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Summit

Mount Stephens

California

About

Mount Stephens is a summit of 7,264 feet in the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California, about 3 miles from the town of Soda Springs. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 82°F with lows in the mid-40s, while winter highs sit in the low 40s and lows drop to around 17°F. That station sits well below the summit, so temperatures up high run cooler. Several routes start close by. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 passes about 0.3 miles away, and the Donner Summit Lakes Trail is under a mile off. Milton Reservoir offers fishing about 1.3 miles away, and Granite Flat campground is roughly 6.4 miles away for an overnight base.

Summit Facts

Summit elevation

7,264 ft

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Mount Stephens

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: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–82°F and lows of 29–44°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Donner Mem Sp, CA weather station, 4.8 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan41° high17° low
  2. Feb43° high18° low
  3. Mar48° high22° low
  4. Apr53° high26° low
  5. May63° high33° low
  6. Jun73° high38° low
  7. Jul82° high44° low
  8. Aug81° high42° low
  9. Sep74° high36° low
  10. Oct63° high29° low
  11. Nov49° high23° low
  12. Dec39° high17° low

The station sits about 1,300 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
Soda Springs, California · 3 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Tahoe National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

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

    Mount Stephens — Summit in California | Roamze