Mount Powell, Mountain summit in Fresno County, United States.
Mount Powell is a 13,364-foot (4,073 m) summit on the Sierra Nevada crest, on the boundary of Kings Canyon National Park and John Muir Wilderness, where Fresno and Inyo counties meet. Its west summit is unofficially called Point John, the middle Point Wesley (13,356 ft), and Point Powell (13,360+ ft) lies half a mile east.
The peak was named in 1911 by Robert B. Marshall to honor explorer John Wesley Powell. The first recorded ascent took place in 1925 when Walter Huber and James Rennie reached the summit.
The name honours John Wesley Powell, USGS director from 1881 to 1894, given by geographer Robert B. Marshall in 1911. The three summits carry informal names: Point John on the west, Point Wesley in the middle and Point Powell half a mile east. In 1983 the U.S. Board on Geographic Names moved the official summit from Point Wesley to Point John.
Climbers approach the peak through Sabrina Basin trail, which passes several lakes before reaching the Thompson Glacier area. The final stage involves scrambling on rock and snow, requiring proper alpine experience and equipment.
Powell Glacier on the northern face has shrunk noticeably over recent decades, showing visible signs of retreat. This feature makes the mountain a place where visitors can observe changes in the alpine environment directly.
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