page_title: Indian Head Peak
section_title: Geology
hierarchical_section_title: Indian Head Peak / Geology
caption_attribution_description: English: Indian Head Peak seen from Foam Creek trail. Glacier Peak Wilderness of Washington state.
context_page_description: Indian Head Peak is a prominent 7,400+ ft mountain summit located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, in the North Cascades of Washington state. The mountain is situated in Chelan County, on land managed by Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Its nearest higher neighbor is Kololo Peaks, 3.29 mi to the north. Indian Head Peak is the second-highest point on Wenatchee Ridge, a subrange which also includes Mount Saul, Whittier Peak, and Mount David. Precipitation runoff from it drains into Indian Creek and White River, tributaries of the Wenatchee River. The mountain's name was applied by Albert Hale Sylvester, a pioneer surveyor, explorer, topographer, and forest supervisor in the Cascades.
context_section_description: The North Cascades feature some of the most rugged topography in the Cascade Range with craggy peaks, spires, ridges, and deep glacial valleys. Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to the various climate differences.
  The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the late Eocene Epoch. With the North American Plate overriding the Pacific Plate, episodes of volcanic igneous activity persisted. Glacier Peak, a stratovolcano that is 7.22 mi (11.62 km) north of Indian Head Peak, began forming in the mid-Pleistocene. Due to Glacier Peak's proximity to Indian Head Peak, volcanic ash is common in the area. In addition, small fragments of the oceanic and continental lithosphere called terranes created the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.
  During the Pleistocene period dating back over two million years ago, glaciation advancing and retreating repeatedly scoured the landscape leaving deposits of rock debris. The "U"-shaped cross section of the river valleys are a result of recent glaciation. Uplift and faulting in combination with glaciation have been the dominant processes which have created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the North Cascades area.
caption: Indian Head Peak showing the north aspect with small remaining glacier
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