climb, awesome view.	33°29.771'N 111°32.832'W	Apache Junction	6C
peak 3312	Northern and highest peak on Pass Mountain.	33°29.152'N 111°35.785'W	Apache Junction	2C
Prevention Gap	No, it never propagates if I set a "gap" or prevention.	33°30.370'N 111°28.574'W	Mormon Flat Dam	6E 7A 7B 7C 7F 7G1
Pyroclastic Cave	In a hillside of foliated rocks just north of Bulldog Canyon.	33°29.192'N 111°32.813'W	Apache Junction	3A 3B 3D2 3E2 3E4 3F
Razorback	Fin-shaped formation of Tertiary rhyolite.	33°31.502'N 111°30.609'W	Stewart Mountain	7B
Razorback Knob	Golden rhyolite knob near the Razorback.	33°31.365'N 111°30.234'W	Stewart Mountain	6E 7B
Razorback Pass	Pass near the Razorback where routes divide.	33°31.397'N 111°30.383'W	Stewart Mountain	6E 7B
Razorback Point	Willow Springs Canyon meets Saguaro Lake.	33°33.366'N 111°30.551'W	Stewart Mountain	7E
Rhyodacite Canyon	Boulders of rhyodacite line a rugged canyon.	33°31.704'N 111°32.857'W	Stewart Mountain	5B
Rock House	Only the foundation remains.	33°29.044'N 111°31.288'W	Apache Junction	4B 4C 4D 4E
Sand Canyon	Arroyo lined with sand, SE of Pass Mountain.	33°28.011'N 111°34.963'W	Apache Junction	2A 2B 2C 3C1
Sidewalk Canyon	The canyon is smooth, like a sidewalk.	33°32.895'N 111°27.819'W	Mormon Flat Dam	8B
Sky Island	Fantastic river and canyon overlook.	33°32.760'N 111°32.289'W	Stewart Mountain	5A 5D
Slickrock Pass	Rhyolitic tuff, decorated with bright lichens.	33°30.363'N 111°29.565'W	Mormon Flat Dam	6D2 7F
Smith’s Cove	Inlet where Disaster Canyon meets Saguaro Lake.	33°33.208'N 111°30.088'W	Stewart Mountain	7D
Temptation Peak	Tempting to climb, but then it gets vertical.	33°28.834'N 111°34.078'W	Apache Junction	3D
Trans- Goldfield Divide	Divides the western Goldfield watersheds.	33°31.310'N 111°32.198'W	Stewart Mountain	6A
Tuff Dome	Volcanic tuff formation west of Golden Dome.	33°31.644'N 111°31.602'W	Stewart Mountain	6E
Twin Peaks Divide	Near the Twin Peaks; routes divide.	33°31.306'N 111°30.689'W	Stewart Mountain	6E 7B1
Western Camouflage Tanks	Wildlife watering tanks west of Dome Mountain.	33°30.265'N 111°32.852'W	Stewart Mountain	6A 6C
Willow Creek	Flows through eastern Goldfields to the river.	33°32.405'N 111°27.590'W	Mormon Flat Dam	8C
Willow Springs Canyon	Central Goldfield route north to Saguaro Lake.	33°31.134'N 111°29.225'W	Mormon Flat Dam Stewart Mountain	4B 6B 7A 7B 7C 7E
Wishbone Junction	On the map it looks like a wishbone.	33°31.209'N 111°29.732'W	Mormon Flat Dam	4B 6B 6E 7A 7B 7C 7F 7G2

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updated March 20, 2012	© Copyright 2012, by Ted Tenny. All rights reserved.