White Tank Mountains

{{Short description|Mountain range in central Arizona}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = White Tank Mountains

| photo = 07 white tank mountain.jpg

| photo_caption = Petroglyphs in the White Tank Mountains

| elevation_ft = 4083

| elevation_ref =

| prominence =

| location = Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

| range =

| map = USA Arizona#USA

| map_caption = Location in Arizona##Location in the United States

| map_size = 200

| coordinates = {{coord|33|34|31|N|112|34|44|W|type:mountain_region:US-AZ}}

| topo = USGS White Tank Mountains (AZ)

| type = Metamorphic

| age = 35 Ma

| first_ascent =

| easiest_route =

}}

The White Tank Mountains are a mountain range in Maricopa County, Arizona. The mountains are on the western periphery of the Phoenix metropolitan area, primarily flanked by the suburban cities of Buckeye to the southwest, and Surprise to the northeast. The mountain range is home to the White Tank Mountain Regional Park and is a regional recreation hub.

The range, often referred to simply as the White Tanks, is a moderate-sized mountain range whose peaks rise to an elevation around {{convert|4000|ft|m|0}}.{{cite web|url=http://reynolds.asu.edu/white_tank/overview.htm|title=Geology of the White Tank Mountains, Central Arizona|author=Stephen Reynolds}} The range consists of a series of numerous ridges and canyons, and as such, lacks a single, prominent peak. The highest point in the range, at an elevation of {{convert|4083|ft|m|0}}, is Barry Goldwater Peak.{{cite gnis|id=2070658|name=Barry Goldwater Peak|entrydate=2005-05-27|access-date=2010-02-01}}

The mountain range was formed through tectonic activities as part of a detachment fault sometime in the mid-Tertiary period, about 30 million years ago. Fairly young in geologic terms, it has not been subject to the forces of erosion for long and retains an extremely rugged topography composed of rocky fault ridges and deep canyons. During seasonal heavy rainfall, accumulated water tends to rush rapidly through the steep canyons, over time scouring out a number of depressions or "tanks" in the white granite near the base of the mountains. These white tanks are the source of the mountains' name.{{cite web|url=http://lasr.net/pages/park.php?Park_ID=AZ06sp005|title=White Tank Regional Park, AZ|publisher=LASR}}

Image:Waterfall pool - "White tank" in the White Tank mountains, Arizona.jpg|Granite "white tank" in the White Tank Mountains

Image:Waterfall in the White Tanks Mountains, Arizona.jpg|The White Tanks waterfall runs only immediately after rainfall

Image:Spiderweb petroglyph on the Waterfall Trail in the White Tank Mountains, Arizonia.jpg|Web-like petroglyph on the White Tank Mountain Regional Park Waterfall Trail

Image:Chipping petroglyph on Waterfall Trail in the White Tank Mountains.jpg|Chipping petroglyph on the White Tank Mountain Regional Park Waterfall Trail

File:White Tank Mts SW01.jpg|Petroglyph covered boulders