| Mount McDowell | |
|---|---|
| Red Mountain, FireRock | |
 Red Mountain fromFountain Hills, Arizona | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,832 ft (863 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Prominence | 1,260 ft (384 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 33°32′26″N111°41′36″W / 33.5406002°N 111.6934715°W /33.5406002; -111.6934715[2] |
| Geography | |
  Mount McDowell | |
| Location | |
| Parent range | McDowell Mountains,Arizona |
| Topo map | USGS Granite Reef Dam |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Tertiary |
Mount McDowell (O'odham:S-wegĭ Doʼag,Yavapai:Wi:kawatha), more commonly referred to asRed Mountain, is located on theSalt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation, just north ofMesa, Arizona. It is named after GeneralIrvin McDowell, a Union officer in the Civil War. Its elevation is 2,832 feet (863 m). It is not the same landmark as theMcDowell Peak, which is 11 miles (18 km) away to the northwest.
Mount McDowell is often called "Red Mountain" or "FireRock", due to its composition ofsandstone conglomerate which gives it a distinctive red color that glows during sunset. The deep cleft on its western side (visible in the image at right) is known as "Gunsight" because of its resemblance to the narrow slot in a fort used for firing at attackers.[3]
The mountain is located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation, and has been declared off-limits to hikers, climbers and photographers since the early 1980s, due tovandalism.[4]
