Granite Chief, Mountain summit in Placer County, California.

Granite Chief is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe, rising to 9,010 feet (2,746 m). Its summit is the highest point in the Granite Chief Wilderness and marks the northwestern boundary of Palisades Tahoe. The mountain receives consistent heavy snowfall during winter months.

The peak was recognized as the highest point in Placer County until 2008, when surveyors discovered a previously unidentified elevation point that surpassed it. This revision altered the geographic understanding of the region's topography.

The summit marks the northwestern boundary of Palisades Tahoe, the ski area that hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics at Olympic Valley. Skiers and riders pass below the peak on the resort's slopes, and the name Olympic Valley itself comes from those Games.

The summit lies at the northwestern boundary of Palisades Tahoe, within the Granite Chief Wilderness. The mountain receives consistent heavy snowfall in winter, so the climbing season runs from summer into early autumn. Approach from the Olympic Valley side, where the terrain below the summit is mixed forest and granite.

The peak displays pale granite formations that stand in sharp contrast to the darker volcanic rocks of surrounding summits, creating a visual distinction across the range. This geological difference becomes apparent as hikers approach the summit.