Bonanza Peak, Mountain summit in the North Cascades, Washington, US
Bonanza Peak is a 9,516-foot (2,900 m) mountain in the North Cascades, within Glacier Peak Wilderness and Wenatchee National Forest. Three large glaciers flank it: Company Glacier to the north, Mary Green Glacier to the east, and Isella Glacier to the south. It is the highest point in Chelan County.
Bonanza Peak was first named North Star Mountain, while a smaller peak to the southwest held the name Bonanza Peak. The USGS's first topographic map of the region in 1904 mistakenly interchanged the two names, and the error became official. In 1937, Curtis I. James, Barrie James and Joe Leuthold, members of the Mazamas, made the first recorded ascent.
The name comes from a USGS map error: the peak was first called North Star Mountain, and the 1904 topographic map swapped the labels with a smaller summit to the southwest. The USGS version was kept. The first ascent, in 1937, was made by Curtis I. James, Barrie James and Joe Leuthold of the Mazamas club.
Visitors must take a boat across Lake Chelan followed by a shuttle to Holden Village. From there, reaching the peak requires mountain climbing experience and careful route planning.
Bonanza Peak's 3,711-foot (1,131 m) prominence makes it the 26th most prominent peak in Washington. The nearest higher summit is Glacier Peak, 14.4 miles (23.2 km) to the southwest. Its three glaciers drain into Lake Chelan via Agnes, Company and Railroad Creeks.
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