Junipero Serra Peak

Junipero Serra Peak is the highest point in Monterey County, rising above the Santa Lucia Range. The mountain is covered with chaparral shrubs and pine forests that extend all the way to its summit.

The mountain was formerly known as Santa Lucia Peak until it was renamed in 1906 by the United States Board on Geographic Names. The change followed a recommendation from the Sierra Club, which sought to link it with a historical religious figure.

The Salinan people held deep ties to this mountain as part of their ancestral lands in the region. Spanish missionaries who arrived later introduced new names tied to religious figures throughout the area.

The hike is demanding and requires sturdy boots, plenty of water, and long sleeves for protection against poison oak. Start early to give yourself enough daylight for both the climb and the return journey.

In the 1880s, astronomers built a trail to the summit to observe a total solar eclipse. A few years later, the same group returned to study Venus as it passed in front of the sun.