Mummy Mountain rises in Paradise Valley within the Phoenix area, with suburban homes covering much of its lower slopes while the upper summit remains conservation land. Once called Windy Gulch and Horseshoe Mountain, it gained its current name in the 1940s when miner and businessman Charles Mieg bought most of the property, decided its outline resembled a reclining Egyptian mummy, and used the name as he divided and sold parcels. Unlike the rest of the Phoenix Mountains, it was not included in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, so protection came through local efforts, including the Mummy Mountain Preserve Trust, which helped preserve part of the ridge.