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Sierra Nevada’S Endless Landforms Are Playgrounds for to Admire the Clear Fragile Shards

SIERRA BUTTES AND LOWER SARDINE RICH REID

Longitude West 121° of Greenwich FREMONT-WINEMA NATIONAL FOREST S JOSH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY E E Renner Lake 42° Hatfield 42° Kalina 139 Mt. Bidwell N K WWII VALOR Los 8290 ft IN THE PACIFIC ETulelake K t 2527 m Carr Butte 5482 ft . N.M. N. r B E E 1671 m F i Dalton C d Tuber k Goose Mines w . w Cow Head o I CLIMBING THE NORTHEAST RIDGE OF SPIRE E Will Visit any of four obsidian mines—Pink Lady, Lassen e Tule Homestead E l Lake Stronghold l Creek Rainbow, Obsidian Needles, and Middle Fork Lake Lake TULE LAKE C ENewell Clear Creek—and take in the startling colors and r shapes of this dense, glass-like lava rock. With the . NATIONAL WILDLIFE ECopic L proper permit you can even excavate some yourself. a A EM s EFort Bidwell REFUGE E IG s Liskey R NATIONAL WILDLIFE e A n

N Y T REFUGE C A

E T r W MODOC R K . Y A

B

Kandra I Blue Mt. 5750 ft L B T Y

S 1753 m Emigrant Scenic Byway R NATIONAL o

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C l LAVA E Lava ows, , farmland, and N E e Y Cornell U N s A vestiges of routes trod by early O FOREST BEDS I W

C C C

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B settlers and miners. 5582 ft r B K Y . C C

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1701 m Surprise Valley Hot Springs I Double Head Mt. K A B LAVA BEDS A N N Y Located upon one of the valley’s many E S

Captain Jack’s Stronghold C G Upper

S u 120°

N NATIONAL geothermal springs, this resort-style getaway I Davis Creek E S R

Follow the interpretive trails through an ancient L channels hot artesian water into private I P

A S E Lake

MONUMENT Mammoth lava ow where Modoc leader Captain Jack and R L

O T E mineral baths found in each suite or villa. Carter Reservoir Wild

MODOC R T

Visitor Center a small band of tribe members used a maze of r R Lounge in a therapeutic tub while stargazing N A Herd

A natural trenches up to 26 feet deep as a nal U B at a dark sky unencumbered by big city lights. R Bring your own horse for a guided, G E holdout against U.S. forces in 1873. I high-desert ride through wild mustang M Ainshea E p Perez E KLAMATH Butte M O D O C territory. Raker and E M E

NATIONAL Thomas r TionestaK O Lake City Timber Mt. 5086 ft EMeares FOREST 7622 ft 1550 m Bald Mt.

K i Glass Mountain 2323 m Big Sage K Modoc Reservoir 395 8270 ft Bring your binoculars for a look at migratory Chimney Rock 2521 m Historical Monument s

Medicine L. waterfowl that nest and feed amid these M wetlands and . Remains of the residence of one of the ’s rst pioneers. 299 E O t e Hackamore i P E Medicine Lake Highlands k Cedarville

r Outdoor Explore dozens of lava tube caves along a broad NATIONAL o F NATIONAL shield , used as an underground ice E JnR Hotel AY 139 EAmbrose Daphnedale Park . BYW IC skating business in the early 20th century. N MODOC N.W.R. Middle N V BURNEY FALLS E Mud Lake AlturasE E C Adventures GABBRO / ALAMY S

C Dorris R I N E D Alkali A Hollenbeck Reservoir Deep Crater K 299 a A hiker reclines on a stony ridge separating from C

L 4839 ft

O E P

V 1475 m i the terrain of . To the east lies a sagebrush Pit ne C C Canby reek O E Lake l

D desert, its soil so dry in places that occasional wind gusts E E O Scarface Natural Beauty M Happy Trails Studio the dust a half-mile high into the air. To the west the snowcapped SHASTA-TRINITY Pines l On cold spring nights, halos of translucent ice freeze around Artist Zelma Allan uses color and detail to KWarren Peak shimmers, folded and scoured by heat and ice. capture authentic, human moments and 9710 ft O midstream boulders. As the sun rises, the circles of ice start to FOREST broad landscapes of the Old West. View 2960 m e Below is Lake Tahoe, its cobalt blue hue reflecting the sky.

Willow Creek Ranch paintings, mosaics, jewelry, and more. N melt, but not before a cross-country skier crouches streamside NATIONAL Demuth E S Monstrous peaks, cascading rivers, -carved cirques— E Visit one of the world’s largest producers of . E y

F McArthur Slagger E Hambone the ’s endless landforms are playgrounds for to admire the clear fragile shards. In an hour the ice halos will ranch-raised, organic caviar. Tour the naturally o EEagleville EWhite Horse Egg Lake spring-fed ponds used to raise white sturgeon, an r FOREST

be gone. k adventure. R

Whitehorse Flat ancient freshwater sh, for the production of P

FOREST E i Reservoir y caviar on a homestead dating back to 1871. Bayley Eagle Peak The hosts the oldest living plant on Earth,

For all of the Sierra Nevada’s grandeur—the forma- t K

C 9892 ft tions, the broad meadows, the glittering —there are many Fox Mt. K6394 ft 3015 m the , and grows the largest living organism on k E e 1949 m

Bartle E e small and fleeting pleasures. Being in solitude, being quiet, Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park B re A Lower earth, the giant . It has some of the world’s clearest V i Lookout C O g Mill l E Lake being at ease in nature—in all of these situations a person L Accessible only by boat, this serene wilderness Likely Ea Emerson Peak alpine lakes and one of the nation’s saltiest lakes. It contains an C V Junction s K A t C N of natural springs and lava ows is ideal for a r. 8989 ft can find renewal. When Theodore Roosevelt visited IC LE l West Valley 2740 m astonishingly large geologic form called a , a seam of G shing, -watching, and nature photography. l E l VOLCANIC LEGACY SCENIC BYWAY E A C e

Curtis Y S EPondosa y Lookout E Reservoir continuous granite 6 miles deep and 25,000 square miles at the Yosemite in 1903, he celebrated the joys of From the steaming vents of California’s Lassen Volcanic National CE Adin W NI M Park to Oregon’s , evidence of violent subterranean C B r YW ea C o a nature, exclaiming, “This has been the grandest day of my life.” E AY B r Parsnip surface, featuring one of the nation’s tallest peaks, Mt. Whitney. forces—lava tubes, black volcanic rock, and magnificent Mt. . u C E Lava Rock Ranch Obie Widow Mt. Kn e Springs Shasta—reveal themselves along 500 miles of roadway. Glacier- d It also hides one of the Earth’s most important metals, gold. Roosevelt’s friend, the naturalist-conservationist , ex- 6321 ft t Ash Creek View local artist Kay Minto’s unique and t V Likely Mountain a and spring-fed rivers plunge over basalt cliffs as at Burney Falls, 1927 m a i K r nationally acclaimed sculptures of welded

P plained his own relationship with wilderness this way: “Everybody Volcanic Legacy i 7376 ft Challenged by such extremes, adventurers find ways to test considered by many to be the most beautiful waterfall in California. n C aluminum, bronze, and native lava rock. Scenic Byway 2248 m s E needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, Bieber ESage Hen r their grit in the Sierra by kayaking thunderous rivers or 89 W P . KBald Mt. Big Lake il where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” lo along the 1,072-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic . Some 5536 ft Nubieber E w Moon Horr Pond g 1687 m Lake In the Sierra, the excitement of beauty is everywhere: a hiker C E Boot Lake explore the at 10,000 feet, while others land Tule re Pinnio e E 299 i in a sheltered streambed notices flowers that seem to float in SHASTA-TRINITY Glenburn k Duck wild or ski backcountry bowls. Some become heroes: E EPittville E EMadeline Lake shadows like crimson stars; a motorist pausing at a Kings NATIONAL McArthur Fort Crook Museum “” delivered mail to mountain hamlets on Inter-Mountain Fair B L. Britton Try your hand at crafting metal using a Spooner National Park viewpoint is moved to tears by a panorama E FOREST Fall River forge, anvil, and other blacksmithing tools L handmade wooden skis; and scaled Big Bend E Reservoir of granite cliffs; and a kayaker paddling next to a white tufa McArthur-Burney Falls EFour Corners Mills at the big round barn in the historic town 41° 14,000-foot peaks and inspired a new breed of mountaineers. 41° Memorial State Park Fall River Hotel of Fall River Mills. tower touches the stone’s chalky surface with her thumb and Primitive camping near a Fly- sh to your heart’s content in the Dodge Reservoir The Sierra landscape fires the imaginations of explorers both stunning 129-foot waterfall. Pit spring-fed rivers and creeks near this licks the strange, bitter salt from her skin. Impressions of B EBrockman young and old, galvanizing ambitions and igniting dreams. historic hotel. e 122° a Silva Flat v E magnificence endure. McDonald Peak 7931 ft k e Res. K A e r 2417 m e G H P E C r i Cassel o K E r C t Wengler r . s 6067 ft e 1849 m Bald Mountain k E C Moran E c Little Valley r M o E . BUMPASS HELL, LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK E E a R NPS PHOTO Doyles Corner 139 395 d Burney Willow Springs d e Hillcrest E e E R AY l Termo NTRY BY W T i COU EMontgomery Creek n e BUCKHORN BACK 5 Jellico E P l a i n s H 7136 ft a Slate Mt.K R HIKING THE PACIFIC CREST NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL

