Vernon Bailey Peak is a
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
in
Brewster County, Texas
Brewster County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in West Texas and its county seat (and only city) is Alpine, Texas, Alpine. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region, and b ...
, United States.
Description
Vernon Bailey Peak is located in the
Chisos Mountains
The Chisos Mountains, also known as the Chisos, are a mountain range located in the Big Bend, Texas, Big Bend area of the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, United States. The mountain system covers 40 square miles (104 square km) and is contained enti ...
. It ranks as the 12th-highest peak in
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in West Texas, bordering Mexico. The park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topograph ...
and 77th-highest in Texas.
The mountain is composed of intrusive rock which formed during the
Oligocene
The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...
period.
Topographic relief
Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...
is significant as the summit rises 2,070 feet (631 m) above Oak Canyon in . Based on the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Vernon Bailey Peak is located in a
hot arid climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
zone with hot summers and mild winters.
Any scant precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains into Oak Creek which is part of the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...
watershed. The lower slopes of the peak are covered by juniper, oak, and piñon. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1945 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 ...
to remember
Vernon Orlando Bailey
Vernon Orlando Bailey (June 21, 1864 – April 20, 1942) was an American naturalist who specialized in mammalogy. He was employed by the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). His contributions to the Bureau ...
(1864–1942), American naturalist who specialized in mammalogy and is best known for his biological surveys of Texas, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Oregon.
[Ronnie C. Tyler, ''The Big Bend: A History of the Last Texas Frontier'', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975, p. 18.]
See also
*
List of mountain peaks of Texas
*
Geography of Texas
The geography of Texas is diverse and large. Occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U.S., it is the second largest state after Alaska, and is the southernmost part of the Great Plains, which end in the south against the folde ...
Gallery
File:Vernon Bailey Peak west.jpg, West aspect
File:Vernon Bailey Peak from east.jpg, East aspect
File:Vernon Bailey Peak, BBNP.jpg, East aspect
File:Chisos Mountains - Vernon Bailey Peak.jpg, Chisos Mountains, road pointed toward northwest aspect of Vernon Bailey Peak
File:Big Bend National Park, Texas 223.JPG
File:Vernon Bailey Peak, with Emory Peak.jpg, Aerial view of north aspect of Vernon Bailey Peak in 1937.
Emory Peak at the top of frame in the distance.
References
External links
* Vernon Bailey Peak
Weather forecast
{{Portal bar, Mountains, Geology, Geography, Texas
Mountains of Texas
Two-thousanders of the United States
Landforms of Brewster County, Texas
Big Bend National Park