| Maiden Peak | |
| Elevation Ft: | 6434 |
| Prominence Ft: | 474 |
| Isolation Mi: | 1.63 |
| Isolation Ref: | [1] |
| Parent Peak: | Elk Mountain (6,773 ft) |
| Map: | Washington#USA |
| Label Position: | bottom |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Olympic National Park |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Washington |
| Region: | Clallam |
| Region Type: | County |
| Coordinates: | 47.9348°N -123.3203°W |
| Topo: | USGS Maiden Peak |
| Range: | Olympic Mountains |
| Rock: | Shale |
| Age: | Eocene |
| Easiest Route: | Hiking Trail |
Maiden Peak is a 6434feet summit located in Olympic National Park, in Clallam County of Washington state.[2] It is part of the Olympic Mountains and is situated near the eastern end of Hurricane Ridge within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. The nearest higher neighbor is Elk Mountain, 1.62miles to the west-southwest, and Blue Mountain is set 3.14miles to the east-northeast. The peak is set approximately midway along the trail which connects Deer Park and Obstruction Point. Precipitation runoff from the south slope of the mountain drains into Grand Creek, whereas the north slope is drained by Maiden Creek, and all ultimately reaches the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above Grand Creek in one mile. This landform's name was officially adopted in 1961 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[2] One story has the origin of the name being derived from nearby Maiden Lake where young men and women camped around 1913, and the other being from a group of hikers that passed this area.[3]
Set in the north-central portion of the Olympic Mountains, Maiden Peak is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[4] Weather fronts originating in the Pacific Ocean travel northeast toward the Olympic Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snow. As a result, the Olympics experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.[5] Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting in avalanche danger. During winter months weather is usually cloudy, but due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer.[4]
The Olympic Mountains are composed of obducted clastic wedge material and oceanic crust, primarily Eocene sandstone, turbidite, and basaltic oceanic crust.[6] The mountains were sculpted during the Pleistocene era by erosion and glaciers advancing and retreating multiple times.