Castle Peak (Idaho)

Castle Peak
Castle Peak in White Clouds, in 2014
Highest point
Elevation11,815 ft (3,601 m)[1]
Prominence4,015 ft (1,224 m)[1]
Coordinates44°02′22″N 114°35′07″W / 44.039558°N 114.585266°W / 44.039558; -114.585266[1]
Geography
Castle Peak is located in Idaho
Castle Peak
Castle Peak
Parent rangeWhite Cloud Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Boulder Chain Lakes
Climbing
Easiest routeScramble, class 3

Castle Peak (11,815 feet (3,601 m)) is a mountain in the western United States, the highest peak in the White Cloud Mountains of central Idaho and the Idaho Batholith. Located in Custer County, it is the 25th highest peak in the state, and the ninth most prominent.[2][3]

Castle Peak is within the Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds Wilderness, which is part of Sawtooth National Recreation Area in Custer County. The towns of Stanley and Challis are both about 21 miles (34 km) away, and Ketchum-Sun Valley area is about 27 miles (43 km) from the peak.

Castle Peak is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the area surrounding the peak can be easily accessed. Camping is permitted anywhere is Sawtooth National Forest and the lakes surrounding Castle Peak provide excellent places to stay. The peak rises to the northeast of Chamberlain Basin and south of Castle Lake and Merriam Peak.[4] There are trails from parking area to the vicinity of Castle Peak, although no trails go up the peak itself. The easiest route up Castle Peak is a class 3 scramble from the Chamberlain Basin.

A proposed open-pit molybdenum mine at the base of Castle Peak became a leading issue in the 1970 gubernatorial race, and advanced the formation of the Sawtooth NRA in 1972.[5][6][7][8] In a rematch of the 1966 election, Cecil Andrus defeated incumbent Don Samuelson to become the state's first Democratic governor in nearly a quarter-century,[9] and Republicans did not regain the governorship until January 1995.[10]

  • Castle Peak (left) and Merriam Peak (right)
    Castle Peak (left) and Merriam Peak (right)
  • Castle Peak from Sawtooth Mountains
    Castle Peak from Sawtooth Mountains
  • Castle Peak
    Castle Peak
  1. ^ a b c "Castle Peak, Idaho". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  2. ^ "Idaho 11,000-foot Peaks". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  3. ^ "Idaho Peaks with 2000 feet of Prominence". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  4. ^ Sawtooth National Forest. "Sawtooth National Forest" [map].1:126,720, 1"=2 miles. Twin Falls, Idaho: Sawtooth National Forest, United States Forest Service, 1998.
  5. ^ "A Sawtooth Celebration". Idaho Public Television. (video). 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  6. ^ "The battle for Castle Peak". Boulder-White Clouds Council. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "Samuelson reiterates support of mining in White Clouds". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 17, 1969. p. 1.
  8. ^ Kenyon, Quane (April 29, 1985). "Priest Lake question colors Idaho politics". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. A1.
  9. ^ "Andrus tops Idaho vote". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. November 4, 1970. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Batt, Chenoweth win hard-fought campaign battles". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 9, 1994. p. 1A.