B 7863 ft 2175 m K t RavendaleE SCPHOTOS / ALAMY E u 2397 m Round Mountain Burney EC Pacific Crest Valley Eagle Lake r Mountain r n National Scenic Trail Around 20,000 ago the earth’s crust Hat Creek e Basaltic lava ows, sagebrush hills, and pine and r e Observation Peak e K k fractured, discharging molten lava that spread y E forests characterize the high semiarid plateau that 7964 ft across the valley oor and eventually hardened. ow C C Halls Flat E surrounds the second largest natural freshwater lake 2427 m C r. r le Rivers of lava continued to ow underground until Litt . in California. Native Eagle , once believed L A S S E N they themselves drained away, leaving tube-like Stones extinct, now thrive in the highly alkaline water, creating

caves. Follow the nature trail across the rocky top S EIngot ELanding a feast for osprey, western and eared grebes, American Hat Creek Rim Overlook crust aboveground or explore nearby Subway Cave, white pelicans, great blue herons, and bald eagles. m o a nearly half-mile-long lava tube. E K Old Bird’s-eye view of the volcanic Hat Creek k Thousand Lakes Wilderness 8677 ft K A e Station Valley oor and , Mt. Shasta, reek 7943 ft C Among the seven major lakes and numerous 2645 m E C Fredonyer Peak r Crater Peak, Burney Mountain, and e 2421 m Y ee . ponds throughout the wilderness, you can hike A n Horse S k W Magee Peak. i E r Y e P Lake C more than 20 miles of trails, sh at Eiler Lake, or B Spalding c IC . 7420 ft r n camp under the canopy of old-growth pines. N Y Tract Eagle P e E A r 2262 m u 44 Crater Mt. K e t C R W C t C Y S Y k C e r a A B e

G E s O .

. LE IC t Lodgepole r N

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C C C Clover Cr. I SC U Smoke Creek w N N Lake o u E r C A S C S Reservoir L B . d . VO A V A E l r L NATIONALO Redding C L O C w 44 A o N E W L I i A C l Susanville Railroad Depot C Butte Lake S Eagle Lake . 89 L lo LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK S S E E G w Built by Southern Paci c Railroad in 1927, the Susanville Summertown E N A Resort PACIFIC CREST NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL E While this lesser known national park can boast of abundant recreation, 44 S C depot houses a railroad museum that displays photo- r. C Y C D ar C LASSEN VOLCANIC E S e Whether you thru-hike this -to-Canada trail or backpack a jaw-dropping vistas, and more than 40 feet of snow per , Lassen is Be N C r E I EN . graphs and artifacts from passenger and logging trails e C IC p shorter segment, you’ll encounter the diverse, ever shifting ecosys- best known for volcanic activity. Be sure to see Bumpass Hell, a 16-acre, Lake LASSEN VOLCANIC CARIBOU BY B . Viola W YW that once came through here. The depot also serves as C r 10457 ft A A r tems of the Sierra Nevada crest. On foot you have ample time to steaming, odorous basin; 125-degree Boiling Springs Lake; and the Devil’s E C Cluster Lakes Loop Trail Y Y Eagle Lake the trailhead for the Bizz Johnson Trail, a well-maintained . e 3187 m K 6340 ft L take in the Joshua , 14,000-foot summits, giant sequoias, Kitchen fumaroles. Shingletown tl Popular ten-mile trail, Summit t Lassen Peak 1932 m rail trail for cyclists, hikers, and equestrians that passes a with a shorter day hike to Echo Lake. and alpine lakes. In lower elevations, and wander over trestle bridges and through as it follows T B WILDERNESS wetlands and meadows. Thousands of feet higher, the arid and E . WILDERNESS McCoy Flat Res. along the scenic . Anderson k NATIONAL PARK wintry climate limits vegetation mostly to scrub and grasses but F Digger Creek . Kohm Yah-mah-nee E W N E O Drakesbad E provides habitat for and endangered . Manton Ringtail Vineyards Visitor Center a FOREST EWestwood Viewland r Susanville E Taste award-winning wines harvested n E Junction eek e le Cr from nutrient-rich volcanic soil. r tt Lasco Ba 89 C With summer surface temperatures around 75 Rails to 395 MICHAEL HALBERSTADT / ALAMY (closed in r Trails Festival E . Johnstonville ELitchfield winter) degrees, Lake Almanor is a popular destination Robbers S 7680 ft for kayaking, shing, sailing, and other water E 5771 ft E usan 2341 m HIKING ALONG THE Creek 1759 m L E KHot Springs Peak sports. Dock and camp on the shores and hike Leavitt Wendel SCPHOTOS / ALAMY Mineral Standish E Skedaddle Mts. E the Lake Almanor Recreation Trail through the Lake Paynes Creek E S Wildlife Area E conifer forests around the lake. Wetlands habitat for migrating Dales ek E re Mill 36 Fire cranes, geese, and swans. C es 89 EMountain 36 E E Payn EShake House Turner Mt. K6893 ft Creek E Westwood Janesville E 2101 m Chester Clear Creek E Clear 36 Junction Mountain EBuntingville 5 E Creek K Meadows Res. 7795 ft Thompson Peak Deer Creek E Round Lake Hamilton Branch I 2376 m Honey Lake n D B k Valley E d ee St. Bernard Lodge i i r 89 147 a a C Rustic and tranquil bed-and-breakfast Almanor E e n m p with a restaurant and tavern. E C Stacy lo Almanor E r o A nte . Red Bluff E Prattville I n The Island Plumas County Museum d k 32 P k MilfordE Wilderness ill Cree A ee E M C r At the Plumas County Museum you can view mining M IFIC But C Calneva Harsh and remote river canyons, unusual C t Canyondam and logging artifacts, tour a fully restored 1878 E R o volcanic formations, and abundant wildlife E Herlong S pioneer , and admire handwoven Native u Herlong E E T E RESERVATION characterize these dramatic environs in which ISHI N Butt Valley American Mountain baskets. Learn about n A Transfer A Greenville Junction T E camping is primitive, hiking strenuous, and I Reservoir t O local Chinese families and African American explorer solitude plentiful. This wild and unusual Jonesville E N a A James P. Beckwourth, who discovered a pass over i 395 k L ee Soda E n landscape was named for Ishi, the last of the r S Crescent Mills the crest of the Sierra Nevada in 1851. C E C r s y E he

Native American Yahi people, who mysteriously r Springs E N E t E

D I a WILDERNESS C Caribou e Moccasin ETaylorsville g M Pyramid

walked out of the woods in 1911. i Butte Meadows F

B T . R

A k Indian Falls I E E

L . F Western Pacific Railroad Museum E N Paxton At this 36-acre working historic railroad facility FEATHER RIVER SCENIC BYWAY Lomo E E E you can climb aboard the world’s largest diesel Doyle Lake Since 1906, railroads have carried freight and Twain E Campbellville Philbrook French Bar E E E E locomotive and sit in the engineer’s seat, wander S passengers through the Feather River Canyon, Res. E Keddie through vintage passenger cars, ride in a caboose, Anaho Island TAHOE RIM TRAIL 40°N k Rich Bar Virgilia PLUMAS National Wildlife Refuge 40°N over the crest of the Sierra Nevada, into the e Belden Mt. Ingalls R or even take the throttle and commandeer a real Should you choose to backpack your way around expansive , and further east. Follow 5 e E 70 K e Nesting ground for American white r Inskip n 8372 ft d C locomotive yourself. Lake Tahoe on this 164.8-mile-long trail, you’ll C . BUCKS l pelicans, Caspian terns, great blue the scenic byway as it parallels the train tracks, r o 2552 m o r . v E journey along ridgetops and pass through two Dee C y E er Cr Cr. herons, and many more species. crossing trestles and weaving through tunnels. r LAKE Quincy Junction . Omira y r n nis e E states (California and Nevada), one state park,

