| The Watchman | |
| Elevation Ft: | 6545 |
| Prominence Ft: | 785 |
| Isolation Mi: | 0.79 |
| Isolation Ref: | [1] |
| Parent Peak: | Stevens Peak (6,555 ft) |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Country: | United States |
| Region Type: | County |
| Map: | Utah#USA |
| Map Size: | 230 |
| Label Position: | top |
| Coordinates: | 37.1847°N -112.9796°W |
| Topo: | USGS Springdale East |
| First Ascent: | 1973 by Jeff Lowe, Mike Weis[2] |
| Easiest Route: | scrambling West Face |
The Watchman is a 6545feet sandstone mountain summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.
The Watchman is located immediately east of Springdale, towering 2600abbr=offNaNabbr=off above the town and the floor of Zion Canyon. Zion's park headquarters, the park's south entrance, and Watchman Campground are situated immediately north-northwest of the mountain, which makes it one of the photographic icons of the park. The Watchman is wedged between the North and East Forks of the Virgin River which drain precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its neighbors include Mount Kinesava directly across the canyon to the west, Bridge Mountain, 1.66miles to the north-northeast, and The West Temple is positioned 2.9miles to the northwest. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. It is believed to be so named because it stands as a watchman guarding the south entrance to the park. It is unclear where the name may have originated; some believe it was Methodist Minister Frederick Vining Fisher. Early pioneers referred to this peak as Flanigan Peak because the Flanigan family homestead was set at the base of this feature.[3] This mountain is composed of Navajo Sandstone, with a red shale outcropping of the Kayenta Formation along the lower slopes.[4]
Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit The Watchman. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32°F, and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10abbr=offNaNabbr=off of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.[5]