Telescope Peak

File:Telescope Peak pano from trail.jpg in the image)]]

Telescope Peak is also notable for having one of the greatest vertical rises above local terrain of any mountain in the contiguous United States. Its summit rises {{Convert|11331|ft}} above the lowest point in Death Valley, Badwater Basin at {{convert|-282|ft}},{{cite web |title=Highest and Lowest Elevations |publisher=United States Geological Survey |url=https://www.usgs.gov/science-support/osqi/yes/resources-teachers/highest-and-lowest-elevations |access-date=April 28, 2021}} in about {{convert|15|mi}}, and about {{convert|10000|ft}} above the floor of Panamint Valley in about {{convert|8|mi}}.Southern California Atlas and Gazetteer, DeLorme Mapping, 1990. This is comparable to the rises of other tall, but better known, U.S. peaks. It is even somewhat comparable to the rise of Mount Everest above its northern base on the Tibetan Plateau, a rise of roughly {{convert|13000|ft|sigfig=2}}. However, Everest rises much more, and much more steeply, above its southern base in Nepal.Mount Everest (topographic map, second edition), National Geographic Society/Boston Museum of Science/Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Bradford Washburn, project director, 1991.

Since it is the high point of a range surrounded by low basins, Telescope Peak also has a particularly high topographic prominence of {{convert|6168|ft|0}}, ranking it 22nd in the contiguous US by that measure.{{cite peakbagger |lid=41204 |name=USA Lower 48 Top 100 Peaks by Prominence |access-date=2012-04-01}}

A variety of trees can be found on the mountain, including single-leaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla), limber pine (Pinus flexilis), and, at the highest elevations, the ancient Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva).

From Ridgecrest, California State Route 178 leads northeast into Death Valley National Park. The road turns to unpaved about {{convert|50|mi|km}} later as it loses its highway status. It winds up through Wildrose Canyon up to a parking lot where the trail for the summit starts. The section from the Charcoal Kilns can be rough and might only be suitable for 4-wheel-drive cars with high clearance, depending on weather conditions.

File:A121, Death Valley National Park, California, USA, Badwater Basin, 2004.jpg

Hiking Telescope Peak by the normal route involves a {{convert|14|mi|km}} round trip hike.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |title=Telescope Peak - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/telescope-peak.htm |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}} The trail starts in the western part of Death Valley National Park at Mahogany Flat campground. The trail slowly winds itself up to the summit {{convert|7|mi}} later at a steady gradient of roughly 8%.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} The standard route is maintained by the National Park Service, and no permit is required to climb the mountain. This route leaves directly from the Mahogany Flat Campground, and travels approximately two miles to Arcane Meadows. From Arcane Meadows, the trail winds five more miles gradually up toward Telescope Peak, mostly following the ridgeline to the summit. This route can also be used to access two nearby peaks, Bennett Peak and Rogers Peak, a traverse that adds on minimal extra mileage.

{{cite web

| url = http://iiawt.com/routes/telescope-peak-trail-telescope-peak/

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140310044803/http://iiawt.com/mountains/telescope-peak/#.VwMrKkfs_SY

| archive-date = 2014-03-10

| title = Telescope Peak Trail, Telescope Peak

| publisher = IIAWT

| access-date = 2014-04-23}} The last two miles has many switchbacks that are very steep.

An established, but more advanced, climbing route is from Shorty's Well (elevation around {{convert|-262|ft}}) to the summit of Telescope Peak at {{convert|11049|ft}}. This route is approximately 30 to 34 miles round trip and provides a net gain of elevation of approximately {{convert|11311|ft|m}}. The route begins at the intersection of the West Side Road and the Hanaupah Canyon Road. For 6.5 miles, the route climbs out of the Badwater Basin and into Hanaupah Canyon. Approximately 1.5 miles after reaching the end of the road, the trail leads directly to Hanaupah Spring, a seasonal water source that may not be available year-round. At the spring, the route then turns directly north (right) onto a scree/talus slope. Although this slope may look difficult to ascend, this is the correct way. Climbers should find the best route possible up the slope. Once finished climbing the talus slope and reaching the ridgeline, climbers should then follow the ridgeline West to the Telescope Peak summit, which should be readily apparent.

{{cite web

| url = http://iiawt.com/routes/shortys-well-route-telescope-peak/

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140227103155/http://iiawt.com/routes/shortys-well-route-telescope-peak/#.VwMo5Ufs_SY

| archive-date = 2014-02-27

| title = Shorty’s Well Route, Telescope Peak

| publisher = IIAWT

| access-date = 2014-04-23}}

The Shorty's Well to Telescope Peak route can be completed in one day by experienced hikers, and has one of the largest elevation gains that can be obtained up a single summit; it can be descended either via Mahogany Flat or as a round-trip back to Shorty's Well.

Image:PanamintValleyCA.jpg, California looking south with Telescope Peak at left]]

Image:Telescope peak summit 360 deg. pano.jpg at left and Panamint Valley at right]]

• List of mountain peaks of California
• List of Ultras of the United States
• List of U.S. National Parks by elevation

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Telescope Peak}}

• {{cite gnis |id=250316 |name=Telescope Peak |access-date=2010-01-31}}
• {{cite peakbagger |pid=3662 |name=Telescope Peak, California |access-date=2010-01-31}}
• {{cite summitpost |id=150584 |name=Telescope Peak |accessdate=2010-01-31}}

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{{Death Valley}}

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Category:Mountains of Inyo County, California

Category:Mountains of Death Valley National Park

Category:Panamint Range

Category:Death Valley

Category:Mojave Desert

Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert

Category:Highest points of United States national parks

Category:Mountains of Southern California

Category:Mountains of the Mojave Desert