Lyell Canyon is a sub-alpine meadow in

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 ar ...

south of

Tuolumne Meadows Tuolumne Meadows () is a gentle, granitic dome, 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 ter ...

. For 13 kilometers (8 statute miles) most of the canyon has an approximate elevation of 2 700 meters (8,850 feet), and then rapidly climbs to 3 370 meters (11,056 feet) to

Donohue Pass Donohue Pass is a high mountain pass on the boundary between Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Its elevation is . It is situated between Mount Lyell and Donohue Peak. The John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail both t ...

, below Donohue Peak – which marks the eastern boundary of Yosemite. The valley at the base is relatively flat and wide, following the Lyell Fork of the

Tuolumne River The Tuolumne River (Yokutsan: ''Tawalimnu'') flows for through Central California, from the high Sierra Nevada to join the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley. Originating at over above sea level in Yosemite National Park, the Tuolumne ...

through an open meadow and wooded areas. The Lyell Fork eventually meets with

. The canyon as well as Mount Lyell to the west is named after

Charles Lyell Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, (14 November 1797 – 22 February 1875) was a Scottish geologist who demonstrated the power of known natural causes in explaining the earth's history. He is best known as the author of ''Principles of Geolo ...

, a well-known 19th century geologist and friend of

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...

. The canyon is an easy hike from Tuolumne Meadows campground. The

John Muir Trail The John Muir Trail (JMT) (Northern Paiute language, Paiute: Nüümü Poyo, ''N-ue-mue Poh-yo'') is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, passing through Yosemite National Park, Yosemite, ...

and the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

both route through the canyon. The trail is popular for hikers as an easy way to view surrounding mountains, a waterfall and Sierra wildflowers. Lyell Canyon valley floor

External links

Yosemite Hikes

References

Landforms of Yosemite National Park Landforms of Tuolumne County, California Canyons and gorges of the United States {{Yosemite-stub

External links

See also

References