Mount Peale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Peale |
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The north face of Mount Peale, as seen from the summit of Mount Mellenthin
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,726 ft (3,879 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 6,161 ft (1,878 m) |
| Listing |
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| Geography | |
 Mount
Peale Location in Utah
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| Location | San Juan County, Utah, U.S. |
| Parent range | La Sal Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Peale (UT) |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | La Sal Pass Route: 2.5 mile hike/scramble |
Mount Peale is the tallest mountain in the La Sal Mountains range. It is located in San Juan County, in the southeastern part of Utah, United States. This makes it the highest point in Utah, except for the Uinta Mountains.
The mountain is about 20 mi (32 km) southeast of Moab. Its peak is the highest spot in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. It is also part of the Mount Peale Research Natural Area. The mountain was named after Albert Charles Peale, a mineralogist. He was part of the Hayden Survey in 1875, which explored the area.
About Mount Peale and its Location
The La Sal Mountains are found on the dry Colorado Plateau. This area is famous for desert places like Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. Even though it's near deserts, the La Sal Mountains are very tall. Because of their height, they have many trees and are often covered in snow until early summer. One snowfield on the north side usually stays all year.
On a clear day, you can see Mount Peale from far away. It's visible from the Wasatch Plateau in central Utah, near Orangeville. That's over 115 miles (190 km) away!
How to Reach Mount Peale's Summit
People can reach Mount Peale from different directions. The most common way to climb it is from an area called La Sal Pass. This pass is about 10,125 ft (3,086 m) high. It's located about 3 mi (5 km) southwest of the mountain's peak.
You can get to La Sal Pass by a gravel road from the southeast. From the pass, the climb to the top is a short but steep hike. It's about 2.5 mi (4.0 km) long. You will gain about 2,600 ft (800 m) in height. Sometimes, you might even walk on snow during the summer.
Mount Peale's Climate
Mount Peale has a special kind of cold climate. It's called an alpine dry-summer subarctic climate. This means it has very cold, snowy winters. Temperatures stay below freezing all day. The summers are mild and get a fair amount of rain. Nights in summer are cool.
The mountain gets a lot of rain for Utah. This, along with the cold temperatures, is because Mount Peale is very high. It stands over 12,000 feet tall. Because it's so cold, temperatures don't usually stay above freezing until July. Snow often remains on the mountain until then.
| Climate data for Mount Peale 38.4436 N, 109.2271 W, Elevation: 12,093 ft (3,686 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.4 (−2.6) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
37.8 (3.2) |
46.9 (8.3) |
59.0 (15.0) |
64.7 (18.2) |
62.5 (16.9) |
54.9 (12.7) |
43.7 (6.5) |
33.3 (0.7) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
43.0 (6.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
15.4 (−9.2) |
20.1 (−6.6) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
34.0 (1.1) |
45.0 (7.2) |
51.2 (10.7) |
49.5 (9.7) |
42.4 (5.8) |
32.1 (0.1) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
16.4 (−8.7) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 5.1 (−14.9) |
4.2 (−15.4) |
8.3 (−13.2) |
12.6 (−10.8) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
37.7 (3.2) |
36.5 (2.5) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
20.5 (−6.4) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
5.6 (−14.7) |
18.7 (−7.4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.16 (106) |
4.26 (108) |
5.12 (130) |
4.31 (109) |
2.93 (74) |
1.31 (33) |
2.28 (58) |
2.65 (67) |
3.42 (87) |
3.72 (94) |
3.74 (95) |
4.15 (105) |
42.05 (1,066) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group | |||||||||||||
