Sawtooth Peak, Mountain summit in Tulare County, California.
Sawtooth Peak is a mountain summit in the Sierra Nevada, located within Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, California. The peak has steep granite faces and jagged ridgelines that make it easily recognizable from the valley floor below.
The peak was first recorded in 1871 when Joseph Lovelace reached the top during a hunting expedition. After that, the surrounding valley drew prospectors looking for silver and mercury, turning it into a busy mining area for several decades.
The peak rises above Mineral King Valley, a remote area now part of Sequoia National Park and reached only by a winding mountain road. Hikers who visit the valley today find a landscape that has changed little since the end of mining activity there.
The climb to Sawtooth Peak is demanding and best suited to hikers with experience on rocky, exposed terrain. Those arriving from lower elevations should allow a day or two to adjust to the altitude before setting out.
The name of the peak comes directly from its silhouette: the jagged ridgeline resembles the teeth of a saw when seen from a distance, setting it apart from neighboring summits. This shape is the result of glacial erosion that carved the rock over a very long period.
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