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 higher t ...

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 ''Tuolumn ...

Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park ( ) is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The p ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

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 Kuna Crest is a mountain range near Tuolumne Meadows, in Yosemite National Park, California. Name The word ''Kuna'' probably derives from a Shoshonean language, Shoshonean word meaning "fire," which appears in the Mono language (California), Mo ...

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. It runs between Interstate 5 in California, Interstate 5 in L ...

. 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 of

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 Yosemite ...

, 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 Johnson Peak is the highest mountain, in Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park. Johnson Peak is made of eroded granite. At 85 Year#SI_prefix_multipliers, Ma, the Johnson Granite Porphyry is the youngest granite rock in the Yosemite Nationa ...

, a mountain *

, a

ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

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

Lembert Dome Lembert Dome is a granite dome rock formation in Yosemite National Park in the US state of California. The dome soars above Tuolumne Meadows and the Tuolumne River and can be hiked starting at the Tioga Road in the heart of Tuolumne Meadows, ...

, 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 ...

, 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 u ...

, 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 of ...

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

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent 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 ''cre ...

(~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