Mountain of the Sun
Mountain of the Sun is a 6,722-foot (2,049 m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.[3] Mountain of the Sun is situated immediately east of Court of the Patriarchs, and south of Zion Lodge, towering 2,500 feet (760 meters) above the lodge and the floor of Zion Canyon. It is set on the east side of the North Fork of the Virgin River which drains precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its neighbors include The Sentinel, Mount Spry, The East Temple, and Mount Moroni. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[3]
| Mountain of the Sun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,722 ft (2,049 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 842 ft (257 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Twin Brothers (6,863 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 0.46 mi (0.74 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 37°14′06″N 112°57′12″W[1] |
| Geography | |
  Mountain of the Sun Location in Utah  Mountain of the Sun Mountain of the Sun (the United States) | |
| Location | Zion National Park Washington County, Utah United States |
| Parent range | Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Springdale East |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Jurassic |
| Type of rock | Navajo sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 4+ climbing[2] |
Climate
Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Mountain of the Sun. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.[4]
Gallery
Mountain of the Sun (left) covering Twin Brothers (center), as seen from the north
from Zion Lodge
From the southwest%252C_Pine_Creek_Canyon%252C_Zion_National_Park%252C_sw_Utah_4.jpg.webp)
From the southwest
Zion Lodge and Mountain of the Sun
North aspect, with Virgin River
Mountain of the Sun (centered) seen from SW with Twin Brothers (right)
The East Temple, Twin Brothers, Mountain of the Sun (right of center) seen from the northeast on Deertrap Mountain
References
- "Mountain of the Sun, Utah". Peakbagger.com.
- "Mountain of the Sun - 6,722' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-09-05.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mountain of the Sun
- "Zion National Park, Utah, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
External links
- Zion National Park National Park Service
- Mountain of the Sun rock climbing: mountainproject.com
- Hiking information: Zionnational-park.com