Wheeler Peak (Nevada)

For other mountains by this name, see Wheeler Peak (disambiguation).

Wheeler Peak
Wheeler Peak, looking east-southeast in late afternoon light.
Elevation	13,065 ft (3,982 m) NAVD 88
Prominence	7,563 ft (2,305 m)
Listing	Ultra
Location
Location	White Pine County, Nevada, U.S.
Range	Snake Range
Coordinates	38°59′10″N 114°18′48″W
Topo map	USGS Wheeler Peak
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike

Wheeler Peak 3D

Wheeler Peak, elevation 13,065 feet (3,982 m), a mountain in the Snake Range of the Great Basin, in the Western United States. It is named for George Wheeler, leader of the Wheeler Survey of the late 19th century.

It is located in Great Basin National Park, in eastern White Pine County of central-eastern Nevada. It is the highest point in the National Park, and second highest point in the state. The summit is located 14 miles (23 km) west of the Utah border.

Peak Features

Highly durable quartzite of the Prospect Mountain Formation is the primary component of Wheeler Peak

Wheeler Peak has an impressive headwall above a large glacial cirque, large moraines and an active rock glacier. The top of the mountain is covered by deep snow most of the year. A paved road runs from the Great Basin National Park visitor center to several small camping areas, the highest more than halfway up the mountain. The mountain's prominence is due to a Miocene detachment fault that brought the deep Cambrian Prospect Mountain quartzite to the top of the mountain.

Wheeler Peak—Boundary Peak

The distinction of highest point in Nevada goes to the summit of Boundary Peak, so named because it is just east of the Nevada-California border, at the northern terminus of the White Mountains. Wheeler Peak is, however, the tallest independent mountain in the state since Boundary Peak is considered a subsidiary summit of Montgomery Peak, whose summit is in California. The topographic prominence of Boundary Peak is 253 feet (77 m), which falls under the often used 300-foot (91 m) cutoff for an independent peak. Also, Boundary Peak is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) away from its higher neighbor.

By contrast the prominence of Wheeler Peak, at 7,563 feet (2,305 m), is the twelfth largest in the contiguous United States. It is also the twelfth most topographically isolated summit in the contiguous United States.

Nearby features

The limestone Lehman Caves, at the base of the mountain, feature a large collection of shield formations. Tours of the caves are offered year round by the National Park Service. Higher up on the glacial moraine is a grove of ancient Great Basin Bristlecone Pines of great age. A Bristlecone Pine named Prometheus, which was at least 4,862 years old and the oldest known non-clonal organism, grew here before it was inadvertently cut down in 1964 as part of a research project. Limber Pine, which can live for over 1,000 years, are also found in the area.

See also

• Mountain peaks of the United States
• List of highest points in Nevada by county
• List of Ultras of North America
• List of Ultras of the United States

Gallery

• 

  Wheeler Peak, looking southwest from the Maheur Viewpoint in Great Basin National Park.

• 

  Wheeler Peak looking toward the west from Baker Archaeology Village

• 

  Sunset at Wheeler Peak

• 

  Snow blanketing Snake Valley and Wheeler Peak.

References

• "Wheeler Peak". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-11-27. 
• "Wheeler Peak". Great Basin National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved 2010-10-16. 

External links

• Great Basin National Park — Wheeler Peak