Palisades (California Sierra)

This article is about the group of peaks in the Sierra Nevada. For the mountain range in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, see The Palisades (Napa County). For other uses, see Palisades.

The Palisades
North Palisade from Windy Point (by Ansel Adams, 1936)
Highest point
Peak	North Palisade
Elevation	NAVD 88
Coordinates
Dimensions
Length	North-South
Width	East-West
Geography
Country	United States
State	California
Counties	Fresno and Inyo

File:Palisades north face.jpg

The Palisades' north faces, from Cloudripper, July 2007

North Palisade and Thunderbolt Peak, from the Palisade Glacier

The Palisades (or the Palisade Group) are a group of peaks in the central part of the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California. They are located about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of the town of Big Pine, California. The peaks in the group are particularly steep, rugged peaks and "contain the finest alpine climbing in California." The group makes up about 6 miles (10 km) of the Sierra Crest, which divides the Central Valley watershed from the Owens Valley, and which runs generally northwest to southeast.

Josiah Whitney in his book Geology, Volume 1 writes:

"At the head of the north fork, along the main crest of the Sierra, is a range of peaks, from 13,500 to 14,000 feet high, which we called 'the Palisades.' These were unlike the rest of the crest in outline and color, and were doubtless volcanic; they were very grand and fantastic in shape."

On the northeast side of the group lie the Palisade Glacier and the Middle Palisade Glacier, the largest glaciers in the Sierra Nevada. These glaciers feed Big Pine Creek.

Notable peaks of the group include four independent fourteeners:

• North Palisade, 14,248 ft (4,343 m)
• Mount Sill, 14,159 ft (4,316 m)
• Split Mountain, 14,064 ft (4,287 m)
• Middle Palisade, 14,018 ft (4,273 m)

and the following mountains in addition:

• Mount Agassiz, 13,899 ft (4,236 m), the northwesternmost peak of the group before Bishop Pass.
• Birch Mountain, 13,608 ft (4,148 m), which juts out further towards the Owens Valley than the rest of the group.
• Norman Clyde Peak, 13,861 ft (4,225 m)2731
• Palisade Crest, 13,559 ft (4,133 m)
• Temple Crag, 12,982 ft (3,957 m), known for its many rock climbing routes.
• Mount Winchell, 13,781 ft (4,200 m)

North Palisade has some additional subpeaks over 14,000 feet (4,267 m); see the North Palisade article for those summits.