The Black Hills of Yavapai County (in

Yavapai The Yavapai are a Native American tribe in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai – literally “people of the sun” (from ''Enyaava'' “sun” + ''Paay'' “people”) – were divided into four geographical bands who identified as separate, i ...

: Waulkayauayau – "pine tableland") are a large mountain range of central

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

in southeast

Yavapai County Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott. Yavapai County comprises the Prescott, AZ M ...

. It is bordered by the

Verde Valley The Verde Valley ( yuf-x-yav, Matkʼamvaha; es, Valle Verde) is a valley in central Arizona in the United States. The Verde River runs through it. The Verde River is one of Arizona's last free-flowing river systems. It provides crucial habitat ...

to the east. The northwest section of the range is bisected from the southeast section by

Interstate 17 Interstate 17 (I-17) is a north–south Interstate Highway entirely within the US state of Arizona. I-17's southern terminus lies in Phoenix, at I-10, and its northern terminus is in Flagstaff, at Milton Road north of I-40. Most of I-17 ...

, which is the main route connecting

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

Sedona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

Oak Creek Canyon Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon o ...

, and Flagstaff. This bisection point is the approximate center of the mostly northwest by southeast trending range. The northwest section contains a steep

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...

on the northeast with the Verde Valley, the escarpment being the location of the fault-block that created the historic mining district at

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...

. The

United Verde Mine The United Verde mine was one of the largest copper mines in the United States. The mine was located in the town of Jerome in central Arizona, in the southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southw ...

was one of the largest copper mines in the United States, producing large quantities of copper, gold, silver and zinc. The range is also the first major fault-blocked range west of the

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...

on the southwest margin of the

Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau, also known as the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This province covers an area of ...

in Arizona. They are bordered to the east by the Verde Fault zone, and to the west by the Coyote Fault zone. The range is at the northwest-center of the

Arizona transition zone The Arizona transition zone is a diagonal northwest-by-southeast region across central Arizona. The region is a transition from the higher-elevation Colorado Plateau in Northeast Arizona and the Basin and Range region of lower-elevation deserts ...

which extends diagonally across central Arizona.

Description

The highest point of the Black Hills (Arizona) is Woodchute Mountain at .

Mingus Mountain Mingus Mountain ( yuf-x-yav, Hwa:lkyañaña) is a mountain located in the U.S. state of Arizona in the Black Hills mountain range. It is located within the Prescott National Forest traversed by State Route 89A approximately midway between Cott ...

lies south of Woodchute Mountain with historic

Cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

further to the southeast. Three wilderness areas are located in the range, the

Woodchute Wilderness Woodchute Wilderness is a 5,923-acre (2,397 ha) wilderness area in Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Jerome. Elevation within the area, on the flanks of Woodchute Mountain, ran ...

in the northwest, and the Cedar Bench, and

Pine Mountain Wilderness Pine Mountain Wilderness is a protected wilderness area managed by the Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. Pine Mountain is the high point of the Verde River Rim at 6,814 feet (2076 m) and provides an excellent viewing to the ...

es in the southeast.Pine Mountain Wilderness
– Wilderness Connect

References

External links

Summit Post
web site {{Authority control Mountain ranges of Yavapai County, Arizona Arizona transition zone mountain ranges Mountain ranges of the Sonoran Desert Mountain ranges of Arizona Prescott National Forest