Dome Rock Mountains

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Dome Rock Mountains
Range
Country United States
State Arizona
Highest point Cunningham Mountain
 - elevation 3,314 ft (1,010 m)

The Dome Rock Mountains is a mountain range in southwestern Arizona in southern La Paz County. The range borders the Colorado River on the west and also the southern section of the Colorado River Indian Reservation on the northwest located in the Lower Colorado River Valley.

Contents

[edit] Range summary

The Dome Rock Mountains are a north-south trending range about 35 miles (56 km) long. Interstate 10 bisects the range connecting Ehrenberg on the Colorado River, with Quartzsite at the east of the mountains; Quartzsite at the central, and east mountains, lies on the western edge of the north-south 75-mile (121-km) long La Posa Plain which drains the western Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, and various mountain ranges-(the Dome Rock, Trigo Mountains, and Chocolate Mountains (Arizona) west, and the Castle Dome-Kofa Mountains southeast). The Tyson Wash Drainage flows north at the western perimeter of the La Posa Plain and turns westwards at the north end of the Dome Rock Mountains to meet the Colorado River region. The drainage does not connect to the river itself.

Cunningham Mountain at 3,314 feet (1,010 m) is the highest peak of the Dome Rock Mountains located towards the south, and about 8 miles (13 km) south of Interstate 10; in the north an unnamed peak rises to 2,515 feet (767 m). Numerous mines and dry washes are located in this extreme desert mountain range. The western mountain washes drain to the Imperial Reservoir Drainage of the Colorado River, and the eastern washes drain into the La Posa Plain and its north-flowing Tyson Wash Drainage, entering again at the northern parts of the Imperial Reservoir Drainage; the twin end-point of the Bouse Wash Drainage north does the same, at 15 miles (24 km) further.

[edit] Dome Rock Mountains access

The northern portion of the mountains can be accessed westward from State Route 95; also eastwards from the Colorado River Indian Reservaton.

Quartzsite lying in the east center of the range gives numerous access points. Quartzsite is famous for a rockhounding show because of its desert location for rock exploration. Ehrenberg to the west accesses areas of the western mountain flank.

A winter visitor destination site is located on the southeast of the range on the La Posa Plain.

[edit] Minerals

Sapphirine is a mineral noted for being found in the Dome Rock Mountains.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

  • La Paz placer deposits, western base of Dome Rock Mountains
  • Database, for Blythe Quadrangle and references to Dome Rock Mountains