Ventana Double Cone

Ventana Double Cone
Ventana Double Cone is located in California
Ventana Double Cone
Ventana Double Cone
Highest point
Elevation4,856 ft (1,480 m) NAVD 88[1]
Coordinates36°17′49″N 121°42′53″W / 36.2969069°N 121.7146723°W / 36.2969069; -121.7146723[2]
Geography
LocationMonterey County, California, U.S.
Parent rangeSanta Lucia Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Ventana Cones
Climbing
Easiest routeTrail hike

The Ventana Double Cone at 4,856 feet (1,480 m) is one of the tallest peaks in the Ventana Wilderness within the Monterey Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest in Central California. The summit is a difficult 14.7 miles (23.7 km) hike from the nearest trail head, making it one of the more distant locations in the wilderness. The last 4 miles (6.4 km) portion of the trail from Little Pines to the summit is not well used and often overgrown with chaparral. There are a few Santa Lucia Firs near the summit.[3]

There is a metal ammo box containing a summit register under some rocks at the peak. The peak is at the center of three watersheds: the Big Sur River watershed to the south, the Little Sur River watershed to the west and north west, and the Carmel River watershed to the east and south east. The largely inaccessible Ventana Cone is a few miles to the southeast. The view from the Ventana Double Cone is notable, enabling individuals to view the Pacific Ocean to the west and Chew's Ridge 30 miles inland.[4] The summit is often covered in fog during summer months and hikers need to arrive at the peak in the morning to maximize chances of a clear view.

  1. ^ "Ventana Double Cone, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  2. ^ "Ventana Double Cone". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  3. ^ Henson, Paul; Usner, Donald J. (1996). The Natural History of Big Sur. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20510-9.
  4. ^ "Ventana Double Cone with David mon". Wild Ventana. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.