Mammoth Peak is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

in the area of

Tuolumne Meadows Tuolumne Meadows () is a gentle, dome-studded, sub-alpine meadow area along the Tuolumne River in the eastern section of Yosemite National Park in the United States. Its approximate location is . Its approximate elevation is . The term ''Tuolumne Me ...

Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The summit is a class 1-2 cross-country hike that features river crossings and boulder scrambling. The peak lies at the northern end of the Kuna Crest and is close to

California State Route 120 State Route 120 (SR 120) is a state highway in the central part of California, connecting the San Joaquin Valley with the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite National Park, and the Mono Lake area. Its western terminus is at Interstate 5 in Lathrop, and its ...

. From the road, its summit appears rounded and quite rocky. Though Mammoth Peak is not as popular as other nearby peaks, its relatively easily accessed summit affords tremendous

views A view is a sight or prospect or the ability to see or be seen from a particular place. View, views or Views may also refer to: Common meanings * View (Buddhism), a charged interpretation of experience which intensely shapes and affects thou ...

Mount Gibbs Mount Gibbs is located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California, south of Mount Dana. The mountain was named in honor of Oliver Gibbs, a professor at Harvard University and friend of Josiah Whitney. The summit marks the boundary ...

Mount Dana Mount Dana is a mountain in the U.S. state of California. Its summit marks the eastern boundary of Yosemite National Park and the western boundary of the Ansel Adams Wilderness. At an elevation of , it is the second highest mountain in Yosemit ...

, and Mount Lewis.

The proximity of Mammoth Peak

All of the following are at least close to Mammoth Peak: *

Cockscomb A comb is a fleshy growth or crest on the top of the head of some gallinaceous birds, such as domestic chickens. The alternative name cockscomb (with several spelling variations) reflects the fact that combs are generally larger on cock birds t ...

, a mountain * Johnson Peak, a mountain * Kuna Crest, a ridge, consisting of Kuna Crest South and Kuna Crest North *

Kuna Peak Kuna Peak is a summit on the boundary between Mono and Tuolumne counties, in the United States, is the highest point on Kuna Crest. With an elevation of , Kuna Peak is the 146th-highest summit in the state of California, and is the third-high ...

, a mountain * Lembert Dome, a

granite dome Granite domes are domical hills composed of granite with bare rock exposed over most of the surface. Generally, domical features such as these are known as bornhardts. Bornhardts can form in any type of plutonic rock but are typically composed o ...

, a mountain *

, a mountain * Mount Lewis, a mountain Last Light on Mammoth Peak

Geology of the Mammoth Peak area

Mammoth Peak is of a sheeted intrusive complex, formed in the interior of a to deep

magma chamber A magma chamber is a large pool of liquid rock beneath the surface of the Earth. The molten rock, or magma, in such a chamber is less dense than the surrounding country rock, which produces buoyant forces on the magma that tend to drive it up ...

, made of

Half Dome granodiorite Half Dome Granodiorite is granodiorite (see also granite) found in a region on and near Half Dome, in Yosemite National Park, California, United States. The granodiorite forms part of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite (aka Tuolumne Batholith), one o ...

of the Tuolumne batholith. Tuolumne batholith (also, the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite) dates to

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', ...

(~95 to ~85) Ma.

References

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External links

Peakbagger on Mammoth Peak

One YouTube, Kuna Crest: Mammoth Peak Saddle (Yosemite)

Another YouTube, Mammoth Peak Yosemite National Park

Another YouTube, Windy summit, Mammoth Peak, Yosemite National Park
Mountains of Yosemite National Park