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Sourdough Gap

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Looking south from Sourdough Gap. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.

Sourdough Gap sits at 6,418 feet on the Chinook Scenic Byway, facing south across terrain that drops 591 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view takes in a line of peaks along the Cascade crest: Deadwood Peak to the south-southwest at 1.6 miles, Yakima Peak beyond it in the same direction at 2.2 miles, and Naches Peak due south at 2.3 miles. Farther out, Tahtlum Peak lies to the south-southeast at 2.8 miles, with Seymour Peak and Dewey Peak both to the south at 3.9 and 4.2 miles. Deadwood and Yakima Peaks flank Chinook Pass and can be reached by short scrambles from the pass, each offering views back toward Mount Rainier; Yakima Peak also marks a triple divide where runoff splits toward the White, Cowlitz, and Yakima Rivers. Naches Peak is circled by the 3.5-mile Naches Peak Loop Trail, which joins the Pacific Crest Trail and crosses meadows known for summer wildflowers. Daylight at the overlook runs from a 05:12 sunrise at the June solstice to a 16:20 sunset at the December solstice. The nearest towns are well to the west and northwest: Graham at 37.9 miles, Auburn at 44.4 miles, and Kent at 47.7 miles.

Access
0.8 mi detour
Elevation
6,418 ft
View
South · 180°
Relief
591 ft drop
In view
6 named features
Norse Peak Wilderness Placer Lake, 5381 feet (1640 m)
Walter Siegmund (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Norse Peak Wilderness (foreground ridge); William O. Douglas Wilderness (ridges in distance and on skyline); yellow foliage is Larix occidentalis (Western Larch)
Walter Siegmund (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Crystal Peak and Crystal Lake, MRNP
Dan Nevill · CC BY 2.0 · source
View of Earth from STS-133
NASA · Public domain · source
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 46.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Deadwood Peak6,225 ftsouth-southwest · 1.6 mi
  • Yakima Peak6,191 ftsouth-southwest · 2.2 mi
  • Naches Peak6,380 ftsouth · 2.3 mi
  • Tahtlum Peak6,563 ftsouth-southeast · 2.8 mi
  • Seymour Peak6,314 ftsouth · 3.9 mi
  • Dewey Peak6,663 ftsouth · 4.2 mi

Light

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:1019:1918:39
June solstice05:1221:0520:18
September equinox06:5419:0518:25
December solstice07:4916:2015:29

Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.

Where it is

  • Graham37.9 mi west-northwest
  • Auburn44.4 mi northwest
  • Kent47.7 mi northwest
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Deadwood Peak · WikipediaCC BY-SA

Deadwood Peak is a 6,280-foot-elevation (1,910-meter) mountain summit located on the eastern border of Mount Rainier National Park. It is also situated on the shared border of Pierce County and Yakima County in Washington state. Deadwood Peak is set on the crest of the Cascade Range, immediately north of Yakima Peak and Chinook Pass, with the Pacific Crest Trail traversing its east slope. Its nearest higher peak is Naches Peak, 0.59 mi (0.95 km) to the southeast. Deadwood Peak takes its name from Deadwood Lakes and Deadwood Creek to its northwest, and their names came from the large number of downed trees in the area. From Chinook Pass, a short scramble up the south side leads to the summit with unobstructed views of Mount Rainier.

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Yakima Peak · WikipediaCC BY-SA

Yakima Peak is a 6,226-ft summit located on the eastern border of Mount Rainier National Park. It is also on the shared border of Pierce County and Yakima County in Washington state. Yakima Peak is situated northwest of Tipsoo Lake and west of Chinook Pass on the crest of the Cascade Range. Yakima Peak is a major triple divide point with precipitation runoff draining into tributaries of the White River, Cowlitz River, and Yakima River. Its nearest higher neighbor is Deadwood Peak, 0.59 mi (0.95 km) to the north. The name Yakima Peak honors the Yakima Tribe of eastern Washington state. From Chinook Pass, a short scramble up a gully on the north side leads to a flat summit with unobstructed views of Mount Rainier and Naches Peak.

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Naches Peak · WikipediaCC BY-SA

Naches Peak is a 6,452-foot mountain summit located on the shared border of Mount Rainier National Park and William O. Douglas Wilderness. It is also on the shared border of Pierce County and Yakima County in Washington state. Naches Peak is situated on the crest of the Cascade Range and immediately southeast of Chinook Pass. Its nearest higher neighbor is Tahtlum Peak, 1.45 mi (2.33 km) to the east. The name Naches Peak was proposed by the Yakima Chamber of Commerce and approved by Asahel Curtis in 1927. The Naches Peak Loop Trail is a popular 3.5 mile trail encircling the peak. Naches Peak Loop joins a section of the Pacific Crest Trail and crosses meadows that fill with summer wildflowers. Precipitation runoff from the west side of Naches Peak drains into Chinook Creek, which is a tributary of the Ohanapecosh River, whereas the east side drains into tributaries of the American River.

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How high is Sourdough Gap?

Sourdough Gap sits at about 6,418 feet (1,956 m).

What can you see from Sourdough Gap?

From Sourdough Gap: Deadwood Peak (SSW, 1.6 mi); Yakima Peak (SSW, 2.2 mi); Naches Peak (S, 2.3 mi); Tahtlum Peak (SSE, 2.8 mi).

What is the nearest town to Sourdough Gap?

Graham, 38 miles WNW of Sourdough Gap.

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