g e C Spa h Cr E . l

Pause for local flavor in the historic hamlets of in . l Sutcliffe a r S k Tobin D a three national forests, and three wilderness o E 7183 ft WILDERNESS Constantia r

e K E y V C C Belden, Twain, Quincy, and Portola. c

e 2189 m

E i E 70 areas. Day hikers might choose shorter jaunts Quincy 89 y Cohasset r Bald E CALIFORNIA r Valley Massack h C Stirling Storrie E Eagle 8197 ft Adams Peak e from among eight trailheads, and mountain bik- C e K l k Frenchman e e E R E l I e t City v Mt. 2498 m Sierra Valley ers should plan ahead—biking is only permitted g Rock Creek E Lake Davis r t a P i i O Lake Red Rock Y C E ESpring Garden Abundant wildlife shares this pine-edged subalpine R on certain segments of the trail. e B u E Bucks V A in Lovelock Merlin R M P E B g I Lake meadow with cattle ranches and farms that originally D Forest Ranch r Bucks n LA E Five E K 99 e NATIONALEF E FOREST o supported mid-1800s mining operations. Climb the E E Lake EAT L S DeSabla Corners h E H Cromberg C k Sloat E steep Badenaugh Trail traveled by James P. Beckwourth, E e E t R NI Cresta Sierra Buttes and Lakes Basin Recreation Area E C e E E Letter Box R a pioneer emigrant, trailblazer, and fur trader; or follow B r Rag Dump a I YW V Scotts A C e Exposed, craggy peaks and forested mountainsides E Y k Richardson R the interpretive Cottonwood Creek Botanical Trail. Canoe E

R c W Feather River E o F Palmetto S EBeckwourth Nixon ank glacial lakes, streams, and hills in one of the C Springs Scenic Byway E E E the Feather River headwaters or visit certi ed-organic E. Four Trees region’s most scenic backcountry recreation areas. In N Portola Vinton Reno I 70 E Sierra Valley Farms, with its on-site summertime Magalia B E C E N B Junction r E summer months you can sh and swim, or bike and E Pulga Y Farmers Market. a W 32 y Chilcoot Buckeye hike hundreds of miles of trails. Winter months are A n r EY Blairsden r e Plumas Eureka E e E c e th perfect for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and M h h E l Hallelujah Paradise E t a Chico Thursday e even sledding. Graeagle l u F R 32 a F Junction l Night Market e l e

. 7715 ft E a e a F E K k Gibsonville 2352 m n Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum E t V F Little Grass Valley Clio C Chico h e ddl T and Visitor Center i r e EReservoir Mountain . Learn about the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, r a Y M A House E Little Grass NEVADA National Geographic and the residents of California and Nevada are proud 89 r Cold why this is sacred to these W 49

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Fall r ESprings native inhabitants, and how to enjoy the lake to share this Geotourism MapGuide with you to experience our timeless C

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191 N Downieville La Porte e e E Peavine in a manner respectful to the tribe. E . r E local culture steeped in tradition, sustained by the land. r C C Examine historical artifacts, portraits, and n Calpine i Loyalton S C Butte Valley R Berry o MOUNTAIN BIKER, EMPIRE MINE STATE HISTORIC PARK E E documents at the Downieville Museum; stand e y E E I V E t S 395 Stead The Sierra Nevada foothills and mountain range offer world-class opportunities for JOSH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY R Creek n Durham ER before the Sierra County Sheriff’s Gallows, used la EHaskell Creek H S a Kentucky Mine Historic Park & Museum E KAYAKERS AT SECRET HARBOR, LAKE TAHOE AT C Copperfield recreation, exploration of and Native American history, indulgence in local . FE only once, in 1885; or catch a production at the Sun B. KINGMAN r Bassetts E L E Hear the thunderous drop of the 1,000-pound Virginia City cuisine and culture, and self-discovery inspired by striking scenic beauty. C Yuba Theatre, the smallest venue of the Banff 6708 ft E Valley 45 y Sierra A Yuba Sattley stamp mill and imagine the deafening clamor E Samuel Clemens created his pen name Mark r Mountain Film Festival. Buttes Pass 2045 m of several mills working simultaneously during Black Springs D 149 E Downieville K E Twain while working at the of ces of the project partners include Sierra Business Council, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, and le E r North E 8587 ft Sierraville tt Wicks Corner Feather e Classic the gold rush heyday. Tour the operation and newspaper, now the Mark i h 2617 m Y National Geographic Maps. We gratefully acknowledge funding and support for this map L Falls t Star U 50 yards of the mining . Open from Twain Museum. He sought respite at the 162 a E E E B HUMBOLDT- e Downieville 49 Ha A Memorial Day to Labor Day. from Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Federal Highways Administration, Forest Lake F H y –D Tahoe House Hotel, now beautifully restored, Strawberry Valley Sierra p ON Thermalito Diversion . re N Sparks here in what was once called the “richest city Oroville k s E 651 E Service, Morgan Family Foundation, Northern Sierra Partnership, and the Sierra Nevada Pool . F E City s R S E S E in the world.” ba Sierra Cr. C Geocouncils, numerous community organizations, and counties throughout the Thermalito Forebay u Goodyears EN EVerdi Reno Clipper Mills IC E Forbestown Y Shangri-La Resort Oroville E . Bar B . 80 Sierra Nevada. N Y r Thermalito E E Oak Valley E Jackson Meadows W C AY TOIYABE 122° Hurleton Challenge E TAHOE t Text by Laura Read, author; Tom Miller, editor. Map notes by Angela Burnford. Thermalito North Yuba Trail Reservoir Stampede a

Brownsville E PACIF o Hike or bike year-round on this IC C b R Reservoir e Afterbay E S e well-maintained, forested canyon trail T

162 m Copyright © 2012 National Geographic Society, , D.C. k Donner Summit 20-Mile Museum N

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. that follows the north fork of the A Independence

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r RackerbyE You won’t nd any walls at this “museum.” Instead, T I Independence Lake ru CHEROKEE Palermo . ONAL Lake t E S T C drive along Old Highway 40 and stop at dozens of C Unique recreational asset; pristine home S EN NATIONAL Visit www.sierranevadageotourism.org to connect t interpretive signs that reveal train routes, I of the threatened Lahontan . u New Bullards Bar C TR E MOUNT c Native American sites, the rst transcontinental A Boca I with the residents and more than 1,500 of their Reservoir a L Hobart Mills n b Reservoir ROSE 99 70 o BangorE u railroad, and other relics of history. favorite art and cultural events, historic sites, time- H M Y Fordyce Lake iddle E Prosser Creek Res. WILDERNESS BIKE RIDES OF NEVADA COUNTY h Dobbins AY less towns, local shops, and outdoor explorations. t E E 80 W E H Whether you prefer wooded, single-track trails or long stretches E r North Bloomfield G

