Travel guide to the summit of Kitt Peak

Kitt Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.082m (6,830ft) above the sea level, located in Pima County, in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, in the southwestern United States. This is an isolated climb in southern Arizona about 40 miles southwest of Tucson.

The road to the summit, the highest point in the Quinlan Mountains, is called AZ-386. It’s a paved and maintained road in very good condition throughout and there is minimal traffic the entire climb. At the summit is the Kitt Peak National Observatory, home to 24 optical and two radio telescopes and established in 1960. The 360 degrees views at the top of this sacred Native American mountain are well worth the climb.

The road to the summit is pretty steep. Starting from AZ-86 road, the ascent is 19.47km (12.1 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1098 meters. The average gradient is 5.63% but some sections up to 9-10%.

With such a high summit altitude the road can be closed anytime due to snowfalls. The zone is prone to heavy mist and can be dangerous in low visibility conditions. Due to its high elevation, the observatory experiences a much cooler and wetter climate throughout the year than most of the Sonoran Desert. Kitt Peak gets its share of summertime thunderstorms, usually July-September. As with any high peak, lightning is a very real hazard. Go early in the day to increase your chances as the storms usually build in the afternoon. Just be observant and use common sense.

 

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