Paloni Mountain Hike Near Fish Camp, CA

About

Paloni Mountain is a forested summit in the Sierra National Forest, in the hills south of Yosemite's Wawona and Fish Camp corridor, rising to roughly 3,271 feet. It isn't one of the park's marquee names — there's no visitor center, no interpretive signage, and no maintained trail listed by a land agency — but hiking-community sources like Peakery, AllTrails, and Komoot confirm it as a real, walked destination for people willing to do some route-finding on national forest land.

What to Expect

Paloni Mountain sits on U.S. Forest Service land rather than inside the national park boundary, so don't expect an NPS-style trailhead or a paved pullout. Trip reports describe reaching the summit via a mix of old forest roads and use trails through mixed-conifer forest, climbing to a wooded overlook above the surrounding Sierra National Forest canyons. A topo map or GPS track is more useful here than turn-by-turn directions — this is a route for hikers comfortable navigating without signage, not a casual stroll from a marked lot.

Good to Know

Elevation: approximately 3,271 feet
Land manager: Sierra National Forest, not Yosemite National Park
Trail status: unmaintained route/use-trail, no official trailhead
Best for: experienced hikers comfortable with route-finding

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Paloni Mountain inside Yosemite National Park?

No. It sits on Sierra National Forest land south of the park, in the hills near the Fish Camp and Wawona corridor, so park entrance fees and NPS trail rules don't apply here.

Is there a marked trailhead for Paloni Mountain?

Not an official one. Hiking-community trip reports describe reaching the summit via forest roads and use trails rather than a signed trailhead, so a topo map or GPS track is more useful than driving directions.

How difficult is the hike?

There's no official difficulty rating from a land-management agency. Community trip reports treat it as a route for hikers comfortable navigating unmarked terrain rather than a beginner-friendly maintained trail.