{{Short description|Mountain range in Washington, United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox mountain |name=Picket Range |image=Mount Degenhardt 26001.JPG |image_caption=Mount Terror (left skyline), Inspiration Peak (center) and McMillan Spires (right center) from the south |country=United States |region=Washington |range=North Cascades |highest=Luna Peak |elevation_ft=8311 |coordinates = {{coord|48|49|51|N|121|16|24|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} }} thumb|right|Picket Range at the head of Luna Creek, looking west (1960)
The '''Picket Range''' is a small, extremely rugged subrange of the North Cascades in the northwestern part of the American state of Washington. It is entirely contained within North Cascades National Park. It is about {{convert|6|mi|km}} long, running northwest–southeast, and lies north of the Skagit River, west of Ross Lake, and east of Mounts Baker and Shuksan. There are at least 21 peaks in the range over {{convert|7500|ft|m|abbr=on}} high.<ref name=beckey>{{cite book |last= Beckey |first= Fred W. |title= Cascade Alpine Guide: Rainy Pass to Fraser River |year= 1995 |publisher= The Mountaineers Books |isbn= 978-0-89886-423-6 |pages= 94–128 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=3ek5uvZaNGIC }}</ref>
Swedish American Lage Wernstedt of the U.S. Forest Service mapped the Picket Range in the 1920s and named it for its resemblance to a picket fence (and not for George Pickett). Wernstedt was also apparently responsible for the names of the main peaks, including Mt. Challenger, Fury, Terror, and Phantom. These names first appeared on maps in 1931.<ref name=beckey/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Childs|first1=Geof|title=Lage Wernstedt The forgotten giant|url=http://methownet.com/gristarchive/features/wernstedt.html|website=methownet.com|publisher=methownet|accessdate=19 January 2016}}</ref>
There are few trails in the Picket Range, and any excursion there has a strong wilderness character. Most of the access points are characterized as steep brush thick valleys, with little open terrain. Many of the peaks are challenging rock climbs. The rock is biotite gneiss, formed by metamorphism of sedimentary and volcanic rocks about 100 million years ago.<ref name=beckey/>[[File:Picket Range from Trappers Peak 1990.jpg|thumb|Picket Range from Trappers Peak 1990]]
==Notable Peaks of the Picket Range== {| class="wikitable sortable" !rowspan=2|Mountain !colspan=2|Height !rowspan=2|First ascent |- !(ft) !(m) |- |Luna Peak |{{convert|8311|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1938 |- |{{sort|Fury|Mount Fury}} |{{convert|8301|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1938 |- |{{sort|Challenger|Mount Challenger}} |{{convert|8207|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1936 |- |Poltergeist Pinnacle |{{convert|8200|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|2004 |- |{{sort|Terror|Mount Terror}} |{{convert|8151|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1932 |- |Crooked Thumb Peak |{{convert|8129|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1940 |- |McMillan Spire |{{convert|8004|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1940 |- |Phantom Peak |{{convert|8004|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1940 |- |{{sort|Degenhardt|Mount Degenhardt}} |{{convert|8000|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1931 |- |Ghost Peak |{{convert|8000|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1970 |- |Swiss Peak |{{convert|7993|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1968 |- |The Pyramid |{{convert|7960|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1951 |- |Twin Needles |{{convert|7936|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1932 |- |Inspiration Peak |{{convert|7880|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1940 |- |Spectre Peak |{{convert|7880|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1980 |- |Himmelhorn |{{convert|7880|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1961 |- |The Rake |{{convert|7840|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1951 |- |Little Mac Spire |{{convert|7680|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1969 |- |Ottohorn |{{convert|7640|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1961 |- |Whatcom Peak |{{convert|7574|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1936 |- |Frenzel Spitz |{{convert|7440|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1961 |- |Mount Crowder |{{convert|7082|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1962 |- |West Peak |{{convert|7000|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1932 |- |{{sort|Chopping block|The Chopping Block}} |{{convert|6819|ft|m|0|disp=table|sortable=on}} |align=middle|1932
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==See also== * List of mountain ranges in Washington
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.summitpost.org/area/range/171088/picket-range.html The Picket Range on Summitpost] *{{GNIS|1524403|Picket Range}} * Photo of entire Picket Range: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwporter/48089988367/in/photolist-SXp8jf-2gKENLz-2g6RLJt-8pRBWt-8pUNYb-2uNtes-4vCLcb-6G3kcL-9hCcUq-MGQkwp-2uNsKd-2uNsPN-8KHzmV-8KHy36-4xdHqJ-a2aNii-2dZDgYc-GUCZvZ-2gKJtMe-2gKHLSy-2gKHmHm-2ggxM2j-2ggxL7t-wfyJ2i Flickr]
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Category:North Cascades of Washington (state) Category:Mountain ranges of Washington (state) Category:North Cascades National Park