Paradise Valley -  Custom Luxury Communities

Paradise Valley is considered to be a true "Garden of Eden" due in part to its fantastic location nestled in the surrounding beauty of Camelback Mountain with the "Praying Monk" and Mummy Mountain.

The Town of Paradise Valley was incorporated in May of 1961. It encompasses an area of 16.5 square miles.

The town is exclusively zoned for single family residential use. The majority of the Town is zoned for one acre lots with one house per lot. No multiple housing units or common walls are permitted. Any land use other than residential must be authorized by a Special Use Permit, which may only be granted after public hearings before both the Planning Commission and the Town Council. Some authorized Special Uses are: religious facilities, resorts, medical clinics, stables, golf courses, or private schools.

Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust


History of Mummy Mountain

Charlie Mieg, a Swiss by birth, prospered in banking and real estate in New York City and later in Florida, before moving to Arizona in the 1930s. He prospected for gold and other minerals through the Bradshaw Mountains, and spent much time at the Bagdad mines.

In the early 1940s he relocated to the area that later became Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. He was profoundly impressed by the beauty and serenity of what was then called Windy Gulch, a mountain in the midst of what would become the Town of Paradise Valley. He was so captivated by the area that he borrowed $8000 of the $12,000 purchase price from his mother-in-law, and acquired the Van Benscoten Ranch which included most of the property on and adjacent to Windy Gulch on the north and east sides.

Charlie was an experienced businessman. He recognized the value of property on his mountain; the views of the valley were exceptional. He discarded his miner's gear and went back into the real estate business to sell parcels of land from his mountain property.

Charlie also was a good salesman. He recognized that a mountain named Windy Gulch did not have the desired marketing appeal. He began to reflect on another name to use in selling his properties.

One early morning he was riding along the dirt road which later would become Shea Boulevard admiring his mountain framed in the early morning sunlight. He was struck by how much the mountain resembled an Egyptian mummy lying down. It occurred to him that the name Mummy Mountain would be far more appealing than Windy Gulch. That morning he resolved henceforth his mountain would be called Mummy Mountain and he would market his land under that label.

Thereby a man born in Switzerland, and an early pioneer in Arizona, gave us the distinctive name we use to this day: Mummy Mountain. All thanks to Charlie Mieg, his marketing talent, and his early appreciation of a natural and unique geographic landmark in the Town of Paradise Valley.


Goal of the Trust

The goal of the Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust is to perpetuate the natural landscape, desert plants, wildlife and scenic beauty of the mountain areas of the Town.

The Trust protects precious land on the mountains from future development in order to preserve it as natural open space in perpetuity.

The Trust seeks to add approximately 100 acres located on the upper reaches of Mummy Mountain to the 217 acres already a part of the Preserve area.

Preservation of Mummy Mountain honors the vision of those who established similar trusts to preserve Camelback Mountain and the Phoenix Mountains.

The Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust builds on this enduring legacy.

Benefits of the Trust

The Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust benefits our Town and neighboring communities in many ways. It protects a significant portion of one of our Town's natural geographic features from further development.

Those residents who take special pride in our distinctive scenic panoramas can continue to enjoy them. Visitors from throughout the world can continue to share this beauty. The Trust is a lasting gift to future generations of the Town of Paradise Valley residents. Native desert plants and wildlife within the preserve can flourish without disruption.

Those who participate in the Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust can receive tax benefits and contribute to the preservation of a scenic mountain landmark.

The Trust safeguards Mummy Mountain as a natural vista for all to enjoy. It ensures that our valley remains a paradise.

What is being said about Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust:

PHILIP CURTIS, Renowned Scottsdale Artist:

"Desert and mountain imagery play major roles in my paintings. I have painted each day for more than 50 years in my studio on Cattle Track with a view across a piece of open desert and on up Mummy Mountain. Please let the top of Mummy Mountain continue to draw the eye without the visual clutter of houses."

CLIVE CUSSLER, Best Selling Author:

"I am not alone in saying that I would rather stand on the floor of the desert and look up at a pristine mountain wilderness than a sea of palatial homes. There is no beauty like nature's beauty. Development IS a form of pollution.

There is utterly no rationality to build on the upper reaches of Mummy Mountain, except for greed and narcissism. These are no reasons to spoil the wonderful gift that God has given us."

HUGH DOWNS, Renown National Television and Radio Personality:

"Being asleep like most mummies, this mountain depends on friends for protection. All of us in the Valley of the Sun should be its friend."

JOE GARAGIOLA, Major League Catcher and Sportscaster:

"I always thought it would be a good idea to preserve old catchers and broadcasters, but this is a better idea. Preserve the top of Mummy Mountain. Like Camelback, Mummy Mountain is one of the jewels of Arizona. We need to protect it."

LOU GRUBB, Car Dealer:

"Those who favor the development of Mummy Mountain would do well to reconsider. Had we not restricted the development of Camelback Mountain, it would not be the natural landmark that identifies the Phoenix area. The top of Mummy Mountain is great as it is. Let's keep it that way."

MAX HAECHLER, (Max of Switzerland) Consul of Switzerland for Arizona:

"I'd rather have the coyotes roaming the upper part of the mountain and have the cactus and plants up there instead of houses. As one who has lived here since 1964, I appreciate what the Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust is doing for all of us."

BILL HEYWOOD, Renown Valley Morning Radio Host:

"I think Mummy Mountain should be preserved before Scottsdale can annex it and relocate the Galleria on it, or before Bill Bidwell decides it is a neat location for a new stadium."

JOE MILLER, Owner of El Chorro Lodge:

"During all the years I've been at El Chorro I've enjoyed the natural beauty of Mummy Mountain. It was a lot more beautiful back in the 60's than it is now. We should get rid of the scars caused by building roads and do everything we can to preserve the upper mountain."

MARSHALL TRIMBLE, Arizona Official State Historian:

"The crest of our beloved Mummy Mountain is one of the few vestiges of natural wilderness remaining in our community. We are the current trustees of this special place and it's our duty and responsibility to protect the biotic inhabitants and natural landscape for future generations to enjoy."