Mount Washington (British Columbia)

Mount Washington
Mount Washington in the Summer
Highest point
Elevation1,588[1] m (5,210 ft)
Prominence510 m (1,670 ft)
Coordinates49°45′11″N 125°17′47″W / 49.75306°N 125.29639°W / 49.75306; -125.29639
Geography
Mount Washington is located on Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Mount Washington is located on Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Mount Washington
Location on Vancouver Island, BC
LocationVancouver Island, BC, Canada
DistrictComox Land District
Parent rangeVancouver Island Ranges
Topo mapNTS 92F14 Oyster River

Mount Washington is a mountain on the eastern edge of the Vancouver Island Ranges of British Columbia and the site of Mount Washington Alpine Resort, popular for skiing and many other activities. It is located approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the Comox Valley.

The mountain was named after Rear Admiral John Washington, official Hydrographer, British Royal Navy, by Captain George Richards while charting the West Coast in the 1860s.[2]: 291 

In addition to winter skiing, in the summer Mount Washington has many trails for mountain bikers, and offers scenic chair lifts and hiking trails to visitors.

Mount Washington is home to the Vancouver Island marmot, an endangered mammal. Found in the wild only on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, the marmot differs significantly from other marmot species.[3] In an effort to increase Vancouver Island marmot populations, the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation has established captive breeding facilities across Canada.[4] The largest of these is the Tony Barrett Marmot Recovery Centre located on Mount Washington.[5]

The following broadcasting stations have their transmitter sites on the east face of Mount Washington, facing out over the Comox Valley and Campbell River:

Several amateur radio repeaters are also located on Mount Washington.

  1. ^ Mount Washington Alpine Resort - Alpine Statistics
  2. ^ Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
  3. ^ Vancouver Island marmot
  4. ^ Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation
  5. ^ Tony Barrett Marmot Recovery Centre