North Chalone Peak

Mountain · 2 routes

North Chalone Peak

3,307 ft · California

Photo: Miguel Vieira, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Summit
3,307 ft
Routes
2 ways up
Managed by
National Park Service

Routes up North Chalone Peak

  1. South Chalone Peak TrailModerateabout 2,299 ft of climbing3.2 mi round tripSee the route
  2. Chalone Peak TrailHardabout 2,983 ft of climbing6.1 mi round tripSee the route
Compare the routes
South Chalone Peak TrailChalone Peak Trail
ClimbingAbout 2,299 ftAbout 2,983 ft
Round trip3.2 mi6.1 mi
DifficultyModerateHard
TerrainHikeHike
Map of the 2 routes up North Chalone Peak, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
South Chalone Peak TrailChalone Peak TrailMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About North Chalone Peak

North Chalone Peak is a summit of 3,307 feet in the Hain Wilderness, part of Pinnacles National Park in California. The National Park Service manages the land, and the nearest town is Soledad, about 7 miles away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 70°F with lows near 35°F, and October highs around 79°F. That station sits well below the peak, so temperatures up top run cooler. The South Chalone Peak Trail starts about a mile away, and the Chalone Peak Trail is roughly 2 miles off. Climbers can head to the Sisters and Yaks areas, both about 1.7 miles away.

Forecast on North Chalone 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 North Chalone Peak

How tall is North Chalone Peak?

3,307 ft (1,008 m).

How many routes go to the summit of North Chalone Peak?

2: South Chalone Peak Trail and Chalone Peak Trail.

What is the shortest route up North Chalone Peak?

South Chalone Peak Trail, about 3.2 mi round trip.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in California

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Feb–May. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–79°F and lows of 33–41°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Priest Valley, CA weather station, 33 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.

  1. Jan59° high30° low
  2. Feb60° high33° low
  3. Mar65° high34° low
  4. Apr70° high35° low
  5. May79° high41° low
  6. Jun89° high46° low
  7. Jul96° high51° low
  8. Aug96° high51° low
  9. Sep91° high47° low
  10. Oct79° high39° low
  11. Nov66° high32° low
  12. Dec58° high30° low

The station sits about 1,000 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
Soledad, California · 6.8 mi
Managed by
National Park Service

Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS PAD-US 4.1; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Pinnacles National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: NPS Alerts API

Nearby

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

Is North Chalone Peak open right now?

Alert in the area

The National Park Service lists an alert for Pinnacles National Park.

  • Fire Danger HIGH

    Park alert covering Pinnacles National Park · NPS · Pinnacles National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Pinnacles National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit North Chalone Peak

Best months: October–May. 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

    59° / 30°

    10 wet

  2. Feb

    60° / 33°

    10 wet

  3. Mar

    65° / 34°

    8 wet

  4. Apr

    70° / 35°

    5 wet

  5. May

    79° / 41°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    89° / 46°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    96° / 51°

    0 wet

  8. Aug

    96° / 51°

    0 wet

  9. Sep

    91° / 47°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    79° / 39°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    66° / 32°

    5 wet

  12. Dec

    58° / 30°

    9 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Priest Valley, CA, 33.2 mi away at 2,300 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.