Cirque Peak (California)

Cirque Peak
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation	12,906 ft (3,934 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence	900 ft (274 m)[1]
Parent peak	Mount Langley[1]
Isolation	2.59 mi (4.17 km)[1]
Listing	Sierra Peaks Section[2] Vagmarken Club Sierra Crest List[3]
Coordinates	36°28′37″N 118°14′13″W / 36.4769355°N 118.2369766°W / 36.4769355; -118.2369766[4]
Naming
Etymology	cirque
Geography
Cirque Peak Show map of California Cirque Peak Show map of the United States
Location	John Muir Wilderness Tulare / Inyo counties California, U.S.
Parent range	Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Cirque Peak
Geology
Rock age	Cretaceous
Mountain type	Fault block
Rock type	granitic
Climbing
Easiest route	Exposed scramble, class 2[2]

Cirque Peak is a 12,900-foot-elevation (3,900-meter) mountain summit located on the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.^[4] It is situated on the common border of Tulare County with Inyo County, as well as the shared boundary of Golden Trout Wilderness and John Muir Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is 14 miles (23 km) southwest of the community of Lone Pine, 7.7 miles (12.4 km) south-southeast of Mount Whitney, and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) south of Mount Langley, the nearest higher neighbor. Cirque Peak is the highest point of the Golden Trout Wilderness, and ranks as the 175th highest peak in California.^[5] Topographic relief is significant as it rises 1,800 feet (550 meters) above Cirque Lake in approximately one mile. The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the southwest slope of this mountain, providing an approach option. The mountain was apparently named in 1890 by Joseph Nisbet LeConte and companions who noted the remarkable cirque on the north aspect.^[6]