Goat Mountain

Goat Mountain rises above Bass Lake in the Sierra National Forest just outside Oakhurst, and it's one of the area's best options for hikers who want real elevation gain without driving into Yosemite itself. The trail climbs through mixed conifer forest toward a summit that's still marked by a fire lookout tower from the 1930s, with Bass Lake and the high country opening up in glimpses along the way.

Route Options

Length depends on where you start. AllTrails lists a full out-and-back of roughly 9.9 miles with a moderately challenging rating and an average hiking time near 4.5 hours, plus a shorter 6.7-mile version with about 1,105 feet of elevation gain that takes closer to 3 hours. Hikers looking for a one-way trip can also link the Spring Cove trailhead near Bass Lake to an exit on Road 223, a point-to-point route of about 5.2 miles that climbs from roughly 3,388 to 4,967 feet — it requires staging a second vehicle at the far end. The trail also sees regular mountain-bike traffic; Trailforks rates a connecting loop here as blue/intermediate.

The Lookout at the Top

The payoff is the Goat Mountain Lookout, sitting near 4,634 feet. The original cabin here blew down in the winter of 1915-16; it was rebuilt in 1934 and topped with a steel tower in 1935 after wind damage. The lookout hasn't been staffed for fire detection in decades — today the summit carries radio relay equipment instead — but its history earned it a spot on the National Historic Lookout Register. Views open up at points along the climb toward Bass Lake and the Sierra crest; expect some downed timber and brush on less-maintained stretches, and carry all the water you'll need since there's none on the mountain.