Castle Peak

this is an amazing hike in the sierras, with pretty decent elevation gain on loose gravel.
come early in the morning for one of many parking spots and bring some bug spray for the 1^st 2 miles since you are in a shaded area with still water.
also recommend bringing hiking poles for the climb down so you are not slipping and sliding everywhere.
the views are phenomenal and you will see through hikers on the PCT, the PCT is easily accessible from this hike.
the hikers are friendly here and at the top of castle peak, there is generally a group that congregates up at the top and socialize and give tips for other hikes in the area.
You should be in decent shape to make it up to the top of castle peak and not be entirely exhausted, but the views are totally worth it.

This is a pretty butt kicking hike! It starts out easy and really picks up in elevation. I actually wish I brought poles because there’s a lot of loose gravel towards the end. When you finally get towards the top, you can hike over to the east turret and it can be easily climbed with tennis shoes. That being said, you need to be in decent shape and not too afraid of heights. Once you get to the top of that turret there is a marker for the peak, be proud! This is NOT a good hike if you are looking for something leisurely. It’s a fairly advanced hike that requires good balance and stamina. It took my boyfriend and I about 5 hours to get to the east turret peak and back (we enjoyed a sandwich somewhere along the way). That being said, anyone can make it into an enjoyable hike. It starts out easy, and increases in difficulty as you progress. So if you find yourself too exhausted to make it allllll the way up top, just enjoy whatever portion of the hike that you wish. There’s many trails shooting off of the main trail to the peak. Have fun!

A moderate hike of 6.5 miles w/​an elevation change of ~1800ft. This hike kicked my butt as I was sore for a few days afterwards! Went in August 2013. Wish I wore some sunscreen because the last part there was no shade and the sun was beating down on us. That didn’t help since it felt like almost a 45 degree climb. Plus there were these really loud bugs that kept jumping across the path. I heard that sometimes there are mosquitoes but I didn’t have any bites this time (and usually they love me). Anyway, tough hike, but I did it so you can too! There was a 60 year old woman doing it too. Heard that it’s much more difficult in the winter. I can only imagine.
HOW TO GET THERE
— Take the Boreal exit
— Go under the freeway and follow the road up to the right to find a place to park (I heard that a snow park permit is required from Nov-​May) (be careful about parking in gravel in the summer months lest you get stuck like I did when you don’t have a 4WD car)
THE HIKE
— The hike started out on a dirt road. It was super flat at first. At one point on the right you can see a valley and in the distance the destination.
— You’ll reach a wooden sign held up by rocks that says Castle Peak and then the climb really starts to get steep (1300′ gain according to one website, mostly in the last 2 miles)
— All worth it when you get to the top and enjoy the views. We saw little chipmunks looking out enjoying the view too!
Would definitely do this hike again. Great workout with rewarding views.