Mountain of the Sun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mountain of the Sun
North aspect, from Zion Lodge
Highest point
Elevation	6,722 ft (2,049 m)
Prominence	842 ft (257 m)
Isolation	0.46 mi (0.74 km)
Parent peak	Twin Brothers (6,863 ft)
Geography
Mountain of the Sun Location in Utah Show map of Utah Mountain of the Sun Location in the United States Show map of 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+ climbing

Mountain of the Sun is a 6,722-foot (2,049 m) elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States. Mountain of the Sun is situated immediately east of Court of the Patriarchs, and south of Zion Lodge, towering 2,500-feet (760 meters) above the lodge and the floor of Zion Canyon. It is set on the east side of the North Fork of the Virgin River which drains precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its neighbors include The Sentinel, Mount Spry, The East Temple, and Mount Moroni. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Mountain of the Sun. 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.

Images for kids

• 

  Mountain of the Sun (left) covering Twin Brothers (center), as seen from the north

• 

  from Zion Lodge

• 

  From the southwest

• 

  From the southwest

• 

  Zion Lodge and Mountain of the Sun

• 

  North aspect, with Virgin River

• 

  Mountain of the Sun (centered) seen from SW with Twin Brothers (right}

• 

  The East Temple, Twin Brothers, Mountain of the Sun (right of center) seen from the northeast on Deertrap Mountain