Knowledge

Cone Peak

Source 📝

264: 127: 120: 29: 231: 219:. It rises nearly a vertical mile only 3 miles (4.8 km) from the coast as the crow flies. This is one of the steepest gradients from ocean to summit in the contiguous United States. The average gradient from sea level to summit is around 33%, which is steeper than the average gradient from Owens Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney. Near the mountain summit, the oak woodland and chaparral transitions to a pine forest with a few rare 255:
built in 1923. The original 13 by 13 feet (4.0 by 4.0 m) wooden-sided ground-level cab house was built on a rock foundation. It originally had a hipped "dunce cap" roof, and was called a "California Lookout" design. The building was hauled in pieces by mules up the steep and narrow 2 miles
246:
destination. From that point the summit is 2.25 miles (3.62 km) hike along the Cone Peak Trail (4E12). There are two trails from the coast to the summit of Cone Peak: via the Stone Ridge/Gamboa Trail or the Vicente Flat Trail.
275:
helicopter. The wood siding was replaced with metal which protected the structure from fire and vandalism. The lookout was last staffed in 1990. As of 2018, the building houses
690: 76: 242:
and then turning north 6 miles (9.7 km) on Forest Route 22S05. The very rough Coast Ridge Road rises to 3,800 feet (1,200 m). The peak is a popular
282:
The lookout atop Cone Peak was one of six active fire lookouts in the Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest. The others were located on
680: 449: 309:), one of the rarest and most endemic fir in North America, and according to some, the world. Cone Peak was visited by notable botanists 695: 391: 543: 482: 512: 414: 51: 382: 119: 387: 291: 377: 705: 569: 334: 69: 139: 271:
In 1959. the U.S. Forest Service replaced the hipped roof with a flat roof that could be used to land a
685: 216: 239: 310: 257: 441: 59: 166: 318: 8: 287: 283: 224: 263: 212: 299: 208: 535: 504: 474: 700: 620: 595: 305: 272: 220: 173: 641: 353: 314: 279:
equipment and cannot be easily reactivated for use as a fire tower once again.
276: 159: 674: 147: 91: 78: 322: 252: 191: 230: 227:
at 5,865 feet (1,788 m) is the highest peak in the coastal region.
28: 659: 303:) forest along with many colonies of Santa Lucia fir (Bristlecone fir, 143: 256:(3.2 km) trail. During World War II, it was the site of an 243: 44: 178: 267:
Cone Peak (center) is visible from the Vicente Flat Trail
475:"Cone Peak Lookout | National Historic Lookout Register" 570:"Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station" 505:"DCQ Winter Solstice '98 - Ventana Double Cone Lookout" 297:
The mountain slopes contain an old-growth Sugar pine (
691:
Monterey Ranger District, Los Padres National Forest
251:The peak is topped by the decommissioned Cone Peak 672: 621:"Abies bracteata (bristlecone fir) description" 33:Decommissioned forest fire lookout on Cone Peak 567: 568:Griffin, James R.; Critchfield, William B. 234:Arthur Stone at the Cone Peak Lookout, 1928 540:Double Cone Quarterly, Volume IV, Number 3 563: 561: 469: 467: 409: 407: 681:Mountains of Monterey County, California 613: 392:United States Department of the Interior 262: 229: 415:"Cone Peak "Sea to Sky" – Vicente Flat" 673: 558: 464: 404: 238:The peak is accessible by driving the 207:is the second highest mountain in the 546:from the original on January 24, 2010 452:from the original on 23 February 2019 16:Mountain in California, United States 533: 439: 527: 383:Geographic Names Information System 370: 13: 593: 515:from the original on 20 April 2016 497: 440:Hext, Rebecca (12 November 2016). 14: 717: 634: 485:from the original on 2 March 2020 346: 126: 696:Mountains of Northern California 125: 118: 27: 442:"Conquering Cone Peak, Big Sur" 388:United States Geological Survey 587: 575:. United States Forest Service 433: 1: 340: 536:"The Story of Comings Cabin" 335:Mountain peaks of California 49:5,155 ft (1,571 m) 7: 328: 10: 722: 217:Los Padres National Forest 92:36.0520218°N 121.4962059°W 64:2,915 ft (888 m) 240:Nacimiento-Fergusson Road 190: 185: 172: 158: 112: 107: 68: 58: 43: 38: 26: 21: 290:, Junipero Serra Peak, 258:Aircraft Warning Service 97:36.0520218; -121.4962059 642:"Cone Peak, California" 534:Wood, Lea (Fall 2001). 