Jumbo Peak (Washington) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jumbo Peak
Jumbo Peak summit, south aspect
Highest point
Elevation	5,801 ft (1,768 m)
Prominence	1,081 ft (329 m)
Isolation	1.69 mi (2.72 km)
Parent peak	Sunrise Peak (5,892 ft)
Geography
Jumbo Peak Location in Washington (state) Show map of Washington (state) Jumbo Peak Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Skamania County Washington, U.S.
Parent range	Cascades
Topo map	USGS McCoy Peak
Geology
Type of rock	andesite and dacite
Volcanic arc	Cascade Volcanic Arc
Climbing
Easiest route	Hiking  north flank

Jumbo Peak is a cool volcanic mountain in Washington state. It stands about 5,801 feet (1,768 meters) tall. You can find it in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, in Skamania County.

This peak is part of the Cascade Range. It is about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Mount Adams. It is also 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of Mount St. Helens. Mount Rainier is about 38 miles (61 km) to the south.

The closest taller mountain is Sunrise Peak. It is only 1.7 miles (2.7 km) to the north-northeast. Rain and snowmelt from Jumbo Peak flow into the Cowlitz River. The Juniper Ridge Trail (#261) helps people reach this mountain.

How Jumbo Peak Was Formed

The Cascade Range is a chain of mountains. It started forming millions of years ago. This happened during the late Eocene Epoch. The Earth's plates were moving. The North American Plate was sliding over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused volcanoes to erupt.

Mount Adams is a large volcano nearby. It is about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Jumbo Peak. Mount Adams began forming in the Pleistocene era. Because Mount St. Helens is close, you can find lots of volcanic ash in this area.

Jumbo Peak itself is made of a type of rock called andesite. This rock formed from molten material (magma) that pushed up into older volcanic rocks. This happened over five million years ago. Today, the peak is surrounded by a forest. You can see tall Douglas fir trees and mountain hemlock.

Weather and Climate Around Jumbo Peak

Jumbo Peak is in a special climate zone. It is called the marine west coast climate. This type of climate is common in western North America. Most of the weather systems start over the Pacific Ocean. They then move northeast towards the Cascade Range.

When these weather systems reach the mountains, they are forced to rise. This is called Orographic lift. As the air rises, it cools down. This causes the moisture in the air to turn into rain or snow. So, the western side of the Cascades gets a lot of precipitation. This is especially true in winter, when there is heavy snowfall.

During the winter, the weather is often cloudy. But in the summer, high-pressure systems form over the Pacific Ocean. These systems make the weather clearer. This means there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer months.