| Castle Peak | |
| Elevation Ft: | 9109 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 1343 |
| Prominence Ref: | [2] |
| Listing: | Sierra Peaks Section[3] |
| Map: | California#USA |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Label Position: | right |
| Location: | Nevada County, California, U.S. |
| Range: | Sierra Nevada |
| Coordinates: | 39.3655°N -120.3492°W |
| Topo: | USGS Norden |
| Easiest Route: | Exposed scramble |
Castle Peak is a mountain in California's Sierra Nevada near I-80, Donner Pass, and the Nevada border. It is in the Tahoe National Forest[2] not far off the Pacific Crest Trail, and adjacent to Castle Pass. It was originally named Mount Stanford by the Whitney Survey of 1860–1874.
Castle Peak takes its name from its conical shape.[4]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Castle Peak is located in an alpine climate zone.[5] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range. Donner Pass averages 51.6inches of precipitation per year,[6] and with an average of 411.5inches of snow per year, it is one of the snowiest places in the contiguous United States.[7]