Sierra Buttes is an 8,591-foot peak in the Sierra Nevada north of Sierra City, within Tahoe National Forest and the North Yuba River watershed. The third-highest point in Sierra County, it rises sharply above the Yuba-Donner Scenic Byway and is visible far into the Sacramento Valley. Its name has been documented since at least 1896 and was later officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. A fire lookout built in 1915 crowns the summit, with public access improved in 1964. Known today for hiking and climbing, the mountain also reflects deep geologic origins and Gold Rush-era mining, including a 106-pound nugget found nearby in 1869.