Clouds Rest

{{Short description|Prominent arête in Yosimite National Park}}

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

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Clouds Rest

| photo = Clouds Rest with Half Dome in the background.jpg

| photo_caption = The summit of Clouds Rest.

| elevation = {{convert|9930|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| elevation_ref = {{NAVD88}}{{cite ngs |id=HR2868 |name=Clouds Rest |accessdate=2009-07-05}}

| prominence_ft = 806

| prominence_ref = {{cite peakbagger |pid=2609 |name=Clouds Rest, California |accessdate=2009-07-05}}

| parent_peak = Tresidder Peak{{cite loj |id=56520 |name=Clouds Rest |accessdate=2012-03-31}}

| topo_map = USGS Tenaya Peak

| listing = {{unbulleted list

| Sierra Peaks Section{{cite sps |accessdate=2010-01-01}}

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

}}

| location = Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California, U.S.

| map = California#USA

| map_caption = Location in California

| map_size = 240

| label_position = below

| range = Sierra Nevada

| coordinates = {{coord|37.767853889|N|119.489226925|W|type:mountain_region:US-CA_scale:100000_source:NGS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| range_coordinates =

| coordinates_ref =

| first_ascent =

| easiest_route = Trail hike, {{YDS|1}}

}}

Clouds Rest is a mountain in Yosemite National Park, located east-northeast of Yosemite Village, California. Although there are many peaks in the park having far greater elevation, the proximity of Clouds Rest to the valley gives it a very high degree of visual prominence.

Geography

The summit can be reached by a {{convert|7.2|mi|adj=on}} trail hike from Tioga Pass Road or a {{convert|13|mi|adj=on}} trail hike from Happy Isles by way of Little Yosemite Valley. There are also several technical routes available.{{cite summitpost |id=150422 |name=Clouds Rest |accessdate=2016-03-26}}

Clouds Rest is an arête; a thin, almost knife-like, ridge of rock formed when glaciers eroded away solid rock to form Tenaya Canyon and Little Yosemite Valley. The northwest face, mostly solid granite, rises {{convert|5000|ft|sigfig=3}} above Tenaya Creek.

History

Lafayette H. Bunnell, a medical doctor with the Mariposa Battalion, notes that his party named the summit Clouds Rest because they returned to camp to avoid a snow storm after seeing "the clouds rapidly settling down to rest upon that mountain."

{{cite book

| last = Bunnell

| first = Lafayette H.

| title = Discovery of the Yosemite

| edition = 3rd

| year = 1892

| url = http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/discovery_of_the_yosemite/13.html#page_201

| oclc = 14454959 }}{{Cite journal|last=Hartesveldt|first=Richard J.|date=1955|title=Yosemite Valley Place Names|journal=Yosemite Nature Notes|url=https://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_valley_place_names/|access-date=28 December 2024}}

Recreation

There are three main ways to access the summit of Clouds Rest; via the Sunrise Lakes Trailhead off of CA-120 (commonly known as the Northeast Ridge Route); via the Happy Isles Trailhead in Yosemite Valley (commonly known as the South Slope); or via the Northwest Face of the mountain.

{{cite web

| url = http://iiawt.com/mountains/clouds-rest/

| title = Cloud's Rest

| website = IIAWT

| access-date = March 24, 2014

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=March 24, 2014

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324202919/http://iiawt.com/mountains/clouds-rest/

}}

The Sunrise Lakes Trail is a round trip hike of {{Convert|14.5|miles}} that begins at an elevation of {{Convert|8150|ft}} and gains {{Convert|1776|ft}} over {{Convert|7.25|miles}} to reach the summit at {{Convert|9926|ft}}. The summit has wide-ranging 360-degree panoramic views.

{{cite web

| url = http://www.yosemitehikes.com/tioga-road/clouds-rest/clouds-rest.htm

| title = Clouds Rest

| website = YosemiteHikes.com

| access-date = March 24, 2014}}

File:Yosemite Valley, as seen from Cloud's Rest.jpg

References

{{reflist}}