Chopaka Mountain, also known as Mount Chopaka, is a summit in the leeward flank of the North Cascades

North Cascades

The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in Canada as the Cascade Mountains...

. Its summit area is a Natural Area Preserve comprising 2764 acres (1,118.6 ha), and features a mountain goat population and various rare plants. The last surviving native herd of bighorn sheep

Bighorn Sheep

The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...

 in Washington was located on Chopaka Mountain until hunted out in the 1920s.

Name origin

According to the British Columbia Geographical Names Information System, in their record on nearby Chopaka, British Columbia

Chopaka, British Columbia

Chopaka is an unincorporated settlement near the US border on the west bank of the Similkameen River in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Largely comprising two Indian Reserves, Chopaka IR No. 7 and Chopaka IR No. 8, the location was formerly listed as a railway station...

, Chopaka was either an Okanagan

Okanagan people

The Okanagan people, also spelled Okanogan, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the U.S.-Canada boundary in Washington state and British Columbia...

 hunter turned to stone by "coyote", or a maiden transformed into stone. Another meaning is given by regional climbing guide author Fred Beckey

Fred Beckey

Fred Beckey is an American mountaineer and author, who has made hundreds of first ascents, more than any other North American climber.-Early years:...

who states that Chopaka is an Indian word meaning "high mountain".