354:"Cone Peak, California" 321:in September 1847, and 268: 235: 600:www.stevenkharper.com 378:"Ventana Double Cone" 266: 233: 167:Santa Lucia Mountains 319:Karl Theodor Hartweg 706:Fire lookout towers 509:www.ventanawild.org 419:CascadeClimbers.com 294:, and Three Peaks. 288:Ventana Double Cone 225:Junipero Serra Peak 198:Road and trail hike 88: /  269: 260:observation post. 236: 213:Ventana Wilderness 52: NAVD 88 39:Highest point 686:Santa Lucia Range 596:"Santa Lucia Fir" 421:. 13 January 2010 317:in 1832 or 1833, 300:Pinus lambertiana 209:Santa Lucia Range 202: 201: 54: 713: 667: 655: 653: 652: 629: 628: 625:www.conifers.org 617: 611: 610: 608: 606: 591: 585: 584: 582: 580: 574: 565: 556: 555: 553: 551: 531: 525: 524: 522: 520: 501: 495: 494: 492: 490: 471: 462: 461: 459: 457: 437: 431: 430: 428: 426: 411: 402: 401: 399: 398: 374: 368: 367: 365: 364: 350: 221:Santa Lucia Firs 194: 162: 129: 128: 122: 103: 102: 100: 99: 98: 93: 89: 86: 85: 84: 81: 50: 31: 19: 18: 721: 720: 716: 715: 714: 712: 711: 710: 671: 670: 658: 650: 648: 640: 637: 632: 619: 618: 614: 604: 602: 594:Harper, Steve. 592: 588: 578: 576: 572: 566: 559: 549: 547: 532: 528: 518: 516: 503: 502: 498: 488: 486: 473: 472: 465: 455: 453: 438: 434: 424: 422: 413: 412: 405: 396: 394: 376: 375: 371: 362: 360: 352: 351: 347: 343: 331: 313:in March 1831, 306:Abies bracteata 250: 192: 160: 154: 153: 152: 151: 150: 140:Monterey County 137: 136: 135: 134: 130: 96: 94: 90: 87: 82: 79: 77: 75: 74: 34: 17: 12: 11: 5: 719: 709: 708: 703: 698: 693: 688: 683: 669: 668: 664:SummitPost.org 656: 646:Peakbagger.com 636: 635:External links 633: 631: 630: 612: 586: 557: 526: 496: 463: 432: 403: 369: 358:Peakbagger.com 344: 342: 339: 338: 337: 330: 327: 315:Thomas Coulter 277:radio repeater 200: 199: 196: 188: 187: 183: 182: 176: 170: 169: 164: 156: 155: 138: 132: 131: 124: 123: 117: 116: 115: 114: 113: 110: 109: 105: 104: 72: 66: 65: 62: 56: 55: 47: 41: 40: 36: 35: 32: 24: 23: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 718: 707: 704: 702: 699: 697: 694: 692: 689: 687: 684: 682: 679: 678: 676: 665: 661: 657: 647: 643: 639: 638: 626: 622: 616: 601: 597: 590: 571: 564: 562: 545: 541: 537: 530: 514: 510: 506: 500: 484: 480: 476: 470: 468: 451: 447: 443: 436: 420: 416: 410: 408: 393: 389: 385: 384: 379: 373: 359: 355: 349: 345: 336: 333: 332: 326: 324: 320: 316: 312: 311:David Douglas 308: 307: 302: 301: 295: 293: 289: 285: 280: 278: 274: 265: 261: 259: 254: 248: 245: 241: 232: 228: 226: 222: 218: 214: 210: 206: 197: 195: 193:Easiest route 189: 184: 180: 177: 175: 171: 168: 165: 163: 157: 149: 145: 141: 121: 111: 106: 101: 73: 71: 67: 63: 61: 57: 53: 48: 46: 42: 37: 30: 25: 20: 663: 649:. Retrieved 645: 624: 615: 603:. Retrieved 599: 589: 577:. Retrieved 550:November 15, 548:. Retrieved 539: 529: 517:. Retrieved 508: 499: 487:. Retrieved 478: 454:. Retrieved 445: 435: 423:. Retrieved 418: 395:. Retrieved 381: 372: 361:. Retrieved 357: 348: 323:William Lobb 304: 298: 296: 281: 270: 249: 237: 204: 203: 161:Parent range 660:"Cone Peak" 605:20 November 292:Pinyon Peak 284:Chews Ridge 95: / 83:121°29′46″W 70:Coordinates 675:Categories 651:2020-06-17 397:2023-11-17 363:2020-06-16 341:References 144:California 80:36°03′07″N 60:Prominence 579:7 October 325:in 1849. 205:Cone Peak 181:Cone Peak 133:Cone Peak 108:Geography 45:Elevation 22:Cone Peak 544:Archived 519:21 April 513:Archived 489:21 April 483:Archived 479:nhlr.org 456:20 April 450:Archived 425:20 April 329:See also 186:Climbing 174:Topo map 701:Big Sur 446:BayArea 273:Bell-47 253:Lookout 215:of the 211:in the 244:hiking 573:(PDF) 607:2018 581:2018 552:2009 521:2020 491:2020 458:2020 427:2020 179:USGS 148:U.S. 677:: 662:. 644:. 623:. 598:. 560:^ 542:. 538:. 511:. 507:. 481:. 477:. 466:^ 448:. 444:. 417:. 406:^ 390:, 386:. 380:. 356:. 286:, 223:. 146:, 142:, 666:. 654:. 627:. 609:. 583:. 554:. 523:. 493:. 460:. 429:. 400:. 366:.

Index


Elevation
 NAVD 88
Prominence
Coordinates
36°03′07″N 121°29′46″W / 36.0520218°N 121.4962059°W / 36.0520218; -121.4962059
Cone Peak is located in California
Monterey County
California
U.S.
Parent range
Santa Lucia Mountains
Topo map
USGS
Easiest route
Santa Lucia Range
Ventana Wilderness
Los Padres National Forest
Santa Lucia Firs
Junipero Serra Peak

Nacimiento-Fergusson Road
hiking
Lookout
Aircraft Warning Service

Bell-47
radio repeater
Chews Ridge
Ventana Double Cone

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.