Seeing Four Peaks from a plane
Four summits in a neat row in the Mazatzal Mountains, the skyline landmark east of Phoenix, topping out near 7,650 ft and often snowy in winter. Look for the distinctive four-point crest above the Salt River lakes.
6 of our routes pass it. Arizona · rated 3 of 10
The easy pick
Denver to Phoenix: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Denver to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Detroit to Phoenix | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Kansas City to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
| Phoenix to Chicago | Left | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| St. Louis to Phoenix | Left | on the way down |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Four Peaks from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (6 of 6). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Four Peaks from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Mesa Camelback Mountain Chase Field Phoenix State Farm Stadium Chicago (MDW) Phoenix (PHX) Denver (DEN) Detroit (DTW) All routes