Independence Peak is an 11,742-foot mountain in the northern Sierra Nevada, on the eastern edge of the John Muir Wilderness near Onion Valley and west-southwest of the town of Independence. Although not among the range’s highest summits, it is notable for the dramatic relief of its north side, which rises 3,600 feet above Onion Valley in a single mile, and for runoff that drains into Independence Creek and Owens Valley. The peak is closely associated with mountaineer Norman Clyde, who made the first recorded ascent in 1926 and climbed it repeatedly while serving as principal of Independence High School.