The Rawhide Mountains are a mountain range of western Arizona , in the southwest of Mohave County . It is part of a block of mountain ranges on the north of an insular region called the Maria fold and thrust belt , containing mountain ranges, valleys, and plains. The Rawhide Mountains border the much smaller Artillery Mountains southeast, bordering on Alamo Lake State Park and the south-flowing Big Sandy River .
15-631: The border to the southwest are the Bill Williams Mountains , and the Poachie Range with the large Arrastra Mountain Wilderness is northeast and east. The high point of the range is Aubrey Peak at 2,953 feet (900 m). Two other peaks lie at the southeast, Miller Peak at 2,793 feet (851 m) and Fools Peak at 2,939 feet (896 m). The southern perimeter of the Rawhide Mountains
30-401: A couple years later in 1876 to 1877. During its time, the town had mills for local mines and the nearby McCracken mines. A major problem for Signal was getting freight to the isolated location. Shop owners had to make their orders 6 months in advance. At the town's heyday it had 5 stores, 3 restaurants, and 13 saloons and its own brewery. The town was mostly abandoned by 1932, but a few ranches in
45-530: Is a ghost town located on the banks of the Big Sandy River in southern Mohave County , Arizona , United States. The town was a mining center from the 1870s to 1930s. The peak population was around 800. Remnants of the town can still be seen today along with nearby Virginia City. Signal came into existence because of silver and gold mining in the area. In 1874 the McCracken mines opened up and Signal grew up
60-585: Is a moderate length mountain range and massif in southeast Mohave County , Arizona , and the extreme southwest corner of Yavapai County ; the range also abuts the northeast corner of La Paz County . The Poachie Range massif is bordered by the south-flowing Big Sandy River on its west, and the west-flowing Santa Maria River on its south; both rivers converge at the Poachie Range's southwest at Alamo Lake in Alamo Lake State Park . From Alamo Lake,
75-437: Is approximately 30 mi long slightly trending northwest by southeast, with no central ridgeline. Instead the range is made up of a central canyon draining southwest. The west-northwest contains a small canyon, and various peaks, three peaks west of the south-flowing Big Sandy River. Signal, Arizona with only unimproved road access is at the northwest foothills, about 10 mi from U.S. Route 93 . The east and southeast of
90-770: Is at the range center, 3 mi northeast of the 'range ridgeline' and 4 mi southwest of U.S. Route 93 in Arizona (the Joshua Tree Highway ). The Arrastra Mountain Wilderness comprises almost 100% of the Poachie Range. Both the Big Sandy and Santa Maria Rivers are mostly contained in the wilderness, as well as People's Canyon in the east. The entire northeast of the range is accessed from U.S. Route 93 , from Wikieup, Arizona and Nothing, Arizona . Arrastra Mountain Poachie Range Signal, Arizona Signal
105-411: Is not entirely uninhabited as there are several farms and houses nearby, and the unincorporated area of Signal is still listed as populated. The town is located about 16 miles off U.S. Route 93 , approximately 60 miles (97 km) south of Kingman . The Big Sandy River runs to the east of the town site. The river runs mostly year-round at a trickle, but is sometimes impassible after a rain. Signal
120-603: Is the west-flowing Bill Williams River . The river is part of the northern border of the Maria fold and thrust belt with the block of mountains north forming the border, and is also part of the southeast Mojave Desert , another de facto border. South of the river is the northwestern Sonoran Desert . The major mountain block at the intersection of this region west in California is the Whipple Mountains of southeast California , in
135-726: The (short) Bill Williams River flows due west for 35 mi to meet the Colorado River . The Bill Williams River is the de facto border between the Mojave Desert north and northwest; the Sonoran Desert is south and southeast. Across the south-flowing Colorado River to the west, is the massif of the Whipple Mountains at the northeast of the Sonoran Desert subsection named the Colorado Desert of southern California and bordered by
150-669: The Colorado River. The entire region south of the Poachie Range, and its two mountain ranges bordered westwards, the Rawhide and Bill Williams Mountain , and bordered on the Bill Williams River northern bank — is the Maria fold and thrust belt . The thrust belt is a geographic and geologic region at the convergence of these neighboring mountain ranges, rivers, the Alamo Lake, as well as other plains and valleys. The Poachie Range
165-412: The area continue to this day. Little remains of the original mines and mill still exist. Scattered ruins of mine equipment and adobe ruins of the town mark the site today. The ruins are well-preserved due to the remote location. An intact town cemetery also remains. There is a part-time caretaker of the town. The historical remnants of the town sit on Bureau of Land Management land. The area around Signal
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#1732869047959180-530: The northeast Colorado Desert (the northwestern Sonoran Desert). The Whipple Mountains cause the south-flowing Colorado River to traverse southeast, then back southwest around the Whipple Mountains massif . The Colorado then turns back to the south. (It makes another excursion south of the Trigo Mountains massif.) Approximately half of the Rawhide Mountains contain wilderness areas. The northwest of
195-472: The range consists of the Aubrey Peak Wilderness , of 15,400-acre (6,232 ha). It is accessed by unimproved dirt roads, which are on the southwest and southeast perimeter. Two geologic hikes are profiled in the region. The route starts at Wikieup and Hike 29 is in the southern Hualapai Mountains at a mountain saddle. The route is the access to Centennial Wash , Hike 30, where the wash is part of
210-510: The range contains People's Canyon, about 5 mi long, and the west-flowing Santa Maria River ; to the southeast the river borders the northwest of the smaller range, the Black Mountains . The highpoint of the range is Arrastra Mountain, 4,807 feet (1,465 m), located at 34°18′45″N 113°18′48″W / 34.31252°N 113.31325°W / 34.31252; -113.31325 ( Arrastra Mountain ) . Arrastra Mountain
225-592: The southeast border of the Aubrey Peak Wilderness. The Rawhide Mountains Wilderness is a large wilderness that is on both banks of the Bill Williams River, and the confluence of the Big Sandy River . It is in the northeast of the Buckskin Mountains , the southeast of the Rawhide's and forms the western border of Alamo Lake, at Alamo Lake State Park . Aubrey Peak Poachie Range The Poachie Range
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