| Pearl Mountain | |
| Elevation Ft: | 13379 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 604 |
| Isolation Mi: | 1.86 |
| Parent Peak: | Castle Peak (14,279 ft)[2] |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Colorado |
| Region: | Gunnison County / Pitkin County |
| Region Type: | County |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness |
| Range: | Rocky Mountains Elk Mountains[3] |
| Map: | Colorado#USA |
| Coordinates: | 38.9808°N -106.8341°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [4] |
| Topo: | USGS Pearl Pass |
| Easiest Route: | hiking |
Pearl Mountain is a 13379feet summit on the shared border between Gunnison County and Pitkin County in Colorado, United States.
Pearl Mountain is situated 14miles west of the Continental Divide in the Elk Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains. The mountain is located 15miles south of the community of Aspen and set in the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness, on land managed by White River National Forest and Gunnison National Forest.[3] It ranks as the 26th-highest peak in Gunnison County and 339th-highest in Colorado.[1] Pearl Mountain is one-half mile immediately west of Pearl Pass and 1.85miles west of Star Peak which is the nearest higher neighbor.[3] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's north slope drains to the Roaring Fork River via Cooper Creek and Castle Creek, whereas the south slope drains into Middle Brush Creek which is a tributary of the East River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2500feet above Middle Brush Creek in 1miles. The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,[4] and has been recorded in publications since at least 1884.[5]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Pearl Mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.[6] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring. Climbers can expect afternoon rain, hail, and lightning from the seasonal monsoon in late July and August.