Johnson Mountain (Utah)

Johnson Mountain
Johnson Mountain
	Johnson Mountain, southwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,106 ft (1,861 m)
Prominence	586 ft (179 m)
Parent peak	The Watchman (6,545 ft)
Isolation	0.85 mi (1.37 km)
Coordinates	37°10′27″N 112°59′10″W / 37.174065°N 112.986038°W
Geography
	Johnson Mountain Location in Utah Johnson Mountain Johnson Mountain (the United States)
Location	Zion National Park; Washington County, Utah; United States
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Springdale East
Geology
Age of rock	Jurassic
Type of rock	Navajo sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route	class 4 scrambling

Johnson Mountain is a 6,106-foot (1,861 m) Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States.^[3]

Description[edit]

Johnson Mountain is located immediately southeast of Springdale, towering 2,200 feet (670 meters) above the town and the floor of Zion Canyon. It is wedged between the North and East Forks of the Virgin River which drain precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its nearest higher neighbor is The Watchman, 0.8 mi (1.3 km) to the north-northeast, and Mount Kinesava is positioned 2.94 mi (4.73 km) directly across the canyon to the northwest.^[1] Shunesburg Mountain is set 2 mi (3.2 km) to the southeast, directly across the mouth of Parunuweap Canyon. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. It is named for Nephi Johnson (1833–1919), a Mormon missionary, interpreter, explorer, and the first white man to visit Zion Canyon.^[3] In 1858 a Paiute guide by the name of Nauguts led Nephi into the Zion Canyon area of the upper Virgin River.^[4] Johnson wrote a favorable report about the agricultural potential of the upper Virgin River basin, where he founded the town of Virgin.

Climate[edit]

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Johnson Mountain. 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 (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.^[5]