Mount Gibbs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Gibbs |
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Mount Gibbs, June 2004
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 12,779 ft (3,895 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 1,093 ft (333 m) |
| Parent peak | Mount Dana |
| Listing |
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| Geography | |
 Mount Gibbs
Location in California
Mount Gibbs
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mono and Tuolumne counties, California, U.S. |
| Parent range | Sierra Nevada |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Dana |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cretaceous |
| Mountain type | Metamorphic rock |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1864 by Frederick Law Olmsted and William Henry Brewer on horseback |
| Easiest route | Cross-country hike, class 1 |
Mount Gibbs is a tall mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, U.S.. It stands about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) south of Mount Dana. This mountain is named after Oliver Wolcott Gibbs, who was a professor at Harvard University and a friend of a famous geologist named Josiah Whitney.
Mount Gibbs is special because its top marks the border between two important protected areas: Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness. It is also the sixth-highest mountain within Yosemite National Park.
Discovering Mount Gibbs
You can reach Mount Gibbs from two main directions. One way is from the west, starting near Tioga Pass Road. The other way is from the east, by following Bloody Canyon from a path near Walker Lake.
Hiking and Views
When you visit Mount Gibbs in the summer, you will find only small patches of snow, mostly on the northern side. The easiest way to climb the mountain is by following the ridge that stretches west from the peak. There is a part of this path that has loose, rocky ground, but it leads to a smoother ridge that forms the top of the mountain.
Even though the very top of Mount Gibbs is above the tree line (meaning it's too high for trees to grow), you can still find some tough plants and wildflowers growing there. From the summit, you can see Mono Lake, though a rock formation to the northeast might block a small part of the view.
Protecting the Mountain
It's important to know that you are not allowed to camp overnight on the western side of Mount Gibbs. This area is part of a protected watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single body of water, like a river or lake. In this case, the western side of Mount Gibbs helps supply water to Dana Meadows and Tioga Pass. Protecting this area helps keep the water clean and safe.
