Mountain · 2 routes

Chief Peak

5,581 ft · California

Summit
5,581 ft
Routes
2 ways up

Routes up Chief Peak

  1. Chief Peak-South Face TrailModerateabout 700 ft of climbing0.9 mi round tripSee the route
  2. Chief Peak TrailEasyabout 580 ft of climbing1.0 mi round tripSee the route
Compare the routes
Chief Peak-South Face TrailChief Peak Trail
ClimbingAbout 700 ftAbout 580 ft
Round trip0.9 mi1.0 mi
DifficultyModerateEasy
TerrainHikeHike
Map of the 2 routes up Chief Peak, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Chief Peak-South Face TrailChief Peak TrailMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About Chief Peak

Chief Peak is a summit of 5,581 feet in the Ojai Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest, about 6 miles from the town of Ojai, California. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Sandberg show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 88°F and winter lows sit in the upper 30s. The closest routes are the Chief Peak Trail and the Chief Peak-South Face Trail, both about 0.4 miles away. For an overnight stay, Rose Valley campground is 1.7 miles off and Middle Lion is 2.7 miles off.

Forecast on Chief Peak

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Questions about Chief Peak

How tall is Chief Peak?

5,581 ft (1,701 m).

How many routes go to the summit of Chief Peak?

2: Chief Peak-South Face Trail and Chief Peak Trail.

What is the shortest route up Chief Peak?

Chief Peak-South Face Trail, about 0.9 mi round trip.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in California

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Jun. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–80°F and lows of 43–58°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Sandberg, CA weather station, 30 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan52° high39° low
  2. Feb53° high38° low
  3. Mar57° high41° low
  4. Apr62° high43° low
  5. May70° high49° low
  6. Jun80° high58° low
  7. Jul88° high65° low
  8. Aug88° high65° low
  9. Sep83° high61° low
  10. Oct71° high52° low
  11. Nov60° high44° low
  12. Dec52° high38° low

The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Ojai, California · 6.2 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Ojai Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Chief Peak open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Los Padres National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Los Padres National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Chief Peak

Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    52° / 39°

    7 wet

  2. Feb

    53° / 38°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    57° / 41°

    7 wet

  4. Apr

    62° / 43°

    5 wet

  5. May

    70° / 49°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    80° / 58°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    88° / 65°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    88° / 65°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    83° / 61°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    71° / 52°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    60° / 44°

    4 wet

  12. Dec

    52° / 38°

    6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sandberg, CA, 30 mi away at 4,510 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.