2011 Map of Cortez Peak

About this map

Cortez Peak stands as a prominent landmark at the intersection of the southern Gila Bend Mountains and the arid desert plains of Maricopa County. This 2011 survey reveals a transitional landscape where the rigid agricultural and residential grid of the northern section, defined by routes like W Eagletail Rd and S Harquahala Valley Rd, gives way to the uncontrolled drainage patterns of the desert floor. Large ephemeral waterways, including Fourth of July Wash and Yellow Medicine Wash, carve wide paths across the southern half of the quadrangle as they flow from the highlands toward the lowlands. The transition from the rectilinear planning of Whitewing Pass to the open terrain near the Eagletail Mountains highlights the boundary between human expansion and the enduring desert environment.