Best Peak to Hike in Sierra Wildernesses-Close to trailhead

As a backpack trip, or as a dayhike?

In eastern Yosemite National Park is Mount Dana. The summit trail is about 2.5 miles one-way, and it goes from about 10,000 feet to about 13,000 feet.

–B.G.–

White mountain peak is the easiest fourteener to hike. Ironically, the trail is a 14 mile round trip with about 2.5k elevation gain.

Thanks All!

Looking to do a one night backpacking. Hike in, leave packs at bottom them hike up and back. Really looking to do Emigrant, Carson, or Mokelumne.

Is Mt Dana crowded? Can you back country camp there?

My $.02: mt Dana is kind of an ugly pile of tedious-to-climb rocks. Nice views of Mono Lake, though. Across the road is Mt. Conness, which was a joy to climb. Best effort-to-view ratio: Tioga Peak.

At Sonora Pass, I'd recommend Leavitt Pk.

Further north at Carson Pass: Red Lake Peak. If in the Lake Tahoe area, Mt Tallac is easy and offers fine views of the lake.

I haven't climbed any peaks in the Ebbett's pass area.

Also in the Lake Tahoe area is Mt. Rose which is much easier to access and climb than Mt. Tallac. But the view is not nearly as nice as Mt. Tallac.

Ahh, I've got it. Mount Hoffmann in the center of Yosemite National Park. It is over 10,000 feet high. There are two or three routes to get to the summit. The way I go, it is five miles to a camp spot, then another few miles to the top. Another way, and it is less than five miles total. The daughter of some friends climbed to the summit when she was four years old, so how bad can it be? This is in the geographic center of Yosemite, and you can see most of the entire park boundary from here. There is a summit register box, and there is one tough marmot that lives there, and it will steal your food. Wilderness permits are required if you camp up there.

–B.G.–

Chris:

That's my usual MO. I don't go so much to those areas, though.

Round Top out of Carson Pass is a worthwhile climb. You can camp at Winnemucca or Round Top lakes. The (true) summit is a bit of a scramble. More red tape there than other options. There look to be many "lesser" peaks in that area.

Leavitt Pk is good. One can take the PCT from Sonora Pass, or, drive to Leavitt Lk (rough 4wd road). Camp at Latopie Lake.

Mt Dana doesn't seem to work so well because you start off at the pass and campsites might be hard to find between there and the summit. Maybe one could find a place to camp up Glacier canyon and take that route up. There may be camping restrictions there. Mt. Dana will have more people than any of these others.

One more option: Freel Peak. I think one could hike to Star Lake, then climb from there. I'm headed there myself later this morning, although I'm taking a different route (camping up on the peak).

It's all good, some just better than others…

+ 1 to Leavitt Peak

There are several routes up and down, including access from Blue Canyon Lake. The shortest and most direct route is up the PCT from Sonora Pass TH. Last year at this time the trail was totally covered by snow.

Thanks everyone! Looks Like Leavitt Peak it is.

Has anyone been up there this year? Will there be snow? Prob not because of the snow less winter?