Mica Peak

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Mica Peak refers to two nearby mountains on the Idaho–Washington border: one in Kootenai County, Idaho, and the other in Spokane County, Washington. They sit on the same ridge that forms the border between the Spokane Valley and Rathdrum Prairie and the Palouse. The peaks are about 5.5 miles apart and differ by only about 31 feet in elevation. The Idaho peak, known as Mica Peak (Signal Point), is higher at 5,241 feet, while the Washington peak reaches 5,209 feet. They are the southernmost summits of the Selkirk Mountains. Nearby peaks along the ridge include Round Mountain (4,045 ft), Cable Peak (4,924 ft), Shasta Butte (4,852 ft), and Blossom Mountain (4,377 ft).

During Prohibition, the rugged, forested terrain and the unclear state line made the area ideal for bootlegging, with smugglers hiding stills there. The Idaho peak is also called Signal Point, named after a ski lodge that operated on its northeast face in the 1950s–60s; the lodge and its rope tow no longer exist. The Idaho peak sits about seven miles from the town of State Line.

Mica Peak in Washington is the lower of the two and is the southernmost peak of the Selkirk Range. The northern slopes drain into Saltese Creek, and the mountain offers a prominent eastern and southeastern view from the Spokane Valley. The Washington peak once housed the now-decommissioned Mica Peak Air Force Station.