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 sove ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. 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 the state, in ...

Description

At , Sacajawea Peak is the highest point in the

, and the 6th highest peak in Oregon.

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

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

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

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. It is ranked 18th among peaks in the

48 contiguous states The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

. It is the 2nd most prominent peak in Oregon, after

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portl ...

. 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 straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

, to the east. This makes Sacajawea Peak the 25th most topographically isolated 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 given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "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 m ...

. 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 Wallowa Lake is a ribbon lake sout ...

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.Op ...

on Mount Howard.

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

topographic maps

History

Sacajawea Peak is named for

Sacagawea Sacagawea ( or ; also spelled Sakakawea or Sacajawea; May – December 20, 1812 or April 9, 1884).e., present-day Gibbons Pass A week later, on July 13, Sacagawea advised Clark to cross into the Yellowstone River basin at what is now known a ...

, the

Shoshone The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ) are a Native American tribe with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshone: southern Idaho * Western Shoshone: Nevada, northern Utah * Goshute: western Utah, easte ...

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 gr ...

. 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 body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...

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

History

See also

Gallery

References

External links