North I 395

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of smooth asphalt you’ll find routes that suit your preference. Gridley Washington NATIONAL 89 FOREST N Oregon San Juan Area Trails E Mountain bikers can traverse through lush forests or pump through Yuba Legacy Trail S House L. Spaulding 7088 ft Truckee E R O remote river canyons. Road riders can follow the route of the WAY Cisco E 2160 m NT Virginia CityE a BY Pass E Soda Springs U Sou h Yub IC E L MO annual Nevada City Bicycle Classic, previously raced by Greg Nevada City t EN 20 GroveE N Lake Virginia City International C 267 49 S er Cr. Norden California Watchable Wildlife viewing Camel Races LeMond and Lance Armstrong. By day the photographic neighborhoods and historic ER De N k. E Donner Memorial site with adjacent recreation area. E district, once frequented by and President DO N F Rainbow Lodge Gold Hill Map Key YUBA– . Mt. Judah Loop State Park Washoe ELive Oak , invite you into charming shops, art N Late 1800s bed-and-breakfast-style lodge Popular hiking and Year-round recreation and a museum Mt. Rose Highway Nevada Scotts Flat with granite walls, timber ceilings, artesian Incline Lake Silver E galleries, and inns. Come evening you can enjoy the ECity Reservoir spring water, and a forested riverside setting. snowshoeing trail. depicting the history of the ill-fated Village Scenic Overlook vibrant nightlife at a wine tasting room or with live pioneer wagon train. E An awe-inspiring panoramic view of City Bike Rides of Nevada County E E Lake Tahoe from 7,562 feet. National Forest music over dinner. Grass LAKE TAHOE WATER TRAIL Spenceville Wildlife Area Tahoe Vista Valley Bear Kings Paddle through crystalline, turquoise water on the Lake Wander about the lush grasses, oak tree groves, E FOREST 89 National Park or Monument 20 Boston Ravine E Alta EBaxter R 9006 ft Beach Lake Tahoe Tahoe Water Trail and explore secluded coves and white-sand and rolling hills of this California Watchable Wildlife E Dutch E E Shakespeare Festival Smartville 2745 m K beaches along 72 miles of shoreline. Tour the grand 1930s site. You might spot a or willow ycatcher, Northstar Mine Powerhouse ECedar Ridge Flat Gold Run and Dutch Flat The Great Ski Race Wilderness Yuba Well-preserved late 1800s towns at Gatekeeper’s Museum E Sand Harbor Tudor Revival-style mansion at Thunderbird Lodge National both California endangered species, or any of the & Pelton Wheel Museum E Lake Forest 174 Gold Run the center of the region’s aggressive Pioneer and maritime history, and more than 800 Historic Site, and visit Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe-Nevada other 175-plus bird species and 42 mammal species Gold-mining artifacts, a working stamp mill, E handwoven baskets from the Washoe ETahoe City B Rollins operations. E State Park. documented here. and a 30-foot-diameter Pelton wheel. Westville and other Native American tribes. Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe-Nevada Carson Other Scenic Byway E EMarysville ReservoirE 80 GRANITE Water Trail 20 Yuba City Tahoe Maritime Museum Tahoe State Park City E E View more than 30 vessels, from an 1890s CHIEF E National Wild and Scenic River Linda Park Cape Horn French Meadows Rim Trail 28 Stewart Nevada State Museum Empire Mine State Historic Park Alta steam launch to full-size, mahogany motor- 50 Among the museum’s offerings you can view Sierra E Reservoir WILDERNESS 89 Trail Descend deep into the entrance of California’s Colfax boats. Peruse the diverse collection of Lake the country’s largest exhibited Columbian E Homewood E 395 n Olivehurst oldest and largest gold mine, view original mining vintage inboard and outboard engines. E Glenbrook o mammoth, tour the former Carson City Mint s Festival or Event equipment aboveground, and tour the owner’s r , or attend a live, interactive cultural event. E LAKE TAHOE– a impressive Tudor-style cottage and lush gardens. Tahoma EASTSHORE C Historic Site Bear E Ed Z'Berg Sugar Pine Point State Park DRIVE Beyond the grounds lie 845 backcountry acres E Mormon Station State Historic Park E Michigan Bluff Tour the 1903 Hellman-Ehrman mansion, Park Museum 99 with 12 miles of trails for hikers, mountain bikers, Higgins E EMeeks Bay Lakeridge E Emigrant trading post from the 1850s with 70 and equestrians. Lake Weimar kayak the shoreline, or cross-country ski along ESkyland museum, stockade, wagon , park, Corner E trails used during the . Combie V ROUTE 89– & Tahoe and Snowshoe Thompson statue. Natural or Scenic Area E Foresthill HIGHWAYS EZephyr Cove E Colfax 49 E Applegate Genoa 39° 39° & LAKE TAHOE ROAD JT Basque Bar & Dining Room Other Point of Interest Visit two renovated train depots, one which now Meadow Vista Loon Lake ETahoe Village Traditional “family-style” Basque cuisine houses the Colfax Heritage Museum, at this former Vikingsholm E Outdoor Recreation Opulent 1929 summer home on the Explore Tahoe made from produce and meat from the transportation hub. Colfax served as a base for E Stateline Minden E shore of Emerald Bay, accessed by Visitor Center owners’ Carson Valley ranch. G Chinese rail workers who built a precipitous track Nielsburg ELDORADO EGardnerville Scheduled Air Service around Cape Horn, leading to the completion of the R boat or a steep one-mile trail. ESouth Lake Tahoe O ub Carson Valley Museum rst transcontinental railroad. Buckeye E ic Tahoe Historical Visitor Center E on & Cultural Center Mountain Mandarin Festival Georgetown Quintette Lake Society Museum 65 E An 1859 tollbooth, 1930s cabin, Lincoln Historic Downtown District Auburn E 193 E DESOLATION Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park E Cool E and artifacts from the region’s Home of the only remaining major Lincoln Greenwood L Union Valley Res. Learn about life on a turn-of-the-century OREGON r earliest inhabitants, the Washoe. Scale 1:543,000 e manufacturer of ornamental hand- Bernhard Museum Complex WILDERNESS 395 48,000-acre cattle and sheep ranch by touring the h Victorian-era house museum, A t sculptured terra cotta in the country. 88 farm and 15-room residence in which a two-story stone winery, and barn. 0 5 10 15 20 25 Miles e four generations of the prominent Dangberg family F American Flat EEcho Lake Pilot Hill E E Ice House Res. once resided. Advance reservations required.

E Twin Loomis L S E 7377 ft 0 5 10 15 20 25 Kilometers Bridges 2249 m Tallac Historic Site I Inn E NATIONAL Lotus E E Luther Pass L E On this secluded and forested lakeside property 1 inch = 8.6 miles AREA E The well-kept, romantic Victorian exterior—complete 89 Mesa Vista Coloma Kelsey 50 7735 ft EE stand three elaborate mansions built between 1 centimeter = 5.4 kilometers ENLARGED R NEVADA with two levels of wraparound porches—parallels the S ork A merican EKyburz ou th F 2358 m Woodfords Alpine 1873 and 1921. Tour the Pope Estate, meander R E Lake o attention to detail inside, including English antiques, E OUNTY Village t Pollock Pines Tahoe Chili Bar ORADO C through the Tallac Museum in the Baldwin House, A 5 luxurious feather beds, and complimentary late RO 0–EL D South Fork American River n UTE 5 HUMBOLDT- or watch a live performance at the Valhalla Grand Sacramento B e afternoon wine and hors d’oeuvres. CaminoE Popular whitewater rafting river. Cr. Hall or Boathouse Theater. m r Jenkinson Lake 88 Folsom We be Placerville E Highway 50 Association P CALIFORNIA a O E N r Bryants TOIYABE A Lake Wagon Train D

c Antelope E Folsom s Cr 8573 ft

C E a le . Deer View p L S a 2613 m I Citrus Heights Diamond Springs E C V E E Caples Lake F With a USGS topographical map in hand, hike to Camp Cr NATIONAL A North Highlands E E . E I Orangevale E Slate Mountain for panoramic views; Deer View, for a SUSIE LAKE, C Folsom Kirkwood D E El Dorado GARY CRABBE / ENLIGHTENED IMAGES / ALAMY 5 80 Lake look at the remains of Hotel ; and Stumpy FOREST O A E FOREST El Dorado 50 Shingle Meadow, with its reservoir and excellent shing. N C Natoma E . Springs Fk E Hills E . Co Somerset Grizzly Flat sum es A n K7621 ft 88 N 2323 m Carmichael E E Leek Spring Hill E Melsons Corner Malby Crossing Rancho Cordova E es E Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park mn E E E M u Arden Town n On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall went about Nashville idd os West ca Omo Ranch le Fk. C Sacramento ri his work constructing a new sawmill and noticed A B Ame EMount Aukum D glittering akes of metal in the American River, Sierra Nevada Sacramento EEnterprise ERiver Pines setting off a massive westward migration known as AY (ROUTE 88) es GHW 120° 160 the . Visit the replica of Sutter’s Amador Flower Farm S HI Events• Outdoor Adventures• Local Culture n PAS um 49 N Festivals and Events Mill, pan for gold, or stand on the very spot where Cos O E CARS EFlorin Marshall made his discovery. Fiddletown 88 E e AY Contribute and Volunteer n BYW m IC Plymouth okelu N The Great Ski Race Tahoe City, CA (early March). Celebrating Tahoe’s Nordic 16 Fk. M E N. SC r. AL cultural heritage since 1977, this 30-kilometer (18.43-mile) race from Tahoe C N E utter IO Drytown S T City to Truckee is also the main fund-raising event for the Tahoe Nordic Search 99 A N & Rescue Team. S E S Amador City E Indian Grinding Rock A Three Rivers Lions Team Roping Three Rivers, CA (April). Team roping E Amador City TTS P Elk Grove E Pine EBBE DESOLATION WILDERNESS competitions for all ages, calf branding competition, Sunday church Wilton On the self-guided walking tour you’ll nd antique State Historic Park 4 Grove E Nearly 64,000 acres (100 square miles) of glacially carved service, steer championship, pig scramble, adult and kids barrel races, hearty 5 shops, museums, and even an old-fashioned soda wilderness straddle Lake Tahoe and the El Dorado National Forest, breakfasts, and deep-pit BBQ. fountain behind original, mining-era facades. Linger encompassing barren granite peaks, more than 130 lakes, and Chico Thursday Night Market Chico, CA (April to September). Street festival over a cocktail at the Imperial Hotel bar and curl up expansive meadows. The wetlands and landscapes of this protected and certified farmers’ market featuring farm-fresh organic produce, local in a room where Victorian elite once slept. area support habitat critical to many rare plant and animal species. artwork, handmade crafts, special children’s activities, and music. With good reason, Desolation Wilderness attracts seekers of back- Bishop Days Celebration Bishop, CA (week before Memorial Day). More 121° country solitude, scientific study, and primitive recreation. than 180 events featuring over 700 plus exhibitors, a concert, and parade. Determined to prove “anything a horse can do a mule can do better”—

