Granite Photos

Townsley Lake (10396'), a beautiful alpine lake sitting below blue sky, clouds and Fletcher Peak (right), lies amid the Cathedral Range of glacier-sculpted granite peaks in Yosemite's high country, near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 23206  

Mount Whitney and Lone Pine Peak over the Alabama Hills.
Image ID: 28691  

El Capitan reflected in Merced River, Yosemite National Park. Seriously, take a close look, the image as presented here is upside down!.
Location: El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 36458  

The Milky Way galaxy arches over Arch Rock on a clear evening in Joshua Tree National Park.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California
Image ID: 26792  

Vogelsang Peak (11516') at sunset, reflected in a small creek near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in Yosemite's high country.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 23202  

Cathedral Rocks reflected in a meadow flooded by the Merced River, historical snowmelt following record snowfall floods Yosemite Valley in May 2023.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 39375  

Hiker views Vogelsang Lake, and Vogelsang Peak (11516') at sunrise in Yosemite's High Sierra.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 23201  

Nevada Falls marks where the Merced River plummets almost 600 through a joint in the Little Yosemite Valley, shooting out from a sheer granite cliff and then down to a boulder pile far below.
Location: Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 16114  

Star trails and Arch Rock. Polaris, the North Star, is at the center of the circular arc star trails as they pass above this natural stone archway in Joshua Tree National Park.
Location: Alabama Hills Recreational Area, California
Image ID: 27709  

Cathedral Rocks at sunrise, reflected in a spring meadow flooded by the Merced River.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 26856  

Star trails and Arch Rock. Polaris, the North Star, is at the center of the circular arc star trails as they pass above this natural stone archway in Joshua Tree National Park.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California
Image ID: 26794  

Cathedral Rocks at sunrise, reflected in a spring meadow flooded by the Merced River.
Location: Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 34546  

Cathedral Rocks reflected in a meadow flooded by the Merced River, historical snowmelt following record snowfall floods Yosemite Valley in May 2023.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 39374  

Panorama of El Capitan reflected in Merced River, Yosemite National Park.
Location: El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 36457  

Glacial erratic boulders atop Olmsted Point, with the massive granite monoliths Half Dome and Clouds Rest in the background. Erratics are huge boulders left behind by the passing of glaciers which carved the granite surroundings into their present-day form. When the glaciers melt, any boulders and other geologic material that it was carrying are left in place, sometimes many miles from their original location.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 23264  

Nevada Falls, with Liberty Cap (center) and Half Dome (left). Nevada Falls marks where the Merced River plummets almost 600 feet through a joint in the Little Yosemite Valley, shooting out from a sheer granite cliff and then down to a boulder pile far below.
Location: Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 16115  

Black bear on granite rock. This bear still has its thick, full winter coat, which will be shed soon with the approach of summer.
Species: American black bear, Ursus americanus
Location: Orr, Minnesota
Image ID: 18750  

The South Fork of the Kings River flows through Kings Canyon National Park, in the southeastern Sierra mountain range. Grand Sentinel, a huge granite monolith, is visible on the right above pine trees. Late summer.
Location: Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park, California
Image ID: 09854  

Clouds Rest viewed from Olmsted Point. Clouds Rest is one of the most massive -- if not the singlemost massive -- granite monoliths in the world. A vast lobe of Mesozoic-era granodiorite magma cooled to rock and was gradually uplifted to its present altitude of 9926 ft. Later, glaciers cut it into its present shape.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 09965  

Glacial erratics atop Olmsted Point. Erratics are huge boulders left behind by the passing of glaciers which carved the granite surroundings into their present-day form.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 09966  

Cloud's Rest at sunset, viewed from Olmsted Point. Clouds Rest is one of the most massive -- if not the singlemost massive -- granite monoliths in the world. A vast lobe of Mesozoic-era granodiorite magma cooled to rock and was gradually uplifted to its present altitude of 9926 ft. Later, glaciers cut it into its present shape.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 25761  

Mammoth Peak (12,117') rises above grassy meadows and granite boulders near Tioga Pass.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 25766  

The Milky Way galaxy arcs over Arch Rock on a clear evening in Joshua Tree National Park.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California
Image ID: 26793  

Ancient granite boulders at Joshua Tree National park, at sunset.
Location: Joshua Tree National Park, California
Image ID: 26795  

Nameless Lake (10709'), surrounded by glacier-sculpted granite peaks of the Cathedral Range, near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 23205  

Alpine pond and ridge near Vogelsang Peak, near Vogelsang Pass (10685') in Yosemite's high country.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 23215  

Hiker views Vogelsang Lake and the western buttress of Fletcher Peak from a vantage point near Vogelsang Pass, looking north.
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Image ID: 23216