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Mt Lyell is the highest mountain in Yosemite (3997m), followed by
Mt Dana (3979m).
Directions: Take the I-580 EAST towards (I-880)/STOCKTON Merge onto I-580 E. 47.1 km Take I-205 E towards TRACY/STOCKTON. 1.6 km Merge onto I-205 E. 20.2 km Take the I-5 NORTH exit. 1.5 km Merge onto I-5 N. 2.0 km Take CA-120 RAMP towards MANTECA/SONORA. 0.4 km Merge onto CA-120 E. 9.5 km Take the CA-99 NORTH/CA-120 EAST exit on the left. 1.3 km Merge onto CA-120 E. 1.4 km Take the CA-120 EAST/YOSEMITE AVE exit towards SONORA. 0.3 km Turn RIGHT onto CA-120. After climbing the mountains, you will pass the ranger station and begin descending into Yosemite Valley. Pay attention to the sign 120 East. Turn left at that sign. Continue till Tioga Pass. The parking lot is on the left-hand side of the road. CampingYour best bet is the campground near Mono Lake.Trail descriptionThe trailhead is on the east side of Tioga Pass (right by the toll entrance station) at 3,033m of altitude. The total hike is 9.3 kms roundtrip. The trail is not exciting at all. The first hour and a half is a steep approach to a plateau. From the plateau to the top it is an even steeper scramble on rocks. There are several use trails that climb up the northern face of Mt Dana, but most hikers prefer to hike the ridge to the east, in order to have views of Mono Lake and their little lakes. If you follow this route, it is going to take you about 45 minutes to reach the ridge, and then one hour to the to the top (the trail you make is the trail you take). The whole hike takes about three hours plus stops. The reward for this rather dull hike is a magnificent view of the lakes. Coming down takes about 2.5 hours. So the roundtrip hike takes about five/six hours. For the record...Check how this mountain compares with other mountains |