The Palisades
North Palisade from Windy Point (byAnsel Adams, 1936)
Highest point
Peak	North Palisade
Elevation	14,248 ft (4,343 m) NAVD 88[1]
Coordinates	37°05′39″N118°30′52″W / 37.094260386°N 118.514455033°W /37.094260386; -118.514455033[2]
Dimensions
Length	30 mi (48 km) North-South
Width	21 mi (34 km) East-West
Geography
The Palisades
Country	United States
State	California
Counties	Fresno andInyo

ThePalisades (or thePalisade Group) are a group of peaks in the central part of theSierra Nevada in theU.S. state ofCalifornia. They are located about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of the town ofBig Pine, California. The peaks in the group are particularly steep, rugged peaks and "contain the finestalpine climbing in California."^[3] The group makes up about 6 miles (10 km) of the Sierra Crest, which divides theCentral Valley watershed from theOwens Valley, and which runs generally northwest to southeast.

Josiah Whitney in his bookGeology, 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."^[4]

Although referred to by early geologists as "volcanic", the Palisades are a dark granitic rock. On the northeast side of the group lie thePalisade Glacier and theMiddle Palisade Glacier, the largestglaciers in the Sierra Nevada. These glaciers feedBig Pine Creek.

Notable peaks of the group include four independent^[5]fourteeners:

• North Palisade, 14,248 ft (4,343 m)^[1]
• Mount Sill, 14,159 ft (4,316 m)^[6]
• Split Mountain, 14,064 ft (4,287 m)^[7]
• Middle Palisade, 14,018 ft (4,273 m)^[8]

and the following mountains in addition:

• Mount Agassiz, 13,899 ft (4,236 m),^[9] the northwesternmost peak of the group before Bishop Pass.
• Birch Mountain, 13,608 ft (4,148 m),^[10] which juts out further towards the Owens Valley than the rest of the group.
• Norman Clyde Peak, 13,861 ft (4,225 m)^[11]
• Palisade Crest, 13,559 ft (4,133 m)^[12]
• Mount Gayley, 13,510 ft (4,118 m)^[13]
• Temple Crag, 12,982 ft (3,957 m),^[14] known for its manyrock climbing routes.
• Mount Winchell, 13,781 ft (4,200 m)^[15]
• The Thumb, 13,356 ft (4,071 m),^[16] also known as "East Palisade."

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

• Media related toPalisades (California Sierra) at Wikimedia Commons
• "Palisades".SummitPost.org.

• Climbing areas of California
• Mountains of Kings Canyon National Park
• Mountains of Fresno County, California
• Mountains of Inyo County, California
• Four-thousanders of the United States

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