This panoramic view shows much of the Valley of the Sun (on a cloudy day, however) as it looks from the summit of Butterfly Mountain in the Sierra Estrella, looking northeast.  Valley haze makes the mountain ranges stand out more readily than they might otherwise.  physiography is apparent.
   Beginning with the foreground, you can see part of South Mountain (the Alta Ridge, actually, on the right), the (with Squaw Peak near the center of the photo, and Camelback Mountain at their right end), the McDowell Mountains behind them on the right, and the Mazatzal Mountains on the skyline at a distance of about 70 miles (~110km).  The New River Mountains form the skyline on the left.
   Downtown Phoenix is barely visible just below Squaw Peak, and slightly to the right.  While the area looks mostly empty, it is home to over three million people.
   You can see the Sierra Estrella in a reverse view from the McDowell Mountains.
 
   See the GeoHistory page if you want to know more about why the landscape looks the way it does, or return to the map of "The Rocks of the Valley of the Sun" for more view locations.
   You can also send this as an E-Postcard to your friends!