Carter Peak is a 5,690-foot mountain on the west side of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, where steep relief lifts its summit sharply above Oak Canyon in a desert-mountain landscape. Runoff from its slopes feeds Cottonwood Creek and Oak Creek within the Rio Grande watershed. Formed of intrusive rock during the Oligocene, it reflects the volcanic and magmatic history of the Chisos range. Though set in a hot arid climate, its lower slopes support juniper, oak, and piñon. In 1957, the peak was officially named for Amon G. Carter, whose support helped advance the creation of Big Bend National Park.