Banner Peak

{{Short description|Mountain in the American state of California}}

{{Distinguish|Banner Mountain}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Infobox mountain

| name = Banner Peak

| photo = Mt Banner and Thousand Island Lake.jpg

| photo_caption = Banner Peak from Thousand Island Lake

| elevation_ft = 12,942

| elevation_ref = {{NAVD88}}{{cite peakbagger |pid=2625 |name=Banner Peak, California |accessdate=2009-07-01}}

| prominence_ft = 856

| prominence_ref =

| parent_peak = Mount Ritter{{cite peakbagger |kid=2625 |name=Key Col for Banner Peak |accessdate=2016-03-26}}

| listing = {{unbulleted list

| Sierra Peaks Section{{cite sps |accessdate=2009-12-09}}

| Western States Climbers Enblem peak{{cite wsc |accessdate=2016-03-27}}

}}

|map = California#USA

|map_caption = Location in California

|map_size = 230

|label_position = bottom

| location = Madera County, California, U.S.

| range = Ritter Range, Sierra Nevada

| coordinates = {{coord|37.6966|N|119.1951415|W|type:mountain_region:US-CA_scale:100000_source:GNIS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| range_coordinates =

| coords_ref = {{cite gnis |id=256500 |name=Banner Peak |accessdate=2009-07-01}}

| topo = USGS Mount Ritter

| rock = Metavolcanic rock

| age = Cretaceous

| first_ascent = 1883 by Willard D. Johnson and John Miller{{cite Secor |edition=3 |page=392}}

| easiest_route = Scramble, {{YDS|2}}

}}

Banner Peak is the second tallest peak in the Ritter Range of California's Sierra Nevada.{{cite web | url=https://www.summitpost.org/banner-peak/150963 | publisher=summitpost.org | title=Banner Peak | accessdate=12 February 2019 | last=Daly| first=Dave}} The mountain is {{convert|12,942|ft|0}} tall, and there are several glaciers on its slopes. It lies within the boundaries of the Ansel Adams Wilderness; at the foot of the peak lie Garnet Lake, Lake Ediza, and the famous Thousand Island Lake. Banner Peak is near the town of Mammoth Lakes; from there, climbers can hike to the foot of the mountain where various routes reach the summit, the easiest of which is a {{YDS|2}} from the west end of Thousand Island Lake and then the saddle between Banner Peak and the slightly taller Mount Ritter. Other nearby lakes include Lake Catherine and Shadow Lake.

The peak was named in 1883 by USGS topographer Willard D. Johnson who observed a banner cloud streaming from the summit.{{cite Farquhar |index=B |accessdate=2009-07-01}}