Round Top seen from the Pacific Crest Trail near Frog Lake, Alpine County, California (June 29, 2014)
Round Top (10,381 ft.) is a craggy
mountain of volcanic origin. It is a relic from the time
that began about thirty million years, when volcanoes erupted
in this area—in what is now the
Mokelumne Widerness within the
Eldorado National Forest.
Round Top is surrounded by many other Central Sierran features
of geological interest as well as by scenic lakes including its
namesake Round Top Lake,
Winnemucca Lake and
Woods Lake. This is a popular summer
hiking area, just south of the
Carson Pass on Highway 88.
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) passes by
to the east of the Round Top massif. The hiking trail that
branches off the PCT near Frog Lake and continues on to Winnemucca Lake,
Round Top Lake and Fourth of July Lake offers various views of the peak and fractures of the Round Top mountain area.
