Whipple Mountains

Whipple Mountains
This view looks east at the west flank of the Whipple Mountains in the Californian Mojave Desert.
Highest point
Peak	Whipple Peak
Elevation	4,131 ft (1,259 m)
Dimensions
Length	20 mi (32 km) N-S
Width	25 mi (40 km) E-W
Geography
Whipple Mountains location of Whipple Mountains in California[1]
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Colorado Desert ((northwest)-Sonoran Desert)
District	San Bernardino County
Range coordinates	34°17′53″N 114°26′18″W / 34.29806°N 114.43833°W / 34.29806; -114.43833
Borders on	Colorado River-NE & SE California State Route 62-S
Topo map	USGS Whipple Mountains SW

The Whipple Mountains (Mojave: Avii Kur'utat;^[2] Chemehuevi: Wiyaatuʷa̱^[3]) are located in eastern San Bernardino County, California. They are directly west of the Colorado River, Parker Dam, and Lake Havasu; south of Needles, California; north of Parker, Arizona and Vidal, California; and northeast of Vidal Junction, California.

The mountain forms a major direction change of the north-south Colorado River as it changes directions to southeast, then southwest around the eastern perimeter of the Whipple Mountains. The highest point of the mountains, and the Whipple Mountains Wilderness is Whipple Mountain at 4,131 feet (1,259 m). The western portion of the mountain range has pale green formations, differing from the eastern, steeply carved and striking brick-red volcanics. Landforms are diverse and range from valley floors and washes to steep-walled canyons, domed peaks, natural bridges, and eroded spires.^[4]

The mountains were named after Amiel Weeks Whipple, a lieutenant in the US Army who surveyed the region in the 1840s, and later died in Chancellorsville in the Civil War.^[5]