Mount Washington (Oregon) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Washington
Mount Washington as seen from Big Lake on the northwest
Highest point
Elevation	7,795 ft (2,376 m)
Geography
Mount Washington Location in the United States
Parent range	Cascade Range
Topo map	USGS Mount Washington
Geology
Age of rock	Pleistocene
Mountain type	Shield volcano or stratovolcano
Volcanic arc	Cascade Volcanic Arc
Last eruption	>250,000 years ago (estimated)
Climbing
First ascent	1923 by E. McNeal and party

Mount Washington is a deeply eroded volcano in the Cascade Range of Oregon. It lies within Deschutes and Linn counties and is surrounded by the Mount Washington Wilderness area.

Like the rest of the Oregon Cascades, Mount Washington was produced by the subduction of the oceanic Juan de Fuca tectonic plate under the continental North American tectonic plate, forming during the late Pleistocene. Made mostly of mafic (rich in magnesium and iron) volcanic rock like subalkaline basalt and basaltic andesite, it has a volcanic plug occupying its summit cone and numerous dikes. It is surrounded by other volcanic features such as cinder cones and spatter cones. The volcano's last eruptions took place from spatter cones about 1,350 years ago, generating basaltic andesite lava deposits.

Mount Washington has barren surroundings, which have seen little historical recreational use. A wagon road at McKenzie Pass was built in 1872, which was later paved during the 1930s. On August 26, 1923, the mountain was first ascended by six boys from the neighboring city of Bend. The surrounding area was designated the Mount Washington Wilderness by the federal government in 1964. The wilderness area is not heavily used, though it has a number of hiking trails. Wildlife is sparse in the region. Vegetation is mostly limited to pines and shrubs. Animal life includes deer, American black bear, cougar, various small animal species, and some fish species in the lakes.

Images for kids

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  The spire-like appearance of Mount Washington

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  The deeply eroded Mount Washington seen from the east

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  Mount Washington with Belknap Crater on the left

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  Fisherman at Big Lake with Mount Washington in the background