Mastodon Peak
About
Mastodon Peak is a summit of 3,427 feet in Joshua Tree National Park, within the Joshua Tree Wilderness in California. The nearest town is North Shore, about 16.5 miles away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Twentynine Palms weather station show March highs around 74°F and November highs around 72°F, while July highs average about 104°F. That station sits well below the peak, so temperatures on top run cooler. The Mastodon Mine Loop Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and Cottonwood Spring is 0.7 miles off. Pinto Basin, a climbing area, is about 1.1 miles away, and Cottonwood Group campground is about 1.8 miles away.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
3,427 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Mastodon Peak
California
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Oct–Apr. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–85°F and lows of 40–58°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Twentynine Palms, CA weather station, 30 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan63° high42° low
- Feb67° high44° low
- Mar74° high49° low
- Apr81° high55° low
- May90° high63° low
- Jun99° high71° low
- Jul104° high77° low
- Aug103° high76° low
- Sep96° high69° low
- Oct85° high58° low
- Nov72° high47° low
- Dec62° high40° low
The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.
Where it is
- Joshua Tree Wilderness · Wilderness
- Joshua Tree National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- North Shore, California · 17 mi
Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Joshua Tree National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Oasis of Mara Trail Partial Closure
Caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Mastodon Mine Loop TrailHiking0.2 mi
- Cottonwood SpringHiking0.7 mi
- Pinto BasinRock climbing1.1 mi
- Lost Palms Oasis TrailHiking1.7 mi
- Cottonwood GroupCamping1.8 mi
- Bajada TrailheadHiking3.7 mi
- Wildflowers (Bajada Nature Trail)Hiking3.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
