| Hearth Mountain | |
| Elevation Ft: | 6182 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 3482 |
| Isolation Mi: | 7.64 |
| Range: | Kenai Mountains |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Alaska |
| Region: | Kenai Peninsula |
| Region Type: | Borough |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Chugach National Forest |
| Map: | USA Alaska |
| Label Position: | left |
| Mapframe: | yes |
| Mapframe-Zoom: | 8 |
| Mapframe-Caption: | Interactive map of Hearth Mountain |
| Coordinates: | 60.2312°N -149.1893°W |
| Topo: | USGS Seward A-6 |
Hearth Mountain is a 6182feet mountain summit in Alaska, United States.
Hearth Mountain is located 12miles northeast of Seward in the Kenai Mountains, on land managed by Chugach National Forest.[1] Precipitation runoff and glacial meltwater from the mountain's slopes drains to Kenai Lake via the Snow River. Although modest in elevation, topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 5,380 feet (1,640 m) above the South Fork Snow River in 2miles. The mountain is visible from the Seward Highway. The mountain's name "hearth" was applied by mountaineer Vin Hoeman in the 1960s and follows a "fireplace" naming theme for landforms in the immediate area.[2] [3] Other fireplace-related landforms nearby include Kindling Mountain, North Andiron, Fireside Glacier, and Hearth Glacier.[3] The mountain's toponym has not been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Hearth Mountain is located in a tundra climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[4] Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Kenai Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −10 °F. This climate supports several glaciers on the peak's slopes, two of which are unofficially named Fireside Glacier and Hearth Glacier.[2]