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Mount Lyell

Mount Lyell rises to 3,993 m in California. Mount Ritter stands 4,007 m to the southeast, 5.3 miles off. The nearest named place is Mount Maclure, a peak 0.6 miles away. Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road passes 9.6 miles off.

The story

Mount Lyell is the highest point in Yosemite National Park, at 13,114 feet (3,997 m). It is located at the southeast end of the Cathedral Range, 1+1⁄4 miles (2 kilometers) northwest of Rodgers Peak. The peak as well as nearby Lyell Canyon is named after Charles Lyell, a well-known 19th century geologist. The peak had one of the last remaining glaciers in Yosemite, Lyell Glacier. The Lyell Glacier is currently considered to be a permanent ice field, not a living glacier. Mount Lyell divides the Tuolumne River watershed to the north, the Merced to the west, and the Rush Creek drainage in the Mono Lake Basin to the southeast.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q2753855, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What the record says

Elevation
3,993 m

How to reach it

Coordinates37.73942, -119.27161

Named places within 25 miles

Peaks
Waterfalls: 43
  • Florence Falls: 4.6 mi
  • Horsetail Falls: 8.0 mi
  • Bunnell Cascade: 10.9 mi
  • Cascade Fall: 11.4 mi
  • Tenaya Creek Waterslide: 11.7 mi
Historic sites: 21
  • Ghost Cabin: 8.6 mi
  • Chetwood Cabin: 9.7 mi
  • Soda Springs Cabin: 10.9 mi
  • Legend of June Lake Slot Machines: 12.1 mi
  • California Historic Civil Engineering Landmark: 14.2 mi
Springs: 18
Cliffs: 16
Parks: 9
Museums: 9
Attractions: 8
  • Perched Boulder: 11.3 mi
  • Devils Postpile: 12.9 mi
  • Indian Arch: 15.6 mi
  • Upside-Down House: 17.3 mi
  • South Tufa Area: 19.4 mi
Picnic sites: 7
Beaches: 4
Hot springs: 4
  • free natural hot pool: 13.7 mi
  • Iva Bell Hot Springs: 19.7 mi
  • Little Creek Hot Springs: 23.7 mi
  • Hot Creek Geological Site: 24.8 mi
Ghost towns: 2
Nature reserves: 1
Rest areas: 1
Natural arches: 1
  • Arch Rock: 20.4 mi

Other summits around it

The highest named summits within 9.2 miles of Mount Lyell. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount RitterSE4,007 m5.3 mi
Kuna PeakNE3,958 m6.2 mi
Rodgers PeakSE3,956 m1.3 mi
Koip PeakNE3,954 m6.4 mi
Banner PeakSE3,940 m5.1 mi
Mount MaclureWNW3,933 m0.6 mi
Parker PeakNE3,919 m7.0 mi
Blacktop PeakNE3,881 m5.6 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:0118:3519:09
June solstice05:3619:4420:23
September equinox06:4618:2118:56
December solstice07:1016:0116:42

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Jul–Aug.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F272529344049555349423326
Precip in6.24.04.22.01.70.60.50.50.51.73.14.5

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Tuolumne Meadows RS, 10 mi away.

Inside the official boundary of Yosemite National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Aug.

NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/358798681

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