Mount Carmack facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Carmack
East aspect, with true summit left of center
Highest point
Elevation	6,808 ft (2,075 m)
Prominence	3,199 ft (975 m)
Isolation	5.01 mi (8.06 km)
Parent peak	Taiya Peak
Geography
Mount Carmack Location in Alaska
Location	Tongass National Forest Skagway Borough Alaska, United States
Parent range	Coast Mountains Boundary Ranges
Topo map	USGS Skagway C-1

Mount Carmack is a tall mountain peak in Alaska, United States. It stands about 6,808 ft (2,080 m) high. This mountain is part of the Boundary Ranges, which are a section of the larger Coast Mountains.

You can find Mount Carmack about 7 mi (11 km) north of a town called Skagway. It's also about 3.5 mi (6 km) south of another peak, Mount Cleveland. The land around Mount Carmack is managed by the Tongass National Forest.

Mount Carmack is the highest point between two rivers: the Taiya River and the Skagway River. Rain and snow that fall on the mountain flow into these rivers. Both rivers then empty into Taiya Inlet. Even though Mount Carmack isn't super high compared to some mountains, it rises very steeply from the valleys below. For example, it climbs 6,800 feet from the Taiya valley in less than 2 mi (3 km)! There's also a slightly lower peak, about 0.5 mi (1 km) to the northeast, which is 6,621 ft (2,020 m) tall.

History of Mount Carmack's Name

This mountain got its name in 1898. A person named John A. Flemer from the U.S. National Geodetic Survey named it. He named it after George Carmack (1860–1922).

George Carmack was famous for finding a lot of gold in 1896 at a place called Bonanza Creek. This discovery started the famous Klondike Gold Rush. Thousands of people traveled to the Klondike region hoping to find gold.

The Chilkoot Trail was a path many gold seekers used. This trail goes along the western side of Mount Carmack. The Klondike Highway runs along the eastern side. Part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is on both sides of the mountain, but the mountain peak itself is not inside the park.

Climate Around Mount Carmack

Mount Carmack has a subarctic climate. This means it has cold, snowy winters and cool summers.

Weather systems from the Gulf of Alaska hit the Coast Mountains. The mountains force the air upwards, which causes a lot of rain and snow to fall. This is called orographic lift.

Temperatures on Mount Carmack can get very cold, sometimes dropping below −20 °C. With the wind, it can feel even colder, below −30 °C. Because of all the snow and cold, there are glaciers on all sides of the mountain. The best time to visit or try to climb Mount Carmack is usually from May through July.