The Clark Range is a subrange of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

's Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada (US)

The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, between the California Central Valley and the Basin and Range Province. The Sierra runs north-to-south, and is approximately across east-to-west...

 in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...

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Geography

The range extends in a north-south direction from Quarzite Peak (37°43.0′N 119°25.5′W) to Triple Divide Peak (37°38.0′N 119°22.2′W) and separates the drainage basins of the Illilouette Creek from the uppermost portions of the Merced River

Merced River

The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...

. The range is named after Mount Clark

Mount Clark (California)

Mount Clark is an tall granite peak in the Clark Range. It is a popular destination for mountaineering.It is named for Galen Clark, an early explorer and the first guardian of Yosemite National Park. The Clark Range, also named for Galen Clark, is a sub-range of the Sierra Nevada...

, which was named after Galen Clark

Galen Clark

Galen Clark is known as the first European American to discover the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees, and is notable for his role in gaining legislation to protect it and the Yosemite area, and for 24 years serving as Guardian of Yosemite National Park.-Early life and education:Galen Clark...

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The highest peak in the range is Merced Peak

Merced Peak

Merced Peak , with an elevation of , is the highest point in the Clark Range, just surpassing three other peaks Red Peak , Grey Peak , and Mount Clark ....

 at 11726 feet (3,574 m).

Geology

Metamorphic rock

Metamorphic rock

Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...

 composes most of the Clark Range, with the granite

Granite

Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...

of Mount Clark's summit being the main exception.