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2018 Map of Merced Peak

Name: 2018 Topographic Map of Merced Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2018
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2018

About this map

Merced Peak stands as the southern anchor of this high-elevation landscape within Yosemite National Park, where the headwaters of the Merced River and its southern fork originate. The terrain is defined by dramatic glacial features, from the broad Little Yosemite Valley and Echo Valley to the sharp granite spires of the Clark Range. Backpackers and surveyors have long utilized the John Muir Trail, which traverses the northern reaches of this map near Sunrise Creek.

This 2018 survey detail provides a look at the hydrography of the high sierra, including the chain of alpine waters such as Lower Ottoway Lake, Upper Ottoway Lake, and the remote Adair Lake. The boundary between Mariposa and Madera counties cuts diagonally across the peaks, marking a divide that historically separated these wilderness regions. Notable landmarks like Mt Clark and Quartzite Peak offer reference points for those tracing the evolution of park boundaries and trail networks.