Three Penguins is a summit in Grand County, Utah, United States.
Description Three Penguins is located within Arches National Park and it is the first notable rock feature to greet visitors as they enter the park on the main road.Fodor's National Parks of the West, Fodor's Travel Publications, 2004, , p. 360. Like many of the rock formations in the park, it is composed of Entrada Sandstone, specifically the Slick Rock Member overlaying the Dewey Bridge Member.The Geologic Story of Arches National Park, Stanley William Lohman, US Geological Survey, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975, p. 57, 59. The tower is 140 feet tall,Stewart M. Green, Best Climbs Moab: Over 150 Of The Best Routes In The Area, Rowman & Littlefield, 2020, . and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above Moab Canyon in . Precipitation runoff from Three Penguins drains to the nearby Colorado River via Moab Canyon. This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.
Climbing The first ascent of the summit was made in November 1976 by Larry Bruce, Molly Higgins, and Michael Kennedy via the Center Chimney.First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-09-07.North America, United States, Utah, Three Penguins, Arches National Park, Michael Kennedy, 1977, Publications.americanalpineclub.org
Other rock-climbing routes on Three Penguins:
Right Chimney - - Michael Kennedy, Molly Higgins - (1976)Right Chimney, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-07. Anorexia - class 5.10a - Alan Nelson, Alan BartlettAnorexia, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-07. Petrified Bear's Dick - class 5.10 - Todd Gordon, Margie Floyd, Maryann Loehr - (1998)Petrified Bear's Dick, Mountain Project, Retrieved 2024-09-07.
The Right Chimney is considered one of the best rock-climbing routes in the park.
Climate According to the Köppen climate classification system, Three Penguins is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average and lows average . Summer temperatures often exceed . Winters are cold, with highs averaging , and lows averaging . As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The park receives an average of less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain annually.
See also Geology of Utah
Gallery
References
External links
Weather: Three Penguins The Three Penguins Rock Climbing: Mountainproject.com Arches National Park: National Park Service Three Penguins east aspect photo: Flickr