Carter Peak (Texas)

Carter Peak is a 5,690-foot-elevation (1,734-meter) summit in Brewster County, Texas, United States.

Carter Peak
East aspect
Highest point
Elevation	5,690 ft (1,734 m)[1]
Prominence	437 ft (133 m)[1]
Parent peak	Vernon Bailey Peak (6,672 ft)[2]
Isolation	0.79 mi (1.27 km)[2]
Coordinates	29°16′38″N 103°19′54″W[3]
Naming
Etymology	Amon G. Carter
Geography
Carter Peak Location of Carter Peak in Texas Show map of Texas Carter Peak Carter Peak (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Brewster
Protected area	Big Bend National Park[1]
Parent range	Chisos Mountains[1]
Topo map	USGS The Basin
Geology
Rock age	Oligocene
Rock type	Intrusive rock
Climbing
Easiest route	class 3[2]

Description

Carter Peak is located on the west side of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. The mountain is composed of intrusive rock which formed during the Oligocene period.^[4] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,500 feet (457 m) above Oak Canyon in one-quarter mile (0.4 km). The nearest higher neighbor is Vernon Bailey Peak, 0.78 miles (1.26 km) to the northeast.^[1] Based on the Köppen climate classification, Carter Peak is located in a hot arid climate zone with hot summers and mild winters.^[5] Any scant precipitation runoff from the peak's slopes drains south to Cottonwood Creek and north into Oak Creek which are both part of the Rio Grande watershed. The lower slopes of the mountain are covered by juniper, oak, and piñon. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1957 by the United States Board on Geographic Names to honor Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and promoter of the establishment of Big Bend National Park.^[3][6]

See also

• List of mountain peaks of Texas
• Geography of Texas