Washington Top 200 Peaks

Washington Top 200 Peaks

Returning from Horsemans Pack May 2021(photo by Andrew)

The Top 200 peaks in Washington make up a challenging peakbagging list with most peaks requiring bushwhacking, rock climbing, glacier travel, or some combination of these challenges. Only a half dozen or so of the peaks have trails to the summits. This list is an appealing objective for many climbers who have climbed all the Washington Bulgers. The Bulgers are approximately the hundred highest mountains in Washington with at least 400ft of prominence, though some peaks are included that don’t meet this criteria and a few are excluded that meet this criteria.

The Washington Top 200 peaks are approximately the 200 highest peaks in Washington with at least 400ft of prominence, but many exceptions are also included. The list was originally intended to just have 200 peaks, but with the exceptions included it actually now contains 217 peaks. Climbers are expected to climb all 217 peaks to successfully finish the “Top 200” list.

Armstrong SE during the first winter ascent Jan 2020 (photo by Fred)

The 17 exception peaks that are included but have less than 400ft of prominence are as follows: seven of the Bulger peaks (Seven Fingered Jack, Sahale, Dark, Rahm, Horseshoe, Little Annapurna, and Blackcap) have less than 400ft of prominence but are added to the Top 200 list. Ten other peaks that don’t meet the 400ft prominence cutoff are included for historical reasons (Armstrong SE, Wildcat, Snowgrass, Degenhardt, Phantom, Challenger West, Mad Eagle, Torment, Old Guard, Chewuch/Pope). These ten peaks were each included in original top 200 lists created by Don Goodman and John Roper before more accurate elevation and prominence data were available.

In general climbing the next 117 peaks to complete the “Top 200” is considered much more difficult than climbing the 100 Bulgers. The elevations are not that much different than the Bulgers, but the next 117 peaks in general have less beta, fewer climber trails meaning more bushwhacking, and are technically more difficult. For instance, of the ten most difficult peaks in Washington only one is a Bulger peak (Hard Mox) but four are among the 117 needed to complete the Top 200 (Lincoln, West Fury, Johannesburg, and South Hozomeen).

Location of the second hundred (117) peaks (map from peakbagger.com)

As of 2022 five climbers are known to have climbed all 217 peaks of the “Top 200” list – Don Goodman, Fay Pullen, Eric Eames, John Porter, and Fred Newman. I finished the Washington Bulgers in 2018 and the top 100 in 2019, and am currently working on finishing the Top 200. This will probably take a while, though, because I’m generally gone in the summer, working on Winter Bulgers in the winter, and just have the shoulder seasons to devote to top 200 peaks.

Below is a list by decreasing elevation of the extra 117 peaks needed to finish the Top 200 in addition to the Bulger peaks. The first seven peaks are the extra seven needed to climb the strict top 100 by 400ft prominence, and the next 110 are the additional peaks needed to finish the Top 200. Ones I have climbed have a clickable link to a trip report or reports with the date climbed. See my Bulgers page for a description of the Bulgers list and reports from my climbs of each of those peaks.

Current total count: 189/217

Extra seven peaks needed to finish the Top 100

1. Liberty Cap 5-28-2018
2. Sherman Peak 11-12-2018
3. Colfax Peak 11-17-2018
4. Lincoln Peak 4-28-2019
5. Mount Ballard 10-14-2018
6. Luna Peak 10-20-2018
7. Castle Peak 10-27-2018

