Location: Kern County, California
Named, according to Phil Townsend Hanna, because it was once in the territory of the Southern Piute (Chemehuevi) Indians. Another Piute Peak (8417′) and the Piute Mines (both spelled “Pah-ute”) are cited on Wheeler Survey Atlas Sheet 73 (1871).
Piute is an often used place name in California and is indiscriminately used for almost any spot where Indians from the Mojave were known (or believed) to have hunted or traded. Archaic spelling is “pahute”. American Institute of Ethnology prefers paiute.
The USFS constructed one of the very first fire lookouts here consisting of a tree house with map-board stand (1921).
The HPS Mountain Records Committee omits “peak” from this summit name for unknown reasons. This peak name appeared on Forest Service maps from 1927 to 1940 but it does not currently appear on any map.
Name (Piute Peak) first appears on USFS Sequoia National Forest (south half) map (1927).
Peak was added to the HPS Peak List in 1969.
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