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Day hike to Mt. Dana.

A day hike to Mt. Dana, the second highest mountain in Yosemite National Park, at an elevation of 13061 feet.
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length: 5.2 miles
Duration: Half day

Overview:  Mt. Dana is relatively easily accessible 13000+ ft peak and is the second highest in Yosemite National Park (Mt. Lyell is the highest ... more »

Tips:  - Bring lot of water as there are no places to fill up after the hike through the Dana meadows.
- Be prepared for the wind and the... more »

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Points of Interest

1. Trailhead and Parking

The trail head to Mt. Dana is located right next to the east entrance to Yosemite National Park (about 10 miles from Lee vining) at an elevation of about 10000ft. There are no official trail markers and the park map does not show any trail to the top of the mountain. But there is a very clear trail most of the way to the top of the mountain.

... More

2. Dana Meadows.

The first half mile of the hike is an easy hike through the Dana Meadows. Then there is some strenuous climbing for about 1 mile until you reach a level area and the peak is in sight a mile away and 1000 ft high.

3. Flat area before you start the climb through the rocks.

The trail levels off for a bit before you start the final ascent to the top of the mountain.

4. Final climb.

The final climb to the summit is about 1000ft gain in less than a mile. To make things more hard, the trail is a bit hard to follow but you just keep looking at the peak and walk towards it.

Just before you start the final climb, there seem to be a fork in the trail, which is not clearly visible on the way up, but is clearly visible on the way... More

5. Summit.

The views from the top of Mt. Dana are incredible. You could see Mono Lake to the east, the Saddlebag lake, Mt. Conness, North Peak to the north, Lyell Glacier towards the south and the winding Tioga Pass Road and Yosemite National Park towards the West.