Mount Peale

Mount Peale
The north face of Mount Peale, as seen from the summit of Mount Mellenthin
Elevation	12,726 ft (3,879 m)
Prominence	6,161 ft (1,878 m) [1]
Location
Location	San Juan County, Utah, USA
Range	La Sal Mountains
Coordinates	38°26′19″N 109°13′45″W / 38.43861°N 109.22917°W / 38.43861; -109.22917Coordinates: 38°26′19″N 109°13′45″W / 38.43861°N 109.22917°W / 38.43861; -109.22917
Topo map	USGS Mount Peale (UT)
Climbing
First ascent	unknown (probable prehistoric ascent)
Easiest route	La Sal Pass Route: 2.5 mile hike/scramble

Mount Peale is the highest point in the La Sal Mountains of San Juan County, in the southeastern part of the US state of Utah. It is also the highest point in Utah outside the Uinta Mountains.^[2][3] It is located about 20 mi (32 km) southeast of Moab. The peak rises high above the surrounding terrain, and this rise and its isolation from higher peaks help make it the 23rd most topographically prominent peak in the contiguous United States and an ultra prominent peak.^[1] Mount Peale was named for Albert Peale, a mineralogist on the Hayden Survey of 1875.^[3]

The La Sal Mountains sit on the arid Colorado Plateau, near such famous desert landmarks as Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. However due to their height, the La Sals are heavily forested and usually snow-capped until early summer (there is one snowfield on the north side that usually lasts year round).^[4] Mount Peale can be seen on a clear day from the Wasatch Plateau of central Utah, near Orangeville, over 115 miles (190 km) away.

Mount Peale can be accessed from various directions, but is most commonly climbed from the area of La Sal Pass, 10,125 ft (3,086 m), about 3 mi (5 km) to the southwest of the peak. La Sal Pass is accessed from the southeast via a graded gravel road. From the pass the summit is obtained by a short but steep off-trail hike of about 2.5 mi (4.0 km) with about 2,600 ft (800 m) of elevation gain. The route often involves some travel on snow, even in summer.^[3][4]

See also

• Colorado Plateau
• La Sal Mountains
• Southern Rocky Mountains

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Contiguous US Ultra-prominent peaks at peaklist.org
2. ^ Utah 12ers at listsofjohn.com
3. ^ ^{a b c} Mount Peale on Summitpost
4. ^ ^{a b} Michael R. Kelsey, Guide to the World's Mountains (third edition), Kelsey Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0-944510-02-7, pp. 682–683.