South Mountains (Arizona)

The majority of the range is public land managed by the City of Phoenix as South Mountain Park, but a small portion extends into the Gila River Indian Community.

The structural basin forms the Phoenix metro area, which appears flat like a lake around mountains that rise over it like islands.

[citation needed] The mountain, along with the nearby Sierra Estrella, is considered sacred by the Akimel O'odham and the Kwevkepaya band of Yavapai.

This had become a point of contention prior to the construction of Arizona State Route 202 through the range's southwestern corner.

[2][3] The construction of the highway ultimately left a gash in the range at the border of the Gila River Indian Community within the City of Phoenix and South Mountain Preserve.