Black Mesa (western Arizona)
Encyclopedia
The Black Mesa of northwestern Arizona
is the extreme southern section of the Black Mountains
.
It is a notable mountain section, since the entire Warm Springs Wilderness
comprises the entire mesa
; it is separated to the north from the Black Hills range by a canyon
and road; the north side of the canyon is the southern border of the adjacent Mount Nutt Wilderness, thus comprising a two-sectioned wilderness region.
The mesa is about 10 miles long, north-south and about 1000 ft higher than the surrounding valleys to the east, south, and west. Interstate 40 in Arizona
runs along the valleys to the east and south of the Black Mesa, connecting Needles, California
to Kingman
. Yucca, Arizona
lies in the Sacramento Valley
just east of the mesa.
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
is the extreme southern section of the Black Mountains
Black Mountains (Arizona)
The Black Mountains of northwest Arizona are an extensive, mostly linear, north-south 75-mile long mountain range. It forms the north-south border of southwest Mohave County as it borders the eastern shore of the south-flowing Colorado River from Hoover Dam.The northwest, and parts of the west of...
.
It is a notable mountain section, since the entire Warm Springs Wilderness
Warm Springs Wilderness
The Warm Springs Wilderness makes up the entirety of the Black Mesa and parts of the surrounding foothills, washes, alluvial fans, and valleys. The Black Mesa is the southernmost section of the Black Mountains of western Mohave County, in northwest Arizona...
comprises the entire mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
; it is separated to the north from the Black Hills range by a canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
and road; the north side of the canyon is the southern border of the adjacent Mount Nutt Wilderness, thus comprising a two-sectioned wilderness region.
The mesa is about 10 miles long, north-south and about 1000 ft higher than the surrounding valleys to the east, south, and west. Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arizona connecting sections in California to New Mexico. It enters Arizona from the west at a crossing of the Colorado River southwest of Kingman...
runs along the valleys to the east and south of the Black Mesa, connecting Needles, California
Needles, California
Needles is a city located in the Mojave Desert on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in the Mohave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95...
to Kingman
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
. Yucca, Arizona
Yucca, Arizona
Yucca is an unincorporated community in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Located along Interstate 40, it lies southwest of Kingman, just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains and west of the Hualapai and McCracken Mountains in the Sacramento Valley. Yucca has a ZIP Code of...
lies in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley (Arizona)
The Sacramento Valley of northwestern Arizona is a north-south trending valley west and southwest of Kingman in Mohave County. The valley lies just east of the southern section of the Black Mountains...
just east of the mesa.
See also
- Black Mesa, ArizonaBlack Mesa, ArizonaBlack Mesa is an upland area in Navajo County, Arizona. In Navajo it is called and during Mexican rule of Arizona it was called Mesa de las Vacas . It derives its dark appearance from the numerous seams of coal which run through it...