Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published June 2021

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This attractive peak looms up directly east of Whitney, Idaho. From my back door, the mountain’s west face rises 814 feet to the summit in roughly a mile, making this an excellent year-round conditioning hike for me. The entire mountain is on private property and public access is very unlikely.

We have always called it Giraffe Hill, but I recently heard someone insist that it is called Whitney Hill. Giraffe Hill may actually be the lower summit to the northeast that is crossed by what is called Giraffe Road. The name, I am told, comes from couples driving up there to “neck.”

For years, this hill has been an accessible and quiet retreat, but this serenity is quickly coming to an end. Sadly, housing developments are going up on several sides of the mountain. Large numbers of landscaping rocks are being gathered and removed from the broad summit plateau and gravel is being mined at a furious pace from five pits on the flanks of the mountain. Recently, a road was carved to the summit to install a small communications tower and a large, bright Christmas star that now shines brightly from the summit each December. USGS Franklin

Access

Unfortunately, there is no public access at this time.