Mountain · 3 routes

North Mountain

5,758 ft · California

Summit
5,758 ft
Routes
3 ways up
Season
Year-round

Routes up North Mountain

  1. North Mountain LookoutModerateabout 2,557 ft of climbing5.3 mi round tripSee the route
  2. North Mountain Lookout TrailHardabout 1,964 ft of climbing14.4 mi round tripSee the route
  3. Yosemite BorderModerateabout 534 ft of climbing3.3 mi round tripSee the route
Compare the routes
North Mountain LookoutNorth Mountain Lookout TrailYosemite Border
ClimbingAbout 2,557 ftAbout 1,964 ftAbout 534 ft
Round trip5.3 mi14.4 mi3.3 mi
DifficultyModerateHardModerate
TerrainHikeHikeHike
SeasonYear-round—Year-round
Map of the 3 routes up North Mountain, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
North Mountain LookoutNorth Mountain Lookout TrailYosemite BorderMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About North Mountain

North Mountain is a summit of 5,758 feet in the Groveland Ranger District of Stanislaus National Forest in California, about 12 miles from the community of Buck Meadows. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the Cherry Valley Dam weather station, about 5 miles away, show May highs near 70°F and October highs near 70°F, while July and August average highs around 89°F. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet below the summit, so temperatures up top run cooler. The Yosemite Border hike starts less than a mile away, and the North Mountain Lookout hike is about 2 miles off. For an overnight base, Dimond "O" campground is about 3 miles away, and the Middle Tuolumne River offers canoeing at a similar distance.

Forecast on North Mountain

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 Mountain

How tall is North Mountain?

5,758 ft (1,755 m).

How many routes go to the summit of North Mountain?

3: North Mountain Lookout, North Mountain Lookout Trail and Yosemite Border.

What is the shortest route up North Mountain?

Yosemite Border, about 3.3 mi round trip.

When is the best time to climb North Mountain?

Year-round.

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 61–80°F and lows of 37–51°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Cherry Valley Dam, CA weather station, 5.1 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.

  1. Jan49° high31° low5 days with snow
  2. Feb51° high31° low5 days with snow
  3. Mar55° high33° low5 days with snow
  4. Apr61° high37° low2 days with snow
  5. May70° high44° low1 days with snow
  6. Jun80° high51° low
  7. Jul89° high58° low
  8. Aug89° high57° low
  9. Sep82° high53° low
  10. Oct70° high44° low
  11. Nov57° high36° low2 days with snow
  12. Dec49° high31° low4 days with snow

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

Where it is

Nearest town
Buck Meadows, California · 12 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

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

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

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

Is North Mountain open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Stanislaus National Forest. It doesn't name North Mountain, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

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

Best time to visit North Mountain

Best months: May–June and September–October. 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

    49° / 31°

    10 wet · 5 snow

  2. Feb

    51° / 31°

    10 wet · 5 snow

  3. Mar

    55° / 33°

    10 wet · 5 snow

  4. Apr

    61° / 37°

    8 wet · 2 snow

  5. May

    70° / 44°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  6. Jun

    80° / 51°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    89° / 58°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    89° / 57°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    82° / 53°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    70° / 44°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    57° / 36°

    7 wet · 2 snow

  12. Dec

    49° / 31°

    9 wet · 4 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cherry Valley Dam, CA, 5.1 mi away at 4,765 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.