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Pinnacle Peak is both a landform and a coveted
Scottsdale, Arizona residential area. Pinnacle Peak, the landform,
rises out of the Sonoran desert floor to an elevation of 3,170 feet.
Pinnacle Peak was formed one million years ago as the result of
tectonic plate movement and is composed of granite, feldspar, mica
and quartz.
Pinnacle Peak, the area, is home to a variety of
Sonoran plants and animals. Mountain lions, gray fox, desert
tortoises, Gila monsters, coyotes, chuckwallas and western
diamondback rattlesnakes are among the Sonoran animals that still
inhabit the area. These critters share the Pinnacle Peak area with
saguaro, cholla, ocotillo, palo verde trees, ironwood trees, bursage,
and other species of Sonoran flora.
The Pinnacle Peak area has been home to the
prehistoric Hohokam people, nomadic Apache, ranchers, and
homesteaders during the 1930s, including K. T. Palmer, who would
co-found Carefree, AZ during the 1950s. There was a stagecoach stop
at Reata Pass and the world s largest western steakhouse, Pinnacle
Peak Patio, was established in 1957. But for most people living in
Arizona during the 50s and 60s, Pinnacle Peak remained a remote,
unspoiled area. |