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Mountain in Washington (state), United States
This article is about the mountain in Mount Rainier National Park. For the mountain in Olympic National Park, see Crystal Peak (Olympic Mountains).
Crystal PeakLocation of Chinook Peak in WashingtonShow map of Washington (state)Crystal PeakCrystal Peak (the United States)Show map of the United States
Crystal Peak is a 6,595-foot (2,010 meter) summit located in eastern Mount Rainier National Park, in Pierce County of Washington state. Crystal Peak is situated 0.75 mi (1.21 km) northwest of Chinook Peak, and nearly on the crest of the Cascade Range. Crystal Mountain and Crystal Lakes lie immediately to the northeast, and Three Way Peak is 1.09 mi (1.75 km) to the east. Access to the summit (which was a former fire lookout site) is via a hiking trail which branches off from the Crystal Lakes Trail. That trailhead starts along Highway 410, which traverses the western base of the mountain. Precipitation runoff from Crystal Peak drains into tributaries of the White River.
Climate
Crystal Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. Most weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Cascade Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow onto the Cascades. As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in high avalanche danger. During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. The months of July through September offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.
East aspect, with Crystal Lake
Crystal PeakLocation of Chinook Peak in WashingtonShow map of Washington (state)
Crystal Peak seen from Upper Crystal Lake
East aspect
Crystal Peak with Mt. Rainier upper left
Crystal Peak
