Clark Range (California)

For mountains of the same name in the Mojave Desert, see Clark Mountain Range.

The Clark Range is a subrange of California's Sierra Nevada in Yosemite National Park.^[1] Initially, the range was known as the "Merced Group" in early writings of Yosemite from Josiah Whitney and John Muir.^[2][3]

Clark Range
The range from the west, January 2008. Prominent peaks, from left to right, are Mount Clark, Gray Peak, and Red Peak; the bump on Clark's left side is Quartzite Peak.
Highest point
Peak	Merced Peak
Elevation	11,726 ft (3,574 m)
Coordinates	37°43′0″N 119°22′12″W
Geography
Country	United States
State	California
Range coordinates	37°40.5′N 119°24′W
Parent range	Sierra Nevada
Geology
Rock types	Metamorphic Igneous

Geography

The range extends in a north–south direction from Quartzite Peak (37°43.0′N 119°25.5′W) to Triple Divide Peak (37°38.0′N 119°22.2′W) and separates the drainage basins of the Illilouette Creek from the uppermost portions of the Merced River. The range is named after Mount Clark, which was named after Galen Clark.

The highest peak in the range is Merced Peak at 11,726 feet (3,574 m).^[4] Second-highest is Red Peak, 11,699 feet (3,566 m).

Geology

Metamorphic rock composes most of the Clark Range, with the granite of Mount Clark's summit being the main exception.^[5]

A panoramic view of nearly the entire Clark Range, as shot from the summit of Vogelsang Peak just after 9 am in late June