| Edgar Peak | |
| Elevation Ft: | 7162 |
| Prominence Ft: | 2225 |
| Prominence Ref: | [1] |
| Isolation Mi: | 24.53 |
| Map: | California#USA |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Label Position: | left |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | California |
| Region: | San Bernardino |
| Region Type: | County |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Mojave National Preserve |
| Range: | Providence Mountains |
| Coordinates: | 34.9555°N -115.5363°W |
| Topo: | USGS Fountain Peak |
| Type: | Fault block |
| Rock: | Rhyolite |
| Age: | Jurassic |
| Easiest Route: | scrambling |
Edgar Peak is a 7162feet summit in San Bernardino County, California, United States.
Edgar Peak is the highest point of the Providence Mountains and the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area.[2] It is set within the Mojave National Preserve. Precipitation runoff from this mountain's west slope drains to Kelso Wash, whereas the east slope drains to Clipper Valley. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3160abbr=offNaNabbr=off above the surrounding terrain in 1.5miles. An ascent of the summit involves 4.2 miles of strenuous off-trail hiking with 3,000 feet of elevation gain, best done in cooler months from October through May.[3] This mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. The mountain has also been called "Mount Edgar" in publications going back as early as 1891,[4] [5] and on maps of 1887.[6]
The peak is set within the Mojave Desert. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Edgar Peak has a cold desert climate, with the lower surrounding terrain in a hot desert climate zone. Temperatures average between 10 °F to 30 °F in January, and 50 °F to 100 °F in July.[7] Typical of high deserts, summer temperatures can be exceedingly hot, while winter temperatures can be cold. Winter snowfall melts rapidly in the arid and sunny climate.
Edgar Peak is composed of multiple rock formations. The top is composed of Jurassic Fountain Peak Rhyolite with a mean age of 164 Ma. The rhyolite cuts across and intrudes adjacent sedimentary units and is interpreted to represent the feeder system of an extrusive dome.[8] The sedimentary units consist of limestone and sandstone members of the Triassic Moenkopi Formation, and the Permian Bird Spring Formation which is predominantly limestone.