Sentinel Peak (Arizona)

Sentinel Peak
"A" Mountain
The "A" on Sentinel Peak, pictured with its 2003-2013 color scheme.
Highest point
Elevation2,901 ft (884 m) NAVD 88
Prominence267 ft (81 m)
Coordinates32°12′37″N 110°59′32″W / 32.210268833°N 110.992278114°W / 32.210268833; -110.992278114
Geography
Sentinel
Peak
LocationCity of Tucson
Pima County, Arizona, U.S.
Parent rangeTucson Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Tucson

Sentinel Peak is a 2,897 ft (900 m) peak in the Tucson Mountains southwest of downtown Tucson, Arizona, United States. The valley's first inhabitants grew crops at the mountain's base, along the Santa Cruz River. The name "Tucson" is derived from the O'odham Cuk Ṣon ([tʃʊk ʂɔːn]), meaning "the base [of the mountain] is black". In the 1910s, University of Arizona students used local basalt rock to construct a 160 ft (50 m) tall block "A" on the mountain's east face, near its summit, giving the peak its other name, "A" Mountain. The peak is part of a 272-acre (110 hectares) park, the largest natural resource park in the City of Tucson.