Pinnacle Peak
Pinnacle Peak is a part of the city of Scottsdale, located at the north end of the McDowell Mountains. This high Sonoran Desert area is about 1,000 feet higher in elevation than Phoenix and is generally cooler than the Valley. It may even see light snow in winter.
A key reason the 6,200 residents choose to make Pinnacle Peak their home is the natural, unspoiled environment and the opportunity to enjoy the wilderness. The area has a number of active citizens and resident groups. The mission of The Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA) is "to protect the interests of residents, the desert and the native wildlife by encouraging community activism and communication." The Friends of the Scenic Drive, Inc. focuses its efforts on the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, which became a landmark in the early 1960s. The Greater Pinnacle Peak Homeowners Association (GPPHA) supports area property owners.
The actual Pinnacle Peak that gives the name to the area is a 3,170-foot peak composed of granite, feldspar, mica and quartz. The 150-acre City of Scottsdale Pinnacle Peak Park surrounding the peak offers hiking, horseback riding and rock climbing.
Development has flourished as Scottsdale growth has moved north. The recently completed 101 Loop freeway makes it more convenient to travel from the northern areas into Scottsdale and Phoenix.
Not surprisingly, a lot of the residential growth in Pinnacle Peak is in luxury homes. In mid-2003 resale homes were priced as high as $3.5 million. At the lower end, homes sold for under $200,000. Average sale price was well over $400,000.
A number of communities are located in what is called the Pinnacle Peak & Pima Road corridor area. Pinnacle Peak Country Club Estates is the area's first gated community, built adjacent to the private, limited membership Pinnacle Peak Country Club. Homes in this community have market values beginning in the $300,000s and going up to well over $700,000. Club membership is not limited to Pinnacle Peak property owners, but area residents go on an "A" waiting list when the club is at its 325-member limit.
