The
Santa Rita Mountains (
O'odham:
To:wa Kuswo Do'ag), located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of
Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km (26 mi) from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the
Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast. The highest point in the range, and the highest point in the
Tucson area, is
Mount Wrightson, with an elevation of 9,453 feet (2,881 m), The range contains
Madera Canyon, one of the world's premier birding areas. The
Smithsonian Institution's
Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is located on
Mount Hopkins. The range is one of the
Madrean sky islands.