Sacajawea Peak is a peak in the

Wallowa Mountains The Wallowa Mountains () are a mountain range located in the Columbia Plateau of northeastern Oregon in the United States. The range runs approximately northwest to southeast in southwestern Wallowa County and eastern Union County between the ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. It is in the

Eagle Cap Wilderness Eagle Cap Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon (United States), within the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest.

and the

Wallowa–Whitman National Forest The Wallowa–Whitman National Forest is a United States National Forest in the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho. Formed upon the merger of the Wallowa and Whitman national forests in 1954, it is located in the northeastern corner of Oregon, in W ...

Description

At , Sacajawea Peak is the highest point in the

, and the 6th highest peak in Oregon.

Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...

, another peak in the Wallowa Mountains, is about the same height at Sacajawea Peak, and some sources claim it is actually slightly higher. Sacajawea's

prominence In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...

of , makes it one of the most topographically prominent peaks in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is ranked 18th among peaks in the 48 contiguous states. It is the 2nd most prominent peak in Oregon, after

Mount Hood Mount Hood, also known as Wy'east, is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range and is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast and rests in the Pacific N ...

. The nearest peak higher than Sacajawea is Pinyon Peak, in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, to the east. This makes Sacajawea Peak the 25th most

topographically isolated The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum horizontal distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and islands as well as for m ...

peak of the United States. Sacajawea Peak is the highest summit in the

Eagle Cap Wilderness Eagle Cap Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon (United States), within the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest.

and the

. It is just northwest of Hurwal Divide, north of

, northwest of Ice Lake, and south of

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

. Sacajawea Peak is connected by high ridges to Matterhorn. Both are connected to Hurwal Divide, a high ridge extending east and north from Sacajawea and Matterhorn. A high pass connects Hurwal Divide to

Chief Joseph Mountain Chief Joseph Mountain is a mountain summit located in Wallowa County, Oregon, Wallowa County, Oregon, US. Description Chief Joseph Mountain is located five miles south of Joseph, Oregon, in the Wallowa Mountains. It is set within the Eagle Ca ...

, to the north. These mountains and high ridges form a unit separated from the rest of the Wallowas by river valleys, with the West Fork Wallowa River flows north along the east edge and Hurricane Creek along the west. Numerous tributaries flow from the high mountains to these rivers. Sacajawea Peak is closer to Hurricane Creek, and several tributary streams rise on the slopes of Sacajawea, such as Thorp Creek. To the west of Sacajawea Peak, across the valley of Hurricane Creek, is the high ridge of Hurricane Divide, which separates Hurricane Creek from Lostine River. South of the Sacajawea and Matterhorn high lands is Lake Basin, in which the Lostine River, West Fork Wallowa River, and Hurricane Creek originate among many small lakes. To the north and east of Sacajawea Peak and Chief Joseph Mountain the Wallowa Mountains come to an end at Wallowa Lake, just south of the town of

. A road runs south from Joseph along the east side of Wallowa Lake and into the valley of the Wallowa River. A number of recreation opportunities are located there, south of Wallowa Lake, including

Wallowa Lake State Park Wallowa Lake State Park is a state park located in northeast Oregon in the United States. It is at the southern shore of Wallowa Lake, near the city of Joseph in Wallowa County. The town of Wallowa Lake is situated next to the park. Wallowa L ...

and the

Wallowa Lake Tramway The Wallowa Lake Tramway is an aerial cable gondola lift near Joseph, Oregon, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest of the United States, named for Wallowa Lake. The tram runs from the floor of the Wallowa Valley to the top of Mount Howard.Oppe ...

on Mount Howard.

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...

topographic maps

Climate

History

Sacajawea Peak is named for

Sacagawea Sacagawea ( or ; also spelled Sakakawea or Sacajawea; May – December 20, 1812)Sacagawea
." Shoshone The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ), also known by the endonym Newe, are an Native Americans in the United States, Indigenous people of the United States with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshon ...

woman who traveled with the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

. A proposal to change the name Sacajawea Peak to Sacagawea Peak was submitted in February 1998. In December 1999, the proposal was rejected by the

United States Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a Federal government of the United States, federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geogr ...

Gallery

File:04-32-04-trail.jpg, North aspect File:03-45-15, hurricane creek trail - panoramio.jpg, Sacajawea Peak from Hurricane Creek Trail File:04-31-12-trail.jpg, Sacajawea Peak from Hurricane Creek Trail File:Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa Whitman National Forest (36341410225).jpg, Sacajawea Peak in upper right corner.

upper left, Ice Lake centered File:04-31-09-trail.jpg, Sacajawea Peak from Hurricane Creek Trail

References

External links

* {{NA isolated Mountains of Oregon Landforms of Wallowa County, Oregon Wallowa–Whitman National Forest Sacagawea

Description

Climate

History

See also

Gallery

References

External links