   A sentinel in the center of metropolitan Phoenix, Piestewa Peak, also known historically as Squaw Peak, or possibly as Vainom Do'ag (Iron Mountain, in the Piman language) dominates the skyline from almost any direction. This view looks north, from the Biltmore area. "basement" rocks of North America rise here to 2608 ft above sea level (795m), and form most of the .
   Basement rocks here and elsewhere are those rock formations which are beneath all of the layers (missing here now, having eroded away), and are remnants of early parts of the Earth's continental crust.
   They are usually complex associations of and rocks -- in the case of Squaw Peak, , , and quartz.

If you want more information about the Piestewa Peak / Squaw Peak area and the Phoenix Mountains, download these two FREE short GeoStories (tm) (PDF files, each <1MB):

Touchstone

The next time you pick up a stone, treat it nicely. Rocks have feelings, too! And you never know what they might be telling you.

Step back into time 1700 million years, and hold your breath. But don't look for any fish. They don't exist yet.

Time Travel
and other Everyday Things

   Next View >>

   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!

   [091719]

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There are three other views in this sequence:

- looking down onto SR51 freeway
- "ancient hot springs" to the west
- looking at Camelback Mountain from the summit.

You can also see Piestewa Peak / Squaw Peak from North Mountain, several miles or kilometers to the west, and you can see it in the distance from the summit of Black Mountain, in Carefree / Cave Creek.