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Peak · Washington

Mount Despair

Mount Despair, a peak in Washington
Mount Despair, a peak in WashingtonWalter Siegmund · CC BY 2.5
Mount Despair, a peak in Washington
Walter Siegmund · CC BY 2.5
Mount Despair, a peak in Washington
Martin Bravenboer · CC BY 2.0
Mount Despair, a peak in Washington
Alex Ford · CC BY-SA 2.0
Mount Despair, a peak in Washington
Ron Clausen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mount Despair, a peak in Washington
Ron Clausen · CC BY-SA 4.0

More photographs at the Wikimedia Commons category.

Mount Despair rises to 1,976 m in Washington. Mount Shuksan stands 2,784 m to the west-northwest, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Mount Triumph, a peak 2.0 miles away. JCT KEYSTONE FERRY ZONE WHIDBEY ISLAND TO JCT SR 153 VIC TWISP passes 6.1 miles off.

About

The story

Mount Despair is a rugged mountain in the North Unit of North Cascades National Park in Washington state. Northeast of Mount Despair lies the Picket Range. The mountain's name was given by Lage Wernstedt of the U.S. Forest Service who mapped the region in the 1920s. The name Mount Despair first appeared on Forest Service maps in 1931.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q6920424, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

The record

What the record says

Elevation
1976 m
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates48.73429, -121.36596

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
Waterfalls: 16
Parks: 13
  • Pressentin County Park: 14.8 mi
  • Riverside Park: 18.4 mi
  • Howard Miller Steelhead Park: 20.6 mi
  • Lake Shannon Recreation Area: 20.6 mi
  • Vogler Lake Public Access: 21.7 mi
Nature reserves: 12
Cliffs: 5
Ghost towns: 3
Artworks: 2
Attractions: 2
  • "Old Number 6" Seattle City Light Locomotive: 6.9 mi
  • Shadow of the Sentinels: 16.6 mi
Museums: 2
  • Gorge Powerhouse Visitor Gallery: 7.0 mi
  • Skagit Aero Education Museum: 22.8 mi
Picnic sites: 2
Historic sites: 1
  • North Cascading: 9.8 mi
Hot springs: 1
  • Baker Hot Springs: 14.1 mi
Gardens: 1
  • Angele Cupples Community Garden: 22.5 mi
On the horizon

Other summits around it

The highest named summits within 13.3 miles of Mount Despair. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount ShuksanWNW 302°2,784 m12.7 mi
Snowfield PeakESE 123°2,545 m12.4 mi
Luna PeakNNE 33°2,533 m7.9 mi
Nooksack TowerNW 305°2,530 m12.3 mi
Mount ChallengerN 9°2,501 m7.1 mi
The NeedleSE 125°2,485 m11.8 mi
Crooked Thumb PeakN 10°2,476 m6.5 mi
Mount FuryNNE 20°2,474 m5.7 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0918:3719:18
June solstice05:0320:2321:13
September equinox06:5318:2419:05
December solstice07:5715:1716:12

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F363842495660666661504136
Precip in12.47.28.44.73.02.61.41.73.58.813.611.7

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Newhalem, 7 mi away.

In the park

Inside the official boundary of North Cascades National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Dec and Mar; busiest: Jul.

NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/356544740

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