Pinnacle Peak is both a landform and a coveted Scottsdale, Arizona residential area. Pinnacle Peak, the landform, rises out of the Sonoran desert floor to an elevation of 3,170 feet. Pinnacle Peak was formed one million years ago as the result of tectonic plate movement and is composed of granite, feldspar, mica and quartz.

Pinnacle Peak, the area,  is home to a variety of Sonoran plants and animals. Mountain lions, gray fox, desert tortoises, Gila monsters, coyotes, chuckwallas and western diamondback rattlesnakes are among the Sonoran animals that still inhabit the area. These critters share the Pinnacle Peak area with saguaro, cholla, ocotillo, palo verde trees, ironwood trees, bursage, and other species of Sonoran flora.

The Pinnacle Peak area has been home to the prehistoric Hohokam people, nomadic Apache, ranchers, and homesteaders during the 1930s, including K. T. Palmer, who would co-found Carefree, AZ during the 1950s. There was a stagecoach stop at Reata Pass and the world’s largest western steakhouse, Pinnacle Peak Patio, was established in 1957. But for most people living in Arizona during the 50s and 60s, Pinnacle Peak remained a remote, unspoiled area.