Wildrose Peak is a summit in Inyo County, California, United States.
Description Wildrose Peak is the eighth-highest mountain of the Panamint Range, and it is set within Death Valley National Park and the Mojave Desert. Precipitation runoff from this mountain's north slope drains to Death Valley via Trail Canyon, whereas the south slope drains to Panamint Valley via Wildrose Canyon. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above Badwater Basin in . The mountain is composed of Precambrian-Cambrian limestone, a marine sedimentary rock.Geologic Map of California Death Valley Sheet, Robert Streitz, 1974, State of California Department of Conservation, conservation.ca.gov Hiking to the summit is via the 8.4-mile (round-trip) Wildrose Peak Trail which starts at the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns and gains 2,200 feet of elevation.Wildrose Peak, National Park Service, Retrieved 2024-09-25. The first mile of the trail climbs through pinyon–juniper woodland, and many hikers choose Wildrose Peak over Telescope Peak, daunted by the additional elevation gain and mileage of Telescope.Wildrose Peak Death Valley National Park, National Park Service, Retrieved 2024-09-25. The summit offers a stunning 360-degree panorama of Death Valley and the eastern Sierra Nevada mountain range including the lowest and highest points in the contiguous United States: Badwater Basin and Mount Whitney.Hiking Southern California: A Guide to Southern California's Greatest Hiking Adventures, Roddy Scheer, Rowman & Littlefield, 2019. This mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.
Climate According to the Köppen climate classification system, Wildrose Peak has a cold desert climate, with the lower valleys in a hot desert climate zone. Temperatures average between 0 °F to 30 °F in January, and 50 °F to 100 °F in July. Typical of high deserts, summer temperatures can be exceedingly hot, while winter temperatures can be very cold. Snowfall is common, but the snow melts rapidly in the arid and sunny climate. Rainfall is very low, and the evaporation rate classifies the area as desert.
See also Geology of the Death Valley area
References
External links Wildrose Peak: Weather forecast Wildrose Peak Trail: National Park Service