Thimble Mountain Vista sits at 5,268 feet on the Sky Island Scenic Byway, facing west (270°) across terrain that falls 587 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view takes in Gibbon Mountain to the southwest at 1.6 miles (5,797 ft), Thimble Peak west-southwest at 3.1 miles (5,225 ft), McFall Crags to the west at 4.3 miles (5,746 ft), and Rattlesnake Peak also to the west at 5.1 miles, reaching 6,631 feet. Thimble Peak itself is a landmark in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, rising from the foothills on the south side of the range, with Bear Canyon to its east and Sabino Canyon to its west; it lies within the Pusch Ridge Wilderness in the Coronado National Forest. Because the overlook faces directly toward the sunset, the western peaks are backlit in late afternoon and evening. Oro Valley is 13.9 miles west-northwest, Tucson is 17.1 miles west-southwest, and Marana is 29.2 miles west-northwest. The byway continues from Molino Canyon Vista to this stop and on to Seven Cateracts Vista.
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
This overlook faces sunset — 0° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:27 | 18:35 | 18:02 |
| June solstice | 05:17 | 19:34 | 18:58 |
| September equinox | 06:12 | 18:21 | 17:49 |
| December solstice | 07:21 | 17:22 | 16:45 |
Local time (America/Phoenix). Computed for this exact position.
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Thimble Peak is a well-known landmark in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona. Thimble Peak rises from the foothills on the south side of the range. To its east is Bear Canyon, while to its west is Sabino Canyon. The peak is in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness on the Coronado National Forest.
Thimble Mountain Vista sits at about 5,268 feet (1,606 m).
From Thimble Mountain Vista: Gibbon Mountain (SW, 1.6 mi); Thimble Peak (WSW, 3.1 mi); McFall Crags (W, 4.3 mi); Rattlesnake Peak (W, 5.1 mi).
Sunset. The land falls away from Thimble Mountain Vista toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
Oro Valley, 14 miles WNW of Thimble Mountain Vista.
Seven Cateracts Vista is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Thimble Mountain Vista.
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Thimble Mountain Vista — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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