The slopes of the mountain incorporate primarily suburban residential development while the upper summit areas are conservation sites.

[4] The formation originally was known as Windy Gulch and Horseshoe Mountain but was later renamed by miner and businessman Charles Mieg, who purchased most of the property in the 1940s for $12,000.

When he began selling parcels for development, Mieg marketed the land using the name Mummy Mountain.

Local celebrities including Marshall Trimble, Joe Garagiola, Clive Cussler and Bil Keane supported a campaign asking property owners for donations of land.

Through private donations and transfer of public land from Maricopa County, 218 acres (0.88 km2) were controlled by the trust by August 1999.