Mount Scott (Klamath County, Oregon)

For other uses, see Mount Scott (disambiguation).

Mount Scott
Mount Scott viewed from the southwest
Highest point
Elevation	8,934 ft (2,723 m) [1]
Prominence	3,009 ft (917 m) [2]
Listing	Oregon Prominent Peaks 22nd Oregon Highest Peaks 35th Cascade Volcanoes
Coordinates	42°55′22″N122°00′59″W / 42.92287085°N 122.016268694°W / 42.92287085; -122.016268694 [1]
Geography
Mount Scott Klamath County, Oregon, U.S.
Region	Oregon, United States
Parent range	Cascades
Topo map	USGS Crater Lake East
Geology
Age of rock	About 420,000 years [3]
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Volcanic arc	Cascade Volcanic Arc
Last eruption	420,000 years ago

Mount Scott is a small stratovolcano and a so-called parasitic cone on the southeast flank of Crater Lake in southern Oregon. ^{[4] [5]} It is approximately 420,000 years old. ^[3] Its summit is the highest point within Crater Lake National Park, and the tenth highest peak in the Oregon Cascades. ^[6] A small fire lookout tower stands on the summit, at the end of a trail that zigzags approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) up the mountain. The mountain is named for Oregon pioneer Levi Scott, founder of Scottsburg, Oregon. ^[7]

Geology

Mount Scott first erupted about 420,000 years ago and is one of the oldest volcanoes in the Mount Mazama complex. ^{[8] [9]} It erupted mainly andesitic lavas before becoming extinct in the late Pleistocene. ^[10] Since it was relatively far away from the main flanks of Mount Mazama, it survived the mountain's massive explosion that occurred around 5700 BC. ^[11] At 8,934 feet (2,723 m) tall, Mount Scott is the highest point in Crater Lake National Park. ^{[10] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]} Most of the lower slopes are covered with ash, pumice, and loose gravel, while the summit is mostly covered with scoria. ^{[11] [14]}

Flora

Many species of plants inhabit the slopes of Mount Scott. The most common species of trees include Douglas fir, white pine, hemlock, whitebark pine, lodgepole pine. ^{[14] [15]} Wildflowers, such as Indian paintbrush, penstemon, forget-me-nots, wild onions, and buttercups can be found on the mountain. ^[14]

Trail

There is one trail to the summit of Mount Scott. Starting on Rim Drive, the trail is about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. It has many switchbacks, and ends at the fire lookout tower on the summit. ^{[11] [14] [15]} The trailhead is at an elevation of 7,683 feet (2,342 m), and the trail climbs approximately 1,479 feet (451 m) to the top of Mount Scott at 8,934 feet (2,723 m). ^{[14] [15]}

Panoramic views of Crater Lake can be seen from the summit. Mount Thielsen, Diamond Peak, Mount McLoughlin, Mount Shasta, Upper Klamath Lake, and Diamond Lake are other landmarks that can be seen from the summit. ^{[6] [10] [14] [15]}

A panorama of Crater Lake and its surroundings from Mount Scott

References

1. "8938". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved November 17, 2008.
2. "Mount Scott, Oregon". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
3. Wood, Charles A.; Kienle, Jürgen, eds. (1990). Volcanoes of North America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 193–195. ISBN   978-0-521-43811-7.
4. "Crater Lake". Global Volcanism Program . Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved 2019-10-27.
5. "Lexicon of Geologic Names Of the United States For 1936-1960". 1949. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
6. Wuerthner, George (2003). Oregon's Wilderness Areas. Big Earth Publishing. p. 94. ISBN   978-1-56579-434-4.
7. Corning, Howard M. (1956). Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing. ISBN   978-0-8323-0449-1.
8. Bishop, Ellen (2003). In Search of Ancient Oregon. Timber Press. p. 233. ISBN   978-0-88192-590-6.
9. Hill, Richard (2004). Volcanoes of the Cascades. Globe Pequot. p. 65. ISBN   978-0-7627-3072-8.
10. Harris, Ann; Tuttle, Esther; Tuttle, Sherwood (2003). Geology of National Parks (6th ed.). Kendall Hunt. pp. 530–531. ISBN   978-0-7872-9970-5 . Retrieved May 12, 2009.
11. Bishop, Ellen; Allen, John (2004). Hiking Oregon's geology (2 ed.). The Mountaineers Books. pp. 153–154. ISBN   978-0-89886-847-0.
12. "Crater Lake National Park". GORP. Archived from the original on January 13, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
13. "Crater Lake, Oregon". United States Geological Survey . Retrieved May 12, 2008.
14. Bond, Barbara (2005). 75 Scrambles in Oregon. The Mountaineers Books. pp. 91–93. ISBN   978-0-89886-550-9.
15. Bernstein, Art (2001). Hiking Oregon's Southern Cascades and Siskiyous. Globe Pequot. pp. 124–125. ISBN   978-1-56044-898-3.
16. Bernstein, Art (2003). Oregon Byways . Wilderness Press. p.  115. ISBN   978-0-89997-277-0.

External links

• "Mount Scott". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2008-11-17.
• "Mount Scott". SummitPost.org.