Chelan Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Chelan Mountains, or Chelan Range is a mountain range
in the U.S. state
of Washington. Located west of the Columbia River
, north of the Entiat River
, and south of the Lake Chelan
, the range is part of the North Cascades
section of the Cascade Range
. The Chelan Range is about 40 mi (64.4 km) long northwest to southeast and about 8 mi (12.9 km) wide, southwest to northeast.
The Chelan Mountains stretch south to the Columbia River
between the Entiat River and the Chelan River
. The northern end the Chelan Range merges with the northern end of the Entiat Mountains. Most of the range is within Wenatchee National Forest
. The northern end is part of the Glacier Peak Wilderness
.
The highest peak of the Chelan Mountains is Cardinal Peak
, at 8590 ft (2,618.2 m). Other major peaks include Emerald Peak, Saska Peak, Pinnacle Mountain, Pyramid Mountain, and Gopher Mountain. All these peaks are over 8000 ft (2,438.4 m). They are all located in the northern part of the Chelan Range. The highest peak of the southern portion is Stormy Mountain, at 7198 ft (2,194 m).
The range's name comes from the Chelan
tribe. A large number of place names, including many of the mountain names, were given by Albert H. Sylvester
.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. Located west of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, north of the Entiat River
Entiat River
The Entiat River is a tributary of the Columbia River, joining the Columbia near Entiat. The USGS lists two variant names for the Entiat River: En-ti-at-kwa River and Entiatqua River. En-ti-at-kwa is noted as being the original "Indian name", meaning "rapid water"...
, and south of the Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan is a narrow, 55-mile-long lake in Chelan County, northern Washington state, U.S. It is the largest natural lake in Washington state...
, the range is part of the North Cascades
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in Canada as the Cascade Mountains...
section of the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
. The Chelan Range is about 40 mi (64.4 km) long northwest to southeast and about 8 mi (12.9 km) wide, southwest to northeast.
The Chelan Mountains stretch south to the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
between the Entiat River and the Chelan River
Chelan River
The Chelan River is a tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. Just long, it is the shortest river in Washington. Lake Chelan Dam is located at the river's source: the outlet of Lake Chelan. Nearly the entire river's flow is diverted to the Lake Chelan Powerhouse, ...
. The northern end the Chelan Range merges with the northern end of the Entiat Mountains. Most of the range is within Wenatchee National Forest
Wenatchee National Forest
Wenatchee National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington. With an area of 1,735,394 acres , it extends about 137 miles along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range of Washington, USA from Okanogan National Forest to Gifford Pinchot National Forest...
. The northern end is part of the Glacier Peak Wilderness
Glacier Peak Wilderness
The Glacier Peak Wilderness, created by the US Forest Service in 1960 by efforts of the , four years before the 1964 wilderness legislation of the Congress, is located within portions of Chelan County, Snohomish County, and Skagit Counties in the North Cascades of Washington...
.
The highest peak of the Chelan Mountains is Cardinal Peak
Cardinal Peak
Cardinal Peak is the highest peak of the Chelan Mountains, a subrange of the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Wenatchee National Forest at the head of the Entiat River drainage basin, in Chelan County. To the west and north, streams flow into Lake Chelan. Cardinal...
, at 8590 ft (2,618.2 m). Other major peaks include Emerald Peak, Saska Peak, Pinnacle Mountain, Pyramid Mountain, and Gopher Mountain. All these peaks are over 8000 ft (2,438.4 m). They are all located in the northern part of the Chelan Range. The highest peak of the southern portion is Stormy Mountain, at 7198 ft (2,194 m).
The range's name comes from the Chelan
Chelan (tribe)
The Chelan tribe , meaning "Deep Water" are an Interior Salish people speaking the Wenatchi dialect, though separate from that tribe. The Chelan were historically located at the outlet of Lake Chelan in Washington.-Ethnography:...
tribe. A large number of place names, including many of the mountain names, were given by Albert H. Sylvester
Albert Hale Sylvester
Albert Hale Slyvester was a pioneer surveyor, explorer, and forest supervisor in the Cascade Range of the U.S. state of Washington. He was a topographer for the United States Geological Survey in the Snoqualmie Ranger District between 1897 and 1907...
.
External links
- Geologic Map of the Chelan 30 x 60 Minute Quadrangle, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey