Mount Ritter

Mount Ritter is the highest mountain in Madera County, California, in the Western United States, at an elevation of 13,149 feet (4,008 m). It is also the highest and most prominent peak of its namesake, the Ritter Range, a subrange of the Sierra Nevada in the Ansel Adams Wilderness of the Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Mount Ritter is the 15th highest mountain peak in California with at least 500 meters of topographic prominence.

Mount Ritter
Mount Ritter (on the left) from the John Muir Trail
Highest point
Elevation	13,149 ft (4,008 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence	3,957 ft (1,206 m)[1]
Parent peak	Red Slate Mountain[1]
Listing	North America highest peaks 124th US highest major peaks 103rd California highest major peaks 15th California county high points 6th SPS Emblem peak[2]
Coordinates	37°41′22″N 119°11′57″W[3]
Geography
Mount Ritter Location in California Show map of California Mount Ritter Mount Ritter (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Ansel Adams Wilderness, Madera County, California, U.S.
Parent range	Ritter Range, Sierra Nevada
Topo map	USGS Mount Ritter
Geology
Rock age	Cretaceous
Mountain type	Metavolcanic rock
Climbing
First ascent	1872 by John Muir[4]
Easiest route	Snow/rock scramble

Geography

Mount Ritter is made of strikingly dark rock and is quite prominent due to its height and isolation.^[1] It is in the middle of the Ritter Range, which includes neighboring Banner Peak and the Minarets. The prominent and memorable shape of the Ritter–Banner pair is visible from high elevations far to the north and south in the Sierra Nevada.

Mount Ritter was named by Josiah Whitney, chief of the California Geological Survey, for Carl Ritter, who had been a teacher of his when he was a student in Berlin during the 1840s.^[5]

Climate

Climate data for Mount Ritter 37.6852 N, 119.2000 W, Elevation: 12,306 ft (3,751 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	28.7 (−1.8)	27.4 (−2.6)	30.1 (−1.1)	34.3 (1.3)	41.9 (5.5)	51.5 (10.8)	59.4 (15.2)	58.9 (14.9)	53.4 (11.9)	44.6 (7.0)	34.8 (1.6)	28.6 (−1.9)	41.1 (5.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	19.3 (−7.1)	17.4 (−8.1)	19.6 (−6.9)	22.7 (−5.2)	29.7 (−1.3)	39.1 (3.9)	46.5 (8.1)	45.8 (7.7)	40.5 (4.7)	32.6 (0.3)	24.9 (−3.9)	19.5 (−6.9)	29.8 (−1.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	10.0 (−12.2)	7.4 (−13.7)	9.1 (−12.7)	11.2 (−11.6)	17.6 (−8.0)	26.6 (−3.0)	33.6 (0.9)	32.7 (0.4)	27.5 (−2.5)	20.7 (−6.3)	15.0 (−9.4)	10.4 (−12.0)	18.5 (−7.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	11.94 (303)	9.36 (238)	8.97 (228)	5.18 (132)	2.76 (70)	0.70 (18)	0.53 (13)	0.37 (9.4)	0.48 (12)	2.93 (74)	4.11 (104)	10.03 (255)	57.36 (1,456.4)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[6]

See also

• List of highest points in California by county