Extra 110 peaks needed to finish the Top 200

1. Andrew Peak 10-5-2019
2. Apex Mountain 10-12-2019
3. The Temple 5-16-2021
4. Spider Mountain
5. West Fury
6. Big Kangaroo 9-15-2022
7. Booker Mountain 9-3-2022
8. Wy’East Mountain
9. Sheep Mountain 10-5-2019
10. Cheops 10-26-2019
11. Buttermilk Ridge 10-26-2019
12. Spire Point
13. The Pope 10-12-2019
14. Sentinel Peak
15. Amos Peak 10-5-2019
16. Silver Moon 5-14-2022
17. Tiffany Mountain 11-17-2019
18. Pyramid Mountain 5-2-2020
19. Many Trails Peak 9-20-2020
20. Old Guard Peak
21. Dot Mountain 7-1-2018
22. Mount Arriva 9-14-2022
23. Johnny Peak 9-20-2020
24. Mount Challenger
25. North Craggy 5-22-2022
26. Sherman Peak (Pasayten) 2-9-2020
27. WyNorth 9-20-2021
28. Johannesburg Mountain
29. Riddle Peak
30. Kololo Peaks 9-5-2020
31. Ten Peak Mountain 9-25-2021
32. Gunsight Peak
33. Gilbert Peak 11-23-2019
34. Fool Hen Mountain 10-6-2019
35. The Needles 9-4-2021
36. Horsemans Pack 5-2-2021
37. Mount Terror
38. Peepsight Mountain 6-2-2019
39. Sunrise Peak 4-26-2020
40. Ba Peak 11-20-2021
41. Wolframite Mountain 10-12-2019
42. Castle Rock
43. Crater Mountain 9-28-2019
44. Buckskin Mountain 5-16-2020
45. Three Pinnacles 9-20-2020
46. Crooked Thumb Peak
47. McGregor Mountain 9-14-2021
48. Mount Torment
49. Agnes Mountain
50. Ice Box 5-9-2020
51. Mad Eagle Peak
52. Finney Peak 10-26-2019
53. Armstrong Mountain SE Peak 1-25-2020 (6-12-2021)
54. Tricouni Peak 4-17-2021
55. McLeod Mountain 4-26-2020
56. Mount Rolo 5-30-2020
57. North Star Mountain 10-31-2020
58. Arnold Peak 10-12-2019 (6-12-2021)
59. Cloudcomb Peak 5-2-2020
60. Gray Peak 10-26-2019
61. Lamont Mountain 5-24-2020
62. Big Chiwaukum 8-31-2020
63. Devils Peak 5-29-2021
64. Freds Mountain 10-5-2019
65. Spectacle Buttes North Peak 5-10-2020
66. Mount Hardy 6-10-2020
67. Corteo Peak
68. Napeequa Peak 4-10-2022
69. Shelokum Mountain 5-24-2020
70. Seance Peak 10-26-2019
71. Hozomeen Mountain
72. Fool Hen Southeast 10-6-2019
73. Cutthroat Peak
74. Devils Tongue
75. Bauerman Ridge 10-12-2019
76. Fisher Peak 9-14-2022
77. Genius 5-1-2022
78. Beefhide Butte 10-26-2019
79. Bauble Butte 10-6-2019
80. Gilbert Mountain 6-4-2-22
81. Camels Hump 4-3-2021
82. Enigma
83. South Hozomeen
84. Kitling Peak 9-6-2021
85. Sunrise Peak (sawtooths) 11-3-2018
86. Gopher Mountain 4-18-2020
87. Holliway Mountain 5-8-2021
88. West McMillan Spire 8-26-2020
89. Phantom Peak
90. Mount Challenger West Peak
91. Mount Degenhardt
92. Eightmile Mountain 6-7-2020
93. Wallaby Peak 5-29-2021
94. American Border Peak
95. Snowgrass Mountain 8-31-2020
96. Rock Mountain 11-17-2019
97. Mount Olympus 5-27-2017 (attempts 5-29-2016, 3-29-2007)
98. Middle Tiffany Mountain 11-17-2019
99. Graybeard Peak 9-6-2021
100. North Navarre Peak 4-25-2020
101. Mount Daniel 11-11-2016
102. Bearcat Ridge 9-1-2021
103. Choral Peak 4-18-2020
104. West Tenpeak Mountain
105. Chilly Peak 5-9-2020
106. Wildcat Mountain 5-30-2020
107. Horseshoe Mountain (Pasayten) 10-12-2019 (1-25-2020)
108. Two Point Mountain 10-6-2019
109. Skeptical Butte 10-6-2019
110. Mount Berge 6-6-2021