Ragged Top

Ragged Top is a 3,907-foot-elevation (1,191 m) mountain summit located within Ironwood Forest National Monument, in Pima County of southern Arizona.[3] It is situated 35 miles northwest of Tucson, in the Silver Bell Mountains, where it rises over 1,700 feet (520 m) above the surrounding terrain as a landmark of the area. Ragged Top is the biological and geological crown jewel of the monument for sightseeing and wildlife viewing, such as the Desert bighorn sheep and the desert tortoise. Ragged Top contains the greatest richness of species within the Sonoran Desert, including 401 plant species.[5] Cathestecum erectum (common name false grama) is only found on Ragged Top in the state of Arizona. Saguaro and ironwood forests cover the bajadas surrounding this mountain. This geographical feature lies within the Gila River drainage basin. Four small arches are located on this mountain.[6]

Ragged Top
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation3,907 ft (1,191 m) [1]
Prominence1,347 ft (411 m) [1]
Parent peakSilver Bell Benchmark[2]
Isolation2.40 mi (3.86 km) [2]
Coordinates32°26′58″N 111°29′24″W [3]
Geography
Ragged Top
Location in Arizona
Ragged Top
Ragged Top (the United States)
LocationIronwood Forest National Monument
Pima County, Arizona, U.S.
Parent rangeSilver Bell Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Silver Bell East
Geology
Age of rockCretaceous to Tertiary
Mountain typevolcanic plug[4]
Type of rockRhyolite
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 3 scrambling[2]
  • West aspect
  • North aspect

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Ragged Top is located in a hot arid climate zone.[7]

Climate data for Silver Bell Mountains
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 63
(17)		 66
(19)		 71
(22)		 79
(26)		 88
(31)		 98
(37)		 98
(37)		 96
(36)		 93
(34)		 84
(29)		 72
(22)		 62
(17)		 81
(27)
Average low °F (°C) 43
(6)		 46
(8)		 49
(9)		 55
(13)		 63
(17)		 72
(22)		 74
(23)		 72
(22)		 70
(21)		 61
(16)		 51
(11)		 43
(6)		 58
(14)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.9
(23)		 0.9
(23)		 0.8
(20)		 0.2
(5.1)		 0.2
(5.1)		 0.3
(7.6)		 2.5
(64)		 2.5
(64)		 1.3
(33)		 1
(25)		 0.8
(20)		 1.3
(33)		 12.8
(330)
Source: Weatherbase [8]

See also

References
  1. "Ragged Top, Arizona". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  2. "Ragged Top - 3,907' AZ". Lists of John. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  3. "Ragged Top". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  4. Ironwood Forest National Monument Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, September 2011.
  5. Ironwood Forest National Monument Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, September 2011.
  6. Ironwood Forest National Monument Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement, US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, September 2011.
  7. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
  8. "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on July 30, 2013.
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