Yellowstone Adventures: Eagle Peak (Yellowstone’s highest point)
Six miles east of Yellowstone Lake’s southeastern edge, Eagle Peak rises on the horizon to a prominent point. Reaching an elevation of 11,367 feet, Eagle Peak is the highest point in Yellowstone National Park. This distinctive landmark in the Yellowstone Lake skyline was formed from a combination of violent, volcanic activity and slow erosion.
Yellowstone National Park is home to more than 70 named mountain peaks that reach elevations of 8,000 feet or higher. Nearly all of these peaks belong to one of the four mountain ranges within the park’s boundaries. These ranges, the Absaroka Range, the Gallatin Range, the Washburn Range, and the Red Mountains, are all part of the massive Rocky Mountains. While the Washburn Range and the Red Mountains are fully located within the park, the Absaroka and Gallatin Ranges stretch beyond Yellowstone’s borders. Eagle Peak is one of several high peaks in the Absaroka Range, the largest mountain range in Yellowstone.
Eagle Peak was formed during the Eocene age, a time of intense volcanic activity in the area that occurred roughly 56 to 43 million years ago. After this violent and fiery creation, the peak and much of the Absaroka Range, lay hidden beneath an ice cap over 1,500 feet thick during the last ice age. Remnants of this time can be found on the mountain in the form of glacial deposits. The slow melting of the glaciers eroded portions of the mountain and formed the pathways for the creeks found in and along the mountain today. Every year during the spring, the snow runoff fills these creeks with rushing water only a few degrees above freezing. The runoff from the southern slopes drains into Yellowstone Lake by way of Mountain Creek.
Eagle Peak is just one of the many geological wonders of Yellowstone. A land formed by extreme natural forces, Yellowstone National Park has an abundance of natural and geological features you will not find anywhere else in the world. On a tour with Scenic Safaris, our professional guides know the geology, history, and wildlife of Yellowstone National Park. We offer a wide range of tours and adventures for visitors hoping to explore a little deeper and look a little closer. From ATV tours and guided hikes to fishing trips, with Scenic Safaris you will experience the breathtaking beauty of Yellowstone National Park in a whole new way.