| Notch Peak | |
|---|---|
 Notch Peak, from the canyon below the notch | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 9,658 ft (2,944 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Prominence | 3,414 ft (1,041 m)[2] |
| Listing | Great Basin Peaks List[3] |
| Coordinates | 39°08′36″N113°24′34″W / 39.143226406°N 113.409375089°W /39.143226406; -113.409375089[1] |
| Geography | |
  Notch Peak Location in Utah | |
| Location | Millard County,Utah, U.S. |
| Parent range | House Range |
| Topo map | USGS Notch Peak |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Notch Peak is a distinctive summit located onSawtooth Mountain in theHouse Range, west ofDelta,Utah,United States. The peak and the surrounding area are part of theNotch Peak Wilderness Study Area(WSA).Bristlecone pines, estimated to be 3,000 to 4,000 years old, are located on the ridges surrounding Notch Peak.
Notch Peak is one of the highest peaks in the House Range, reaching 9,658 feet (2,944 m) NAVD 88. The northwest face of the mountain is a massivecarbonate rock (limestone anddolomite)cliff with 2,200 feet (670 m) of vertical rise, making it among the highest cliff faces inNorth America. Overall, the summit rises about 4,450 feet (1,360 m) aboveTule Valley.[4]
It is the second-highest pure vertical drop in the United States afterEl Capitan.[5] as well as the highestcarbonate rock cliff in North America.[6]
One of the more popular uses of the area is the hike to Notch Peak so you can look down the notch in person. The summit can be reached by following a trail from the east side of the mountain inSawtooth Canyon. The hike is about 7.5 miles round trip (12 km), with 2,600 feet (790 m) elevation gain.[7]
The north face of Notch Peak is divided by a large shelf into an upper and lower wall. There are severalbig wall climbing routes on the limestone cliffs.The Swiss Route (never repeated),Direct North West Ridge (orPillars of Faith), andBook of Saturdays ascend the upper wall. On the lower wallAppetite for Destruction andWestern Hardman at over 900 feet (270 meters) of vertical height. Climbing on all of these routes is adventurous with rockfall hazards and loose flakes of widely varying sizes.[8]
This part of the House Range is chiefly made up of a passive margin sequence ofCambrian toOrdoviciancarbonate rocks. The top of the range is the type section for the aptly named Notch Peak Dolomite. At the base of the range is the pink/orange Notch Peakgranite andmonzonite,[9] which isJurassic in age (143 to 169 million years old).[10][11] Around Notch Peak, especially from the west side (Tule Valley side), whiteLake Bonneville fossiliferousmarls occur.[12]
Because of the intrusion, a hike up the canyon below the notch can clearly show a well-developedmetamorphic(contact) aureole and even inter-fingering textures between theintrusion and thebedrock. Also, small quantities oftungsten and placergold have been found around the Notch Peak area.
