Baker Peak (Nevada)

Baker Peak
North aspect, centered
Highest point
Elevation12,303 ft (3,750 m)[1]
Prominence492 ft (150 m)[2]
Parent peakWheeler Peak[3]
Isolation0.98 mi (1.58 km)[1]
Coordinates38°58′11″N 114°19′02″W / 38.9696679°N 114.3172516°W / 38.9696679; -114.3172516[4]
Geography
Baker Peak
Location in Nevada
Baker Peak
Location in the United States
Interactive map of Baker Peak
CountryUnited States
StateNevada
CountyWhite Pine
Protected areaGreat Basin National Park
Parent rangeSnake Range
Great Basin Ranges[1]
Topo mapUSGS Wheeler Peak
Geology
Rock ageCambrian[6]
Rock typeQuartzite[5]
Climbing
Easiest routeclass 2[3]

Baker Peak is a mountain in White Pine County, Nevada, United States.

Description

Baker Peak is a 12,303-foot-elevation (3,750-meter) summit set in the Snake Range and Great Basin National Park. It is the fourth-highest summit in the state of Nevada.[2] The mountain has two peaks: the 12,303-ft east peak and a 12,297-ft west peak which are 0.43 mile (0.69 km) apart.[7] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains west into Spring Creek and east into Baker Creek, which both end in the Great Basin where it evaporates or sinks underground — i.e., it is endorheic as no water reaches the ocean.[8] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,700 feet (518 meters) above Baker Lake in one mile (1.6 km), and 6,400 feet (1,951 meters) above Spring Valley in six miles (9.7 km). The nearest higher peak is Wheeler Peak, one mile (1.6 km) to the north.[1] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[4] The Baker name refers to the nearby town of Baker, Nevada, which is named after an early settler, George W. Baker.[9]

Climate

Baker Peak is set within the Great Basin Desert which has hot summers and cold winters.[10] The desert is an example of a cold desert climate as the desert's elevation makes temperatures cooler than lower elevation deserts. Due to the high elevation and aridity, temperatures drop sharply after sunset. Summer nights are comfortably cool. Winter highs are generally above freezing, and winter nights are bitterly cold, with temperatures often dropping well below freezing.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Baker Peak, Nevada". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Baker Peak". peakvisor.com. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "12303 NV". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Baker Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  5. ^ Geologic Map of Great Basin National Park, National Park Service, 2014, Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  6. ^ Great Basin Geology, National Park Service, 2001, Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  7. ^ "Baker Peak - West Summit, Nevada". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  8. ^ "The Great Basin". National Park Service. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  9. ^ Baker, White Pine County, Nevada, Whitepinecounty.net, Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  10. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.