Mount Despair
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. Cascade Loop passes 6.1 miles off.
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.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1,976 m
How to reach it
- 6.1 mi off the Cascade Loop, National
Overlooks nearby
- Diablo Lake Overlook · 12 mi
- Artist Point · 17 mi
- Viewpoint Dam · 22 mi
- Nooksack Falls Viewpoint · 23 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Mount Triumph: 2.0 mi
- The Chopping Block: 3.0 mi
- X Mountain: 3.3 mi
- Trappers Peak: 3.7 mi
- Mount Terror: 4.1 mi
- Goat Falls: 5.1 mi
- Middle Berdeen Falls: 5.3 mi
- Berdeen Falls: 5.7 mi
- Green Lake Falls: 6.5 mi
- Upper Green Lake Falls: 6.6 mi
- 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
- Trillium Conservation Area: 10.4 mi
- Diobsud Creek Barbien/Jordan Conservation Easement: 11.2 mi
- Diobsud Creek Abel Conservation Area: 12.2 mi
- Cascade River South 1: 14.5 mi
- Cascade River South 2: 14.7 mi
- Winnies Slide: 13.2 mi
- Park Cliffs: 19.2 mi
- Rock Cabin Avalanche: 20.1 mi
- Roman Wall: 21.1 mi
- Lee Promontory: 22.3 mi
- Temple of Power: 6.9 mi
- Lumberjack Mural: 22.0 mi
- "Old Number 6" Seattle City Light Locomotive: 6.9 mi
- Shadow of the Sentinels: 16.6 mi
- Gorge Powerhouse Visitor Gallery: 7.0 mi
- Skagit Aero Education Museum: 22.8 mi
- Austin Pass Picnic Area: 16.7 mi
- Shuksan Picnic Area: 19.0 mi
- North Cascading: 9.8 mi
- Baker Hot Springs: 14.1 mi
- Angele Cupples Community Garden: 22.5 mi
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.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Shuksan | WNW 302° | 2,784 m | 12.7 mi |
| Snowfield Peak | ESE 123° | 2,545 m | 12.4 mi |
| Luna Peak | NNE 33° | 2,533 m | 7.9 mi |
| Nooksack Tower | NW 305° | 2,530 m | 12.3 mi |
| Mount Challenger | N 9° | 2,501 m | 7.1 mi |
| The Needle | SE 125° | 2,485 m | 11.8 mi |
| Crooked Thumb Peak | N 10° | 2,476 m | 6.5 mi |
| Mount Fury | NNE 20° | 2,474 m | 5.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:09 | 18:37 | 19:18 |
| June solstice | 05:03 | 20:23 | 21:13 |
| September equinox | 06:53 | 18:24 | 19:05 |
| December solstice | 07:57 | 15:17 | 16:12 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 36 | 38 | 42 | 49 | 56 | 60 | 66 | 66 | 61 | 50 | 41 | 36 |
| Precip in | 12.4 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 8.8 | 13.6 | 11.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Newhalem, 7 mi away.
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).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/356544740
Day trips start here
- Mount Baker · 21 mi
- North Cascades National Park · 27 mi
Take the scenic way to Mount Despair.
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