Rattlesnake Hills

Rattlesnake Hills
Rattlesnake Hills behind a vineyard.
Highest point
PeakLookout Summit
Elevation3,629 ft (1,106 m)[1]
Prominence1,829 ft (557 m)[1]
Coordinates46°26′51″N 119°50′24″W / 46.4476327°N 119.8400381°W / 46.4476327; -119.8400381[2]
Geography
Map
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountiesYakima and Benton
Range coordinates46°27′N 119°50′W / 46.450°N 119.833°W / 46.450; -119.833

The Rattlesnake Hills, also known as Rattlesnake Ridge,[3] is a 16-mile (26 km) long anticline mountain ridge in Yakima County and Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington. It should not be confused with the much smaller Rattlesnake Ridge located near the west end of Ahtanum Ridge just south of Yakima, Washington and west of Union Gap, Washington.[4] The highest point in the hills (as well as Benton County) is the 3,629 feet (1,106 m) Lookout Summit, which surpasses the more well-known Rattlesnake Mountain by approximately 100 ft (30 m).[1] The Rattlesnake Hills are part of the Yakima Fold Belt of east-tending long ridges formed by the folding of Miocene Columbia River basalt flows.[5]

The Rattlesnake Hills form the northern edge of the Yakima Valley, running from the vicinity of Benton City to just south of the city of Yakima, where the Yakima River cuts through the mountain ridge via Union Gap. To the west of the Yakima River the mountain ridge is known as Ahtanum Ridge.

North of the Rattlesnake Hills is Moxee Valley and the Black Rock Valley. The hills extend into the Hanford Site. A spur on the north side of the ridge nearly connects with the west end of Yakima Ridge.

Roza Canal, used for agricultural irrigation, passes under the Rattlesnake Hills through a tunnel.

Named high points of the Rattlesnake Hills, according to the USGS, include Elephant Mountain, Zillah Peak, Eagle Peak, High Top, Lookout, and Rattlesnake Mountain.

Shaded-relief map showing ridges of the Yakima Fold Belt of south-central Washington. The box on right is the Tri-Cities, Washington, and the ridge north of the Yakima River (directly west of the Tri-Cities) is what is often called the "Rattlesnake Hills".
  1. ^ a b c "Rattlesnake Hills Lookout, Washington". Peakbagger.com.
  2. ^ "Lookout". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rattlesnake Hills
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rattlesnake Ridge
  5. ^ Complete Report for Saddle Mountains structures Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, USGS Earthquake Hazards Program