The Chopping Block
The Chopping Block rises to 2,078 m in Washington. Northwest Mox Peak stands 2,592 m to the north, 14 miles off. The nearest named place is Mount Degenhardt, a peak 1.3 miles away. JCT KEYSTONE FERRY ZONE WHIDBEY ISLAND TO JCT SR 153 VIC TWISP passes 5.6 miles off.
The story
The Chopping Block is a 6,819-foot (2,078-metre) mountain summit located in the Picket Range within North Cascades National Park in the state of Washington. The mountain is officially named Pinnacle Peak on maps, but hardly anyone calls it by that name. The nearest higher peak is Mount Degenhardt, 0.6 mi (0.97 km) to the northeast. The Chopping Block can be seen from the North Cascades National Park Newhalem visitor center, weather permitting. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains into Goodell Creek, a tributary of the Skagit River.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q65059162, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 2078 m
How to reach it
- 5.6 mi off the JCT KEYSTONE FERRY ZONE WHIDBEY ISLAND TO JCT SR 153 VIC TWISP
- 5.7 mi off the Cascade Loop, National
- 17.5 mi off the JCT SR 5 VIC BELLINGHAM TO AUSTIN PASS VIC MT BAKER
Overlooks nearby
- Diablo Lake Overlook · 10 mi
- Artist Point · 19 mi
- Viewpoint Dam · 25 mi
- Nooksack Falls Viewpoint · 25 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Mount Degenhardt: 1.3 mi
- Mount Terror: 1.4 mi
- Inspiration Peak: 1.5 mi
- West McMillan Spire: 1.8 mi
- East McMillan Spire: 2.0 mi
- Ladder Creek Falls: 6.3 mi
- Newhalem Creek Falls: 6.9 mi
- Goat Falls: 8.0 mi
- Middle Berdeen Falls: 8.3 mi
- Berdeen Falls: 8.7 mi
- Trillium Conservation Area: 12.4 mi
- Diobsud Creek Barbien/Jordan Conservation Easement: 13.4 mi
- Diobsud Creek Abel Conservation Area: 14.3 mi
- Cascade River South 1: 16.4 mi
- Cascade River South 2: 16.5 mi
- Pressentin County Park: 16.9 mi
- Riverside Park: 20.9 mi
- Howard Miller Steelhead Park: 23.2 mi
- Lake Shannon Recreation Area: 23.6 mi
- Vogler Lake Public Access: 24.7 mi
- Winnies Slide: 15.0 mi
- Rock Cabin Avalanche: 18.8 mi
- Park Cliffs: 21.6 mi
- Roman Wall: 23.6 mi
- Lee Promontory: 24.9 mi
- "Old Number 6" Seattle City Light Locomotive: 6.3 mi
- Shadow of the Sentinels: 19.5 mi
- Austin Pass Picnic Area: 18.5 mi
- Shuksan Picnic Area: 20.4 mi
- Gorge Powerhouse Visitor Gallery: 6.3 mi
- Temple of Power: 6.3 mi
- North Cascading: 11.6 mi
- Baker Hot Springs: 16.6 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 13.7 miles of The Chopping Block. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Mox Peak | N 9° | 2,592 m | 13.6 mi |
| Snowfield Peak | SE 137° | 2,545 m | 11.3 mi |
| Luna Peak | NNE 17° | 2,533 m | 5.5 mi |
| Mount Challenger | NNW 345° | 2,501 m | 5.8 mi |
| Mox Peaks | N 10° | 2,496 m | 13.5 mi |
| The Needle | SE 139° | 2,485 m | 10.8 mi |
| Crooked Thumb Peak | NNW 343° | 2,476 m | 5.2 mi |
| Mount Fury | N 350° | 2,474 m | 4.0 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 | 18:23 | 19:05 |
| December solstice | 08:56 | 16:17 | 17:12 |
Local time (America/Vancouver).
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, 6 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.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/349028393
Day trips start here
- Mount Baker · 23 mi
- North Cascades National Park · 26 mi
Take the scenic way to The Chopping Block.
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