Wheeler Peak (Nevada)

Views of the Wheeler Peak

Pinus longaeva forest at high altitude

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The Wheeler Peak is at an altitude of 3982 meters, the second highest peak in the U.S. state of Nevada and the highest mountain, the solid extends entirely within the state. The Utah border, is 20 kilometers to the east.

Highest Mountain Nevada

The highest point of the state is the summit of Boundary Peak ( Nevada) on the border with California. It is however, only one side peak of Montgomery Peak, which is located in the California portion of the White Mountains. Since the Wheeler Peak is indeed 25 meters lower than the Boundary Peak, however, lies entirely with the Snake Range in Nevada, he also can be considered as the highest mountain in Nevada. In addition, the prominence of the Wheeler Peaks is located at 2305 meters, while it is at Boundary Peak ( " peak limiting " ) only 77 meters. Wheeler Peak, with its considerable Vertical separation in twelfth place among the mountains in the United States outside of Alaska and Hawaii. Within a radius of 320 kilometers, there is no higher summit.

Geology and environment

The summit area of ​​Wheeler Peak consists of quartzite from the Cambrian. It reached by a fault in the Miocene to the top. The 312 -square-mile Great Basin National Park extends over the Wheeler Peak and serves among other things the protection of the long-lived pines, the oldest known living organisms ( see, for example, Prometheus and Methuselah ). On the northeast slope of the mountain are the Lehman Caves, a limestone cave which, as a National Monument was established in 1922, before the establishment of the national park. As sight is also Lexington Arch, a natural stone arch southeast of the mountain. At higher altitudes there are rock glaciers.