Pusch Ridge is the most prominent feature in the

Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area 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 great ...

of the

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, w ...

, managed by the

Coronado National Forest The Coronado National Forest is a United States National Forest that includes an area of about 1.78 million acres (7,200 km2) spread throughout mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. It is located in parts of ...

north of

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

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 the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

History

Pusch Ridge was named after pioneer George Pusch (1847–1921), who came to Arizona from

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in the 1870s, and established the Steam Pump Ranch on the

Cañada del Oro The Cañada del Oro (Spanish for ''Canyon of Gold''), is a primary watershed channel in the valley of Oro Valley, Arizona, US. The word ''cañada'' has a tilde ''( ñ)'' and is pronounced in Spanish; in English it is pronounced , not like th ...

near the base of the ridge in 1874 in what is now the town of

Oro Valley Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, United States, in Pima County. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town is 47,070, an increase from 29,700 in 2000. Dubbed the "Upscale Te ...

. Steam Pump Ranch was one of the largest cattle ranches in the

Territory of Arizona The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

. George Pusch also served as a state legislator and one of the delegates to the original Arizona Constitutional Convention in 1910.

Peaks

Pusch Ridge is primarily made up of three distinct peaks, including (from southwest to northeast in orientation) Pusch Peak, Bighorn Mountain, and Table Mountain. Pusch Peak is the westernmost point in the Santa Catalina Mountains, and rises in elevation over to a peak elevation of . Bighorn Mountain rises to an elevation about at the summit. Table Mountain rises in elevation to . A minor peak, known as The Cleaver, is located between Pusch Peak and Bighorn Mountain, rising to a summit of about .

Wildlife and environment

Pusch Ridge was home to one of the last populations of

Desert Bighorn Sheep The desert bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis nelsoni'') is a subspecies of bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') that is native to the deserts of the United States' intermountain west and southwestern regions, as well as northwestern Mexico. The Bu ...

in Arizona, none have been observed since 2005. In a controversial effort to re-establish the Bighorn Sheep population, on November 18, 2013 thirty-one Bighorns were released by Arizona Game and Fish officers near Pusch Ridge, the first in a series of three planned releases totaling about 100 animals over the next two years. Pusch Ridge is noted for dramatic ridges, deep canyons, and extensive biodiversity in elevation changes. Pusch Ridge also provides sweeping views of

to the west, and Tucson to the south. On June 5, 2020 prior to midnight a thunderstorm produced lightning that ignited a brush fire on the Bighorn Peak burning approximately 40 acres within 12 hours. Helicopters were deployed to drop water on the fire. The

Bighorn Fire The Bighorn Fire was a wildfire in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona. It burned until it was finally put out on July 23, 2020. A lightning strike from a storm at 9:46 PM on June 5, 2020 caused the fire. The fire was named aft ...

continued to spread through the Catalinas and ended up becoming one of the largest wildfires in Arizona history.

Trailhead

The Pusch Ridge Trailhead is located within the town of Oro Valley, accessed from East Linda Vista Boulevard just east of North Oracle Road (State Route 77) (formerly U.S. 89), six miles north of Tucson. Restrictions on hiking Pusch Ridge apply during certain times due to the potential impact on the breeding activities of the Bighorn Sheep in the area.

References

External links

"Coronado National Forest"

"Pusch Wilderness"
U.S. Forest Service. {{Mountains of Arizona Ridges of Arizona Santa Catalina Mountains Landforms of Pima County, Arizona