Dragontail Peak

Dragontail Peak
Dragontail Peak seen from Colchuck Lake
Highest point
Elevation	8,840+ ft (2,690+ m) NGVD 29[1]
Prominence	1,760 ft (540 m)[1]
Coordinates	47°28′43″N 120°50′00″W / 47.4787301°N 120.833421°W / 47.4787301; -120.833421[2]
Geography
Location	Chelan County, Washington, U.S.
Parent range	Cascades
Topo map	USGS Enchantment Lakes
Geology
Rock age	Cretaceous
Mountain type	Granite
Climbing
Easiest route	Scramble[3]

Dragontail Peak, also known as Dragon Tail,^[2] is a mountain in the Stuart Range, in Chelan County, Washington. While climbing an adjacent peak, Lex Maxwell, Bob McCall, and Bill Prater remarked that the needles on the crest, southwest of the summit, resembled a "dragon tail".^[4] The name was officially accepted in 1955.^[2] On the mountain's northeast flank lies Colchuck Lake which drains into Mountaineer Creek, and Colchuck Glacier lies below the western slopes of the peak. On its south side the mountain drops steeply (50% slope) to Ingalls Creek, which flows about 5,800 feet (1,800 m) below the summit.^[5]

The mountain, which lies in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, bordered by Colchuck Peak, Little Annapurna, and Cannon Mountain,^[5] is composed of a granite formation that creates the Stuart Range. Dragontail is the second highest mountain in the range, second only to Mount Stuart which lies 3.2 miles (5.1 km) to the west and reaches 9,415 feet (2,870 m).

The two needles, on ridge southwest of the summit which gave rise to its name, serve as formidable alpine climbing objectives that demand more than 20 pitches of sustained climbing. The area around Dragontail Peak is dominated by wilderness and is protected from development.

The Enchantments, to northeast of Dragontail, is an area of towering peaks, year-round snow, and alpine lakes. It forms the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.