Sentinel Peak, "A" Mountain in Tucson, Arizona

We climbed A mountain overlooking Tucson, Arizona and took a few photos looking east over downtown Tucson, AZ. Sentinel Peak is 2,897 feet in altitude. The large letter "A" was built by the UofA in 1916 and is 160 feet tall and 70 feet wide. The mountain is a Park now and has a paved road that offers access to the bottom of the "A".

There is room for a few cars to park at the base of the "A" and there are two markers to describe the location and its history. One is written in English, one in Spanish. The markers read "Below this 2900 - foot peak, the Santa Cruz valley was farmed by the Hohokam Indians as early as 800 AD. When the Spainards arrived in the 17th century, the Hohokam had vanished and settlements of Piman people dotted the valley. One called "Schuk-schon" meaning "At the foot of the Black mountain" was pronounced Tucson by the Spainards. The hill was a lookout for these early Indian and Spanish settlers who lived in fear of hostile raiders. The white washed stone "A" was constructed by University of Arizona students in 1915."

"Below this 2900 - foot peak, the Santa Cruz valley was farmed by the Hohokam Indians as early as 800 AD. When the Spainards arrived in the 17th century, the Hohokam had vanished and settlements of Piman people dotted the valley. One called "Schuk-schon" meaning "At the foot of the Black mountain" was pronounced Tucson by the Spainards. The hill was a lookout for these early Indian and Spanish settlers who lived in fear of hostile raiders. The white washed stone "A" was constructed by University of Arizona students in 1915."

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