Larch Mountain (Multnomah County, Oregon)

This article is about the extinct volcano in Multnomah County. For the mountain in the Northern Oregon Coast Range, see Larch Mountain (Washington County, Oregon).
Larch Mountain
Larch Mountain, as seen from Washougal, Washington.
Highest point
Elevation4,061 ft (1,238 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence975 ft (297 m)[2]
Coordinates45°31′57″N 122°5′17″W / 45.53250°N 122.08806°W / 45.53250; -122.08806[1]
Geography
Map
LocationMultnomah County, Oregon, U.S.
Topo mapUSGS Multnomah Falls
Geology
Rock age1.8–1.4 Ma
Mountain typeShield volcano[3]
Volcanic fieldBoring Lava Field
Last eruption1.4 Ma
Climbing
Easiest routepaved road (June–October)
hiking trails (November–May)
View of Mt Hood from Larch Mountain

Larch Mountain is an extinct volcano[4] near Portland, Oregon. The name is misleading, as no western larch (a large coniferous tree) can be found there.[5] It received that name when early lumbermen sold the noble fir wood as larch. The peak can be reached between May and November on paved Larch Mountain Road, 16 mi (26 km) east of Corbett, Oregon, although the road is closed during the winter and spring months.[6] The road leading to Larch Mountain from the Historic Columbia River Highway is 14 miles long, which closed at milepost 10 from Nov. through late May or early June due to snow.[7]

  1. ^ a b "Larch Reset". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  2. ^ "Larch Mountain, Oregon". peakbagger.com. Archived from the original on 2006-11-08. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  3. ^ "The Boring Volcanic Field – Hills of the Portland Basin". USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  4. ^ Cascades Volcano Observatory (2014-06-11). "The Boring Volcanic Field — Hills of the Portland Basin". USGS. Archived from the original on 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2015-02-21. All existing Boring Volcanic centers are extinct, but the Boring Volcanic Field presumably is not. Since activity started 2.6 million years ago, it is rare that 50,000 years passed without an eruption. The probability of an eruption in the Portland/Vancouver metro area however, is very low.
  5. ^ Reed, Ione (1971-12-25). "What, Indeed, Is in a Name?". Eugene Register-Guard. p. 8. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
  6. ^ "Larch Mountain Picnic Area". United States Forest Service. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-11.
  7. ^ "Larch Mountain Trail (#441)". 2022-01-15. Archived from the original on 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2022-01-15.