Cable Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cable Mountain |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,940 ft (2,120 m) |
| Geography | |
 Cable Mountain
Location in Utah
Cable Mountain
Location in the United States
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| Location | Zion National Park Washington County, Utah United States |
| Parent range | Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Temple of Sinawava |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Jurassic |
| Type of rock | Navajo sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 1 hiking trail |
Cable Mountain is a tall mountain in Zion National Park in southwest Utah, United States. It stands about 6,940 feet (2,115 meters) high. This mountain is made of a type of rock called Navajo Sandstone, which often looks like beautiful red and orange cliffs.
Cable Mountain rises about 2,600 feet (790 meters) above the floor of Zion Canyon. It is located near other famous spots like The Great White Throne and Observation Point. The mountain gets its name from a special system of cables used long ago. From 1901 to 1927, these cables helped lower timber (wood) from the top of the mountain down to the valley below. This wood was even used to build the Zion Lodge. Today, you can hike a 7.4-mile trail to the top of Cable Mountain to see amazing views.
Climate Around Cable Mountain
The best times to visit Cable Mountain are during spring and fall. The area has a "cold semi-arid climate." This means it's a desert climate, so it doesn't get much rain, usually less than 10 inches (250 mm) each year. Winters have light snowfall, and the coldest month's average temperature is below freezing.
Gallery
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Cable Mountain from northeast
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Cable Mountain (red cliff), The Great White Throne (right), from Observation Point
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Cable Mountain centered
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Observation Point left, Cable Mountain centered, The Great White Throne right.
Viewed from Angels Landing -
Cable Mountain Draw Works relics
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Cable Mountain Draw Works headframe and machinery
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Draw works at the top
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The Cable Mountain Draw Works
The Cable Mountain Draw Works was a clever system built to move timber. David Flanigan started building it in 1901. He had thought of the idea when he was just a teenager!
From 1904, trees were cut down from the high parts of the mountain. Then, they were sent down to the valley using the draw works. This was a drop of about 2,000 feet (610 meters)! Before this system, getting timber from Cable Mountain took a very long ten-day trip.
Flanigan sold the operation in 1906. It continued to run until 1926 when it was no longer used. The cables were removed a few years later in 1930. The Cable Mountain Draw Works is the oldest structure in Zion that was built before it became a national park. Today, you can still see some parts of the old system, like a wooden frame at the top of Cable Mountain.