events include English jumping, team roping and penning, chariot racing, and DANCER AT TRIBE POWWOW the Packer’s Scramble. CHARLES PHILLIPS / STONECREEKGALLERY.COM John Muir Route Celebration Mariposa County, CA (first Saturday in June). Celebrating the anniversary of the dedication of the 14-mile John Muir Historic DINNER IN THE BARN, SIERRA VALLEY FARMS Route, the family-friendly events include nature hikes along the footsteps of LETINA VANETTI John Muir, eco-friendly activities, readings, bike tours, horseback rides, and arts and crafts. Bird Chautauqua , CA (June). Three-day birding festival with a wide variety of field trips, workshops, and presentations led by profes- sional photographers, naturalists, and scientists. Highway 50 Association Wagon Train Placerville, CA (June). For more than 60 years, caravans of men, women, and children have taken the six-day, 90-mile organized ride from Lake Tahoe to Placerville (Old Hangtown) to experience life during the California gold rush. Groveland Quilt Stroll Groveland, CA (June, on odd-numbered years). Quilters from all over the Mother Lode bring their quilts to display and sell, and to Mountain Life exchange stories and techniques. Artisan demos, food, and fun for the kids. Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree North Fork, CA (first weekend in July). For more than 50 years this once busy logging town has hosted professional and ama- he Sierra Nevada has long been a place of biking trails around Lake Tahoe, enjoy regional teur competitions such as double-hand bucking, ax throwing, log rolling, and hot power sawing. drama and aspiration. For centuries, the cuisine in a Sierra Valley barn, or strum the standup Triathlon June Lake, CA (weekend after July 4th). A fundraiser for rugged landscape provided sustenance for bass in Three Rivers. Disabled Sports , this event features Olympic, sprint, and kid’s T mini-triathlon distances in addition to courses for challenged athletes. the region’s Native Americans and mountain com- A community’s livelihood is often born of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Lake Tahoe, NV (July-August). Shakespeare performed on the beach surrounded by crystalline blue water, majestic peaks, munities. In the 19th century, however, lives were land. In the western foothills, a farming family and alpenglow sunsets. Amenities include beach chairs, sand areas for blanket seating, and on-site dining with pre-show cocktails. changed forever by fortune seekers arriving from grows persimmons on a parcel their immigrant Indian Fair Days & Pow Wow North Fork, CA (first weekend in August). Longest INDIAN GRINDING ROCK around the world in search of gold. The evolution grandfather scrimped to buy a century ago. Every running festival of traditional arts in the western Sierra Nevada. Native Ameri- STATE HISTORIC PARK can food, games, dance demonstrations, arts and crafts, pageant, and raffle. Upon the 173-foot slab of marbleized limestone continued in the early 20th century as farmers autumn the family hand-massages and dries the Downieville Classic Downieville, CA (August). Features a 29-mile cross-country at this park the Miwok people once ground bike race that follows a rugged gold-rush-era route and a challenging 17-mile acorns and other seeds, leaving behind 1,185 from Japan and discovered how well fruit orange-colored fruit in order to make the traditional downhill mountain bike race. Festival entertainment includes river jumping and mortar holes visible today. Encounter Miwok geotourism (n): Tourism pixie-cross championships, music, street fair, and bike expo. culture amidst the reconstructed village, which grew in the Sierra soil, and established orchards. Japanese delicacy called hoshigaki. In the central SIERRA that sustains or enhances the Inter-Mountain Fair McArthur, CA (Labor Day weekend). Since 1918, an includes bark houses and a ceremonial round- “old-fashioned country fair” with arts and crafts, tractor pull, carnival, parade, Later, World War II veterans founded some of the and southern foothills, vintners grow wine grapes geographical character of a house. The Chaw’se Regional Indian Museum NEVA DA roping and bull riding, livestock championships and auction, , and presents artifacts such as basketry, arrow points, country’s first ski resorts. Ever since then, entre- on old cattle ranch lands. In the town of Springville, GEOTOURISM place—its environment, culture, exhibits. and tools, and the many religious ceremonies aesthetics, heritage, and the Virginia City International Camel Races Virginia City, NV (September). held by local Native Americans throughout the preneurs, nature lovers, and explorers have made ranchers protect historical sites, host green wed- well-being of its residents. Fun-filled event featuring untrained camels mounted by novice riders, year bring this culture to life. interspersed with ostrich races and the occasional zebra race. Specialty acts, lasting impressions on the range. dings, and promote outdoor education exercises food, and a camel parade. Rails to Trails Festival Susanville, CA (October). Family event celebrating the On Main Street or in the backcountry, it is easy that expand the mind. Rails to Trails conversion of the Bizz Johnson Trail. Music, chili cook-offs, hand- car races and rides, caboose tours, and children’s activities. to meet the people of the Sierra, whether they play Caretakers, curators, and sometimes curiosities Mountain Mandarin Festival Auburn, CA (weekend before Thanksgiving). piano at a historic hotel or lead tours through lime- themselves—Sierra Nevada residents welcome Mandarin orange recipe cooking contest, professional chef demonstrations, A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DESTINATION arts and crafts, music and dance, local vendors, and free children’s activities. stone caverns. Some sell vintage bottles in the town visitors to share in the future of the remarkable of Murphys or hold traditional powwows on the “Range of Light.” See more events and volunteer opportunities on

MACK LAKE, NEAR MAMMOTH LAKES RICHARD BROADWELL / ALAMY www.SierraNevadaGeotourism.org. Modoc Plateau; others build hiking and mountain —Laura Read, author, Tahoe City, CA Connect and Engage

BODIE STATE HISTORIC PARK JOHN DITTLI Six photography students are up before dawn, their tripods JOSH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY planted firmly in the Sierra dirt, their lenses trained on an array of peaks and ridges they cannot yet see. Their teacher explains

that with the earliest slip of light, the sky will flush indigo blue WILDERNESS and the still-black mountains will sharpen in relief. As every second passes, the sun’s illumination will change, and so will the students’ perceptions. The Sierra reveals much to people who actively engage with its landscape and traditions. Some activities honor craft and tech- nology, such as basket weaving taught by a Yosemite Miwok, or gold panning demonstrated by a northern foothills miner. Others, including naturalist-guided walks and interpretive center events, reveal natural wonders, such as how a red snow plant bursts through hard soil into sunshine in spring, or how every October, squirm upstream to lay eggs. BODIE STATE HISTORIC PARK From birding festivals at Valley to river restoration Tales of saloons, gunfights, and lawlessness bring to life the heyday of this former 1800s gold mining boomtown, now a deserted ghost programs such as the annual Great Sierra River Cleanup, group town. Bodie draws you down its dusty, abandoned streets and into gatherings reflect the diversity of the Sierra’s inhabitants. One , the school, and other buildings where time-worn furnishings annual event commemorates America’s first downhill ski races and interiors remain as they were when the last resident left. organized by gold miners, another challenges the indomitable skills of loggers, while other fairs celebrate animals, including mules in Bishop, jumping frogs in Calaveras, and camels in Virginia City, Nevada. Participants not only make new friends, but also discover new worlds. EPIC SIERRA ADVENTURES TEEN CLEARS GROUND FOR A TRAIL AT GULL LAKE MOSQUITO LAKE, NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY MOLLY HUCKLEBRIDGE, AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY (ARC) STEVE SHUEY / ALAMY Lake 39° Tahoe 120°W M Changing Landscapes DESOLATION ELDORADO rinking water, shower water, car wash water: When snow melts in springtime, it streams into WILDERNESS Domestic water doesn’t originate at the tap in collection systems that deliver it to neighborhoods Horsetail Falls 80 121° Historic Cary House Hotel Massive waterfall carved into the granite California; it arrives from the mountains. Up and homes. Many months and miles later, the Mark Twain, President Ulysses S. Grant, and landscape and pine forest, accessible only by D Bette Davis once stayed at this classic gold rush a steep trail with challenging boulder climbs. EEcho Lake to 65 percent of all of the water consumed in the mountain’s snowmelt reaches the domestic tap hotel built in 1847. Original woodwork and Ice House 7377 ft Echo Summit bricks, and the second oldest elevator west of E 2249 m L Golden State flows from a magnificent 400-mile-long where it splashes onto millions of hands. Coloma E Kelsey E Res. O 89 the Mississippi, add to its elegance and charm. Twin Bridges E

