Black Kaweah, Mountain summit in Tulare County, United States

Black Kaweah is a mountain summit in the Sierra Nevada that rises to 4,151 meters (13,615 feet). Its slopes present steep climbs and exposed rock formations that require scrambling and route-finding skills.

Black Kaweah lies on the Kaweah Peaks Ridge in Sequoia National Park, Tulare County, California, and reaches 4,140 metres, about 207 metres above the surrounding terrain. The nearest higher summit, Kaweah Peaks Ridge at 4,205 metres, stands 3.9 kilometres to the northwest. The climate is cold and snowy, with July temperatures averaging 5 °C.

The name Black Kaweah comes from the peak's dark rock, which contrasts with the lighter granite of the surrounding Kaweah Peaks Ridge. Compasses near the summit can vary by up to eight degrees because of a local magnetic disturbance, a detail noted by early surveyors and still checked by climbers today.

The approach takes around 15 kilometers from the nearest trailhead and demands good physical conditioning. Plan your climb for July through September when weather patterns are most favorable and snow coverage is minimal.

Black Kaweah's local magnetic disturbance makes compasses in the vicinity vary by up to eight degrees, so bearings taken near the summit can be off. Fulgurites, glassy tubes fused when lightning strikes rock, have been found on the peak.