Castle Peak (Idaho) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Castle Peak
Castle Peak in White Clouds, in 2014
Highest point
Elevation	11,815 ft (3,601 m)
Prominence	4,015 ft (1,224 m)
Geography
Castle Peak Location in Idaho
Parent range	White Cloud Mountains
Topo map	USGS Boulder Chain Lakes
Climbing
Easiest route	Scramble, class 3

Castle Peak is a very tall mountain in the western United States. It stands at about 11,815 feet (3,601 meters) high. This makes it the highest peak in the White Cloud Mountains of central Idaho. It is located in Custer County. Castle Peak is the 25th tallest mountain in Idaho. It is also the ninth most "prominent" peak. Prominence means how much a mountain sticks up from the land around it.

Discover Castle Peak

Castle Peak is part of a special protected area. This area is called the Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds Wilderness. It is also part of the larger Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Both are found in Custer County, Idaho.

Where is Castle Peak?

The towns of Stanley and Challis are about 21 miles (34 km) away from Castle Peak. The popular Ketchum-Sun Valley area is about 27 miles (43 km) from the peak.

The mountain rises to the northeast of a place called Chamberlain Basin. It is also south of Castle Lake and Merriam Peak.

Exploring the Area

The U.S. Forest Service looks after Castle Peak. The area around the peak is easy to visit. You can camp anywhere in Sawtooth National Forest. The beautiful lakes near Castle Peak are great spots to stay.

There are trails that lead from parking areas close to Castle Peak. However, no trails go all the way up the peak itself. The easiest way to climb Castle Peak is by "scrambling." This means climbing over rocks and steep ground using your hands and feet. This route starts from the Chamberlain Basin.

Protecting Castle Peak

In the 1970s, there was a big plan to build a mine near Castle Peak. This would have been an "open-pit" mine. It would dig out a metal called molybdenum from the ground. This plan caused a lot of concern.

The idea of the mine became a major issue in the 1970 election for governor of Idaho. People were worried about the environment. This concern helped lead to the creation of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in 1972. This protected the beautiful area around Castle Peak.

In that election, Cecil Andrus won and became governor. He was the first Democratic governor in Idaho in almost 25 years. This election showed how much people cared about protecting natural places like Castle Peak.

Images for kids

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  Castle Peak (left) and Merriam Peak (right)

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  Castle Peak from Sawtooth Mountains

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  Castle Peak