Fk N Mesa Vista spine of peaks and canyons along the state’s eastern But the story doesn’t end there. Today, climate S. . America Kyburz 50 A E n E T Woodfords EE

Chili P

Pollock I O E A Alpine Village

W N C border—the Sierra Nevada range. change, a development as defining as the area’s Bar Pines I ORADO Y A Sorensen's Resort e L D COUNT F

b E –E L IC . 0 All-season resort with cozy cabins and cottages,

e r E 5 NATIONAL S C The Sierra narrative is an epic of growth, erosion, first uplift, is altering the mountain range’s trea- Folsom r C Placerville E Camino ROUT C R 88 n

E E a wood-red sauna, and nearby trout-lled Chew Kee Store Museum N S o

IC T EBBETTS PASS NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY Lake s Jenkinson Lake E T West Fork . R

Built of thick, mud-packed walls, this r and renewal. Four million years ago the Earth’s sured places. Weather disruptions are shortening Bryants A Drive at a leisurely pace down this 61-mile stretch of road that I 8573 ft 50 E gold-rush-era herb store served a thriving les Cr. L 2613 m a 395 winds through the wildest wonders of the Sierra Nevada, including p C Chinese community that inhabited the town a L Markleeville superheated magma shoved surface plates of rock the length of winters, and the warmer days are E E C Carson . E Folsom Shingle Diamond Springs p Cr. Caples LakeE 8314 ft giant sequoias, glacially carved valleys, alpine lakes, and volcanic am for more than a hundred years. Step inside Pass k Monitor Pass 2534 m peaks. You’ll find remains of Native American, pioneer, and mining Lake Springs E El Dorado T Kirkwood F C (closed in winter) L high into the air. Weather and gravity worked as , shrinking the snowpack, reducing its capacity as Natoma E the present-day museum and examine 10153 ft . sites. And outdoor recreation is virtually unlimited—from camping, El Dorado KThe E E 3095 m W Mount Hills Somerset E original furnishings, goods from the store, Sisters Loope fishing, and boating to skiing at . snow, ice, and wind gouged and cracked the moun- a storage body. Rare plant and animal species are ican Nimbus Dam Grizzly Flat E and the owner’s residence. ESilver Lake Bullion er 7621 ft Plasse 89 m 2323 m Grover Hot Springs State Park A K E tains and washed away the soil. Today’s mountain migrating upslope. In addition, warmer winters E E Leek Spring Hill Hike through forests and meadows of this . F Malby Crossing Melsons k E designated California Watchable Wildlife viewing . C Topaz range is 70 miles wide and more than 14,000 feet are shortening ski and snowboarding seasons, Corner a Omo FOREST r Nashville E E site, and soak in the soothing hot springs. s Ranch s Bear o high. The sculpted shapes that remain comprise which affects local economies. ne MOKELUMNE n Mount m E Mid u 8731 ft E Aukum dle Fk. Cos WILDERNESS Coleville some of the Sierra’s grandest places, including the All is not doomed, however. The human passion Enterprise E River Pines E Lower Bear River H 2661 m Ebbetts Pass (closed in winter) ) Reservoir LY 88 9332 ft SCE A Highland Peak WAY (ROUTE K AL NIC W K glorious , ancient volcanic rock for the Sierra is kindling fresh collaboration among ne s HIG H 2844 m ON BY C m ASS I 10935 ft 395 E o su 49 u nes N P T Rancho Murieta S os m O A 3333 m 119° E . Fk. C S N AR E formations of the Sierra Buttes, and the mighty the region’s many stewards. The mountains are Fiddletown C Salt Springs SS Four TS PA Walker 88 Lake ET 16 E E Reservoir B Corners B Highland Lakes . putting their people to the test, and the people are Fk e Alpine E E Plymouth eek . . M elu n NEVADA S y Cr . N ok m E . Fk. Dr r C The high country is a storage place for water. responding. r Ebbetts Pass Bear Valley CARSON-ICEBERG EDrytown e t National Scenic Byway 338 ut After you go bass shing, kayak the white S —Laura Read, author, Tahoe City, CA S E E WILDERNESS HUMBOLDT-TOIYABEK EWilton r. E Pioneer water, or picnic on the riverside, you might Mt. Patterson 11673 ft C E Amador City Pine E Tamarack E 3558 m na Carbondale Fine Eye Gallery West consider joining the effort to designate these 4 gu Grove E waters as a National Wild and Scenic River. E a Contemporary works of art, décor, and Point Ganns r k West L E mne s Spicer Meadow Fo jewelry by local and regional artists. Sutter Creek E u u k Designated California Sandy Gulch le Fk. Mokel e a Res. r S Midd n sl a Wild and Scenic River. unny Martell E m i Cl Bridgeport MONO LAKE Ebro Jackson Downtown Historic District lu n 11462 ft ings CHARLES PHILLIPS / STONECREEKGALLERY.COM ok ke a ot Spr t

. H Mountaineers might explore Range Ione E 88 Jackson E Registered National Historic District E o Cottage E K3494 m ales Independence M S r F . . E E L r with original gold-rush-era buildings. k . Donnell Lake Sonora Junction 182 year-round while anglers land in the F Springs C Dardanelle E 7519 ft California Cavern State Historic Landmark C E k 9628 ft Devils Gate Rail Road Flat . F r L2935 m 2292 m Bridgeport Reservoir, Twin Lakes, the Walker River, on E lav S ve (closed in winter)

Don your helmet lamp and follow your professional s a eras . a I P Big Bar C A and numerous backcountry lakes and creeks. k 26 . Fk. r. N e

c N B C guide through subterranean passages once explored Ja E C 108 W NATIONAL o E I Dorrington F i . I

by Mark Twain and John Muir. Delve into chambers n K C Mokelumne Hill Bridgeport .

E o en W r t STANISLAUS R n C where crystalline formations cling to walls and reach Jesus Maria n C e R a Reservoir . A Calaveras Big Trees State Park d r E E l ia C White Pines y S h down from ceilings, or book an exhilarating expedition EPaloma ar an C T k Pardee S N g M e

sus Standing at the base of the giant sequoias, the world’s r. A Je r u

through the undeveloped parts of the cave. Reservoir 49 E TION E E A o

Fisher Arnold largest living objects, you might feel overwhelmed by L

S Bridgeport

Mountain k r. R C C E E Place e their immensity. The Louis Agassiz tree, the park’s keye r Camanche e E c e Ranch r u e n Campo N B C most massive, is 250 feet tall and more than 25 feet k um Reservoir I l C l e Seco d Beardsley Lake a R k l 12 E o in diameter. T O o Avery R W w U Bodie State Historic Park M E E is E E A .

Gr I T E L San Andreas Hathaway Pines E

99 Valley Strawberry Pinecrest L. E E 39 HOOVER FOREST 5 EWillow Springs Springs us – . k.St la Pinecrest M r F anis EMIGRANT 4 Middle O 270 o C ECold Springs N New Hogan Dam New Hogan ming O o Cr. ELodi D son EMono Village C Lundy Canyon Lake WILDERNESS O n E in Rancho Calaveras E a NATIONAL U S Murphys b Twin Lakes N Come in the spring to enjoy vibrant wild ower s o T Murphys Historic Hotel u e R a 108 Y displays, in the summer to view awe-inspiring Rose Cr. l n WILDERNESS Inside this photographic Main Street inn you’ll nd s waterfalls, or in autumn to admire aspen glades EAltaville i m n u . MONO LAKE . rooms, many of which are original, furnished with EVallecito E l 395 that glow in ery crimson and gold. Cr S ta Long r Peak K r 26 o Bea period antiques and named for historic gures who E . S C There’s a certain otherworldly quality to Mono Lake—volcanic 88 Angels Camp Museum F k. u R 12264 ft Barn y T S ras once stayed here—including Susan B. Anthony, John s r 3738 m I islands, the faint buzz of alkali flies, trillions of brine shrimp feeding ave Angels E . r . E l u Mi-Wuk Village k e r R a Clavey R on algae in dense salt water, and limestone spires and formations C Wayne, and Horatio Alger. Camp a F h C A l . C H 167 s N e I INYO that protrude through the lake surface. The Mono Lake Committee Salt Spring Valley i YOSEMITE t G ColumbiaE E H n Twain Harte u works to protect the ecosystem and prevent excessive water usage Reservoir L i R a P O . GRANITE t Columbia State Historic Park U Cr NATIONAL and other threats. S T l . A blend of restored gold-rush-era buildings E il 38°N r WILDERNESS Tioga Lodge Mono C and modern-day retailers and services. M Tuolumne County Museum at Mono Lake FOREST k E E Lake 38°N BACKCOUNTRY SKIING, BLOODY MOUNTAIN, MAMMOTH LAKES c Copperopolis E Hike to these powerful falls that cascade more MOUNTAIN & History Research Center Sonora Soulsbyville FOREST Lake DALE APGAR o New Melones Eleanor than 1,300 feet into Reservoir, Mono Lake Committee E R Information Center Lake Jamestown Tuolumne E a submerged pristine glacial valley. Mt. Conness K Mono Basin Stockton E Stand atop and behold a panorama O’Shaughessy R 12590 ft & Bookstore E Bird Chautauqua Railtown 1897 Dam 3837 m L n WILDERNESS Benton Hot Springs so awe-inspiring it might seem unreal. , e Vi ing Lee Vining 4 State Historic Park Hetch Hetchy Tuolu e C . After exploring the 1860s mining equipment m LEE r . 99 V a Yosemite icon, towers thousands of feet above Reservoir I 5 n S N N r e C YO you can choose a campsite, pitch your , I N C the Yosemite Valley oor. drops 9945 ft E N G CA Y G N A h Hiking trails across the uneven, and soak in your own private hot spring tub. 3031 m IC BYW Tulloch Reservoir 108 2,425 feet over three breathtaking . The O (closed in winter) L s rocky surface of volcanic pumice high-country wilderness, deep valleys, cliffs, and K u in a highly protected area. E Mt. Dana 13053 ft R 120 meadows span nearly 1,200 square miles. Mather 3979 m ) RAILTOWN 1897 STATE HISTORIC PARK E ol r BOUNDARY Chinese Camp Tu um YOSEMITE e STEPHEN SAKS PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY t . ne PEAK k D L Mono n 120 F i 49 M A 10604 ft i le JOHN y WILDERNESS d d O Pass L w 6 120 Mt. Hoffmann e 3232 m Groveland Quilt Stroll K R MUIR K13140 ft l n Groveland E s A i 1859 Historic National Hotel adow 120 10850 ft G TRAIL l Eastern Sierra Birding Boundary Peak 4005 m e O d Grant E 120 M 3307 m I F E Big Oak Flat Smith k T A e INYO Cruise down this 200-mile stretch of Highway 395 121° s The ornate redwood exterior and vine-covered uc o Lake Montgomery City to E S o E W a vi

EB . r l hi ch Cr Station Big Oak Flat Entrance c . courtyard draw you into this restored mid-1800s F e k where the landscape is as diverse as the bird Benton C k. l mn OInformation Station ( June Lake hotel, with its elegant three-star restaurant, saloon JOHN MUIR Tuo u population. With an Eastern Sierra Birding Trail HIGHWAY Map in hand you’ll know where to scan the skies, h that serves up drinks at the original black bar, and June Lake Triathlon EJune Lake rooms adorned with Victorian antiques. Iron Door Saloon NATIONAL D cliffs, and streams for bald eagles, yellow-billed Not only is this 1890s saloon unique for its Gull L. cuckoos, tundra swans, or even a magnicent i Don 8842 ft 158 E solid granite block walls and tin-covered sod Yosemite Village E 2695 m KHalf Dome Crestview frigate bird. Pedro roof, but it is also the oldest continuously Mt. Lyell t Yosemite Theater K Thousand Island Reservoir John Muir Route operating saloon in California. 13114 ft NATIONAL ley Live summertime performances 3997 m Lake O . Celebration E al w e r V that bring the park’s history, E Coulterville emite M ANSELM e C Yos HEADWATERS

n Don Pedro Recreation Agency 132 people, and landscapes to life. i Owens River e d s y r d . Visitor Center Granite Coulterville c e 13157 ft d WILDERNESS 395 r Local guides can help you access back- r C D Modesto CIER Mt. Ritter 4010 m le E EDyer Springs Well-preserved mid-1800s buildings and a LA POI K Hammil E E G NT F Mammoth h country, isolated sections of this river 118° Reservoir t M La Grange main street listed on the National Register InclineE El Portal RD. PARK k . Lakes o considered by many to be one of the best of Historic Places. 264 MAMMOTH LAKES TY N ADAMS S m COUN E trout sheries in the West. a m 132 POSA . 203 Mammoth Lakes Impressive snow totals and a snowpack make the Sierra Nevada E I a Tuolumne Hayward R F n Whitmore Ko

A Merced Peak K DEVILS POSTPILE (closed M 14246 ft k M E E world-famous for almost-year-round skiing. In the spring you can ski

J Hot Springs

Lake McClure — 11726 ft . NATIONAL in winter) FOREST 4342 m

0 YOSEMITE o E S through the morning, go trout fishing midday, and hike in the afternoon.

Turlock 14 3574 m MONUMENT Bagby a INYO

R Lake u

(Exchequer Reservoir) E a O

E q Lake T Take a side trip to see the , a breathtaking ridge of jagged moun-

RAILTOWN 1897 STATE HISTORIC PARK WILDERNESS Mammoth U

u U n Crowley Briceburg T

O Lakes E tain peaks, or hike to the base of 101-foot-tall Rainbow Falls.

Railtown invites you into this fully operational railroad i

R d 3 J n 9 WILDERNESS e N Convict 5– A n c o M N complex that has operated continually since 1897 and served as 4199 ft ONO C Bear Valley r O C ee k E e a Lake UNT WHITE Dry 1280 m Y I a Hollywood filming location for more than 200 productions, from C r K M q E 140 u . E N . Bloody Mt. K12544 ft T t d i r Toms Place Co Petticoat Junction to Unforgiven. View original locomotives, watch . Bullion Mt. k B n 3823 m t

e r Wawona R t

E C I

F c C S Midpines e Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site o MOUNTAINS skilled workmen repair cars, check out movie props and artifacts, s OVisitor Center McGee Creek Trail e T n r E . w S L o ( o

G E a

or ride an authentic steam-powered train through California’s scenic e r n (open summer only) View the original 1883 depot, agent’s house, R d C

u Wawona High-altitude trail (begins at 8,000 feet c C B Rock Creek Canyon O Mariposa M O r . E and climbs another 2,000-plus) with and hundred-year-old “Slim Princess,” the last U

Mount Ophir M Hike through Little Lakes e T N WILDERNESS Stroll through the sprawling historic district of this Hornitos Vermilion Valley Resort E E e access to the . steam train to operate on the narrow-gauge E S i 266 Basin and 13,000-foot 1 k 6 C This out-of-the-way, full service, lakeside resort 8 former mining town, once a popular rest stop for E peaks to Mono Pass. railroad. Wander through the 1880s-style E E

) N C

I stagecoaches. Tour the well-preserved buildings and Mariposa with simple accommodations is a major rest and C r

E village or take a ride on the “ n o Oasis

Fish Camp B o artifacts at the Mariposa Museum and History Center. EBootjack resupply spot for thru-hikers on the Pacic Crest Railroad Car” during summer weekends. Y k CALIFORNIA W e Book one of the antique-furnished rooms at the National Scenic Trail and . E A d . Y s r

Mariposa Hotel Inn and meet visitors from around 49 C C Catheys Valley C S JOHN MUIR Happy and Sad Boulders 6

E h . r.

w ek Shallow volcanic canyon with routes along the globe on the veranda. i e . 41 lo F r Narrow Gauge Inn q Sierra Nevada Travel r l k C walls, alcoves, and jumbled rock. Tips i . NATIONAL u S o 13748 ft E C This small, family-owned, Swiss chalet-style lodge on E W a M E r i Mt. Morgan K4190 m Rovana Alta Vista E . SIERRA Laws t Geotourism invites you to explore new environments and cultures in a n Winton Burns Lake a invites visitors to stroll through vibrant gardens, o S . e I r k E C C

J R SYLVANIA

way that leaves local treasures unspoiled for generations to come. In B F . Ancient Bristlecone

Lake Thomas R enjoy seasonal food at the restaurant, and kick S n

Yosemite Lake . r o A r Bishop

Yosemite I o E E 59 H

Bear N . Bear Creek Bishop Mule Days Pine Forest E MOUNTAINS

the Sierra Nevada region of California and Nevada, where breathtaking a A. Edison C t

back on your room’s private deck with forest and R I 395

E qu G r PIPER Forks R

Reservoir in H KSpire e Celebration Deep A o WILDERNESS

beauty can be found at every turn, we strive to promote the principles of E mountain views. Vermilion Valley Dam n E R E

Atwater O V 13713 ft i Oteys Sierra Springs

Ahwahnee Shuteye Peak R H Mountain Light Gallery . U geotourism every day. So as you take your journey to some of the most K I Mammoth Pool P S OU 4180 m r MOUNTAIN 140 Village T 8351 ft T T C Features the stunning landscape photography A Reservoir E Buttermilks E captivating places on Earth, we hope that you not only will be enriched Oakhurst 2545 m 99 E E S V p 3 of the acclaimed late . Owens Reservoir Bass Lake C E World-class bouldering area. o 9 E Mammoth Pool h O BRISTLECONE PINE, PATRIARCH GROVE, by the experience, but also will be inspired to conserve and protect it— Fresno Flats Historic Village and Park N s 5 WILDERNESS

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I i INYO COUNTY

E C -

Mariposa Dam I Late 1800s village with homes, jail, B WILDERNESS so you and all those who follow can enjoy it time and again. Merced Bass Lake KAISER B N

k Y Y e Reservoir blacksmith shop, and other structures. Bass Lake 168 O e W r C hi WILDERNESS C s c ll Popular year-round shing A G n Bishop Creek Basin O e w a Y 9083 ft Deep Springs Shop Locally Ow o spot with abundant summer Mt. Humphreys U N h K From March to November anglers can Black K2768 m Lake Support Sierra Nevada communities by patronizing local businesses. Coarsegold recreation opportunities. NATIONAL T C E Florence Lake 13986 ft Y Mountain ELakeshore 4263 m choose between four well-stocked lakes Seek out delicious local foods, unique lodging, and family-owned shops. L Huntington in close proximity to one another. A W 168

Indian Fair Days & Pow Wow, N Eastman L Supporting the people who support the places you are visiting will PULLING TIRES OUT OF THE Lake A C RICHARD F. SLOAN Lake Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree ENorth Fork E 11423 ft (road closed O reward you with richer experiences. Raymond E FOREST

E INYO N w S 3482 m in winter) I .

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Billy Creek Guard Station Museum F

Coarsegold Historic Museum n n

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i i A s

Big Creek This 1920s residence tells the story of the B l . Volunteer Restored buildings and extensive displays convey the u l q S Aqueduct Intake cultural heritage of the Chukchansi, Mono, and a region’s Native American history ranging from P J A great way to get to know a place, and the people who work to protect o a A OH Parchers Resort E w o CIF N Miwok people, as well as early pioneer families. the Monache to the Western Mono, the onset of n IC C M In 1913 the rapidly growing city of Los Angeles J R it, is to lend a hand. Repair hiking trails, pull invasive weeds, restore C E U Big Pine E Zurich S KMt. Darwin E J T I

n R completed construction on an aqueduct that

Sierra Mono Indian Museum r the hydroelectric power era, and a B-24 bomber N

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streamside habitat, catalog historical artifacts, and pick up trash. Be a o A 13830 ft T

S that crashed into Huntington Lake in 1943. a R 4215 m originated at this intake on the Owens River

The North Fork Mono tribe conveys its history 168 I A a “voluntourist”—check out ways to “Connect and Engage” at q O NATIONAL u I N and sent water thundering down more than Hensley and cultural heritage not only through displays in DINKEY L . i ig P r www.sierranevadageotourism.org. FOREST LAKES A B ine C Lake the museum, but also through guided tours with n L 200 miles to the city. WILDERNESS S C stories, songs, and an interpretive nature walk. E EN IL Hike, camp, or ski on the southernmost Take a Hike Shaver Lake Courtright IC TRA Wildlife DEATH Take a language class or attend a Thursday ) K permanent glacier in . The Sierra Nevada region boasts trails to hike, bike, ski, and ride . 8 Reservoir N 6 E 14242 ft Viewing Area “Craft Day” and learn the traditional arts of E 1 Dinkey Creek Local volunteers can lead you on educational day hikes to watch , Auberry TE 4341 m basketry and beadwork. U D E Great Sierra AG O Fish VALLEY M T E (R FOREST Tinemaha identify wildflowers, and explore public lands. Kayak and paddle along I S Y E o A R C WA Shaver Crossing Railroad Station Museum n D River Cleanup E ENIC BY Springs Reservoir the Lake Tahoe Water Trail to view wildlife and historic lakeshore man- E H s R RA Pine Kings Canyon National Park e IER From 1912 through the late 1920s this A SE S sions. Wear layered clothing for changeable Sierra weather. Carry and r CAN Ridge station served as a hub of activity—worker The powerful surges through a glaciated A F A L NATIONAL L Prather IN drink plenty of water. Stop to catch your breath and enjoy the views. E residences, workshops, and the like—on the valley oor anked by skyscraping granite walls and Waucoba Mt. K E E Wishon S V Marshall Station 11123 ft A 145 Tollhouse San Joaquin and Eastern Railroad. Learn Reservoir cliffs. Canyons thousands of feet deep their L E 3390 m L

37° E 37° Tribal Lands way through the mountains. And the barren ridges about this once-thriving community and the Aberdeen Y PARK E

L R s On any American Indian reservation, you are a guest where people live last standing station on a railroad that was and remote High Sierra environs lure hikers and O Friant g 11400 ft K A . D and work. Taking photos and video can be a sensitive issue, so ask dismantled in 1933. backpackers to spots visited by few. n 3475 m r 8167 ft Patterson Mountain i B A C 2489 m permission first. A great time to visit is during traditional powwows. SEQUOIA- K C y . Baxter Pass Trail K

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41 A F C k 168 S. Follow the ten-mile loop trail through owering O U

Keep Wildlife Wild & Safe n N

i s alpine meadows, where you might see a bighorn ANCIENT BRISTLECONE PINE FOREST T D Help protect the Sierra’s abundant wildlife. Maintain a respectful g gs sheep grazing on the hills. A steep hike to the R Along the mountaintops of the Inyo National Forest stretches in Y E n KINGS CANYON B Trimmer K i distance (and then some), use binoculars and telephoto lenses, refrain GREAT SIERRA RIVER CLEANUP . summit of the pass and an equally challenging Y an unusual landscape of rocky, white soil, interrupted by N k K W

The Great Sierra River Cleanup is an annual volunteer event spread . F A from feeding wild animals, and protect wildlife and your food by securely . descent will lead you to the John Muir Trail. dwarfed, gnarled, and distorted trees: ancient great basin

Pine Flat Y across 22 counties and 700 river miles. The Cleanup focuses on remov- k Kennedy Mt. K 11433 ft KINGS CANYON storing your meals and trash, especially when camping. Reservoir F 3485 m V bristlecone pine trees, many of which are more than 4,000 ing trash and restoring watershed health throughout the Sierra Nevada le years old. After you’ve walked the 4.5-mile Methuselah Loop 99 FR d Inyo region. The Sierra supplies California with up to 65 percent of its water. IAN id MONARCH Step Away from Your Car T King M Trail you can be sure you’ve seen the world’s oldest living — E s

Explore the area by getting out into it—try walking, cycling, or taking K tree, but you’ll have to guess which one it is. Its identity is E Crabtree WILDERNESS NATIONAL E R public transportation for a portion of your travels. Clovis N kept secret. C K Mountains AN E SEQUOIA IN Kings Cany A GS on EIndependence L Piedra CANY Cedar Grove A ON SCENIC B E WILDERNESS Dirt Roads and Seasonal Roads YWAY O 180 E Cedar Grove E Many of the roads between towns and public recreational lands are not s Hume Bubb Seven Museum G g Visitor Center s C r n e Pines Exhibits, events, and book titles covering Sierra paved and vary in maintenance levels. Take it slow, keep the dust down, i NATIONAL FOREST Buck Rock Lookout ek K Panoramic views from a dome-top Nevada history from the dinosaurs through Native and give the wildlife a brake. Don’t drive off road, and please respect Grant Grove PARK Americans, pioneers, and famous mountaineers. Squaw Valley E E accessed by switchback staircases. private property. Some roads, especially those that go over Sierra Dunlap E Village Mt. Inyo K11107 ft EFresno Onion Valley and L 3385 m passes, are only open seasonally due to high snow loads and avalanche O LONG LAKE, JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS

After steering through steep switchbacks up more w INYO danger. Be sure to check if your route is open. Call 1-800-GAS-ROAD for RUSS BISHOP / ALAMY 180 P

120°W E than 5,000 vertical feet you arrive in Onion Valley. A e Sanger C

JENNIE n

Sierra road and weather conditions. Pinehurst I E F 395

FOWLER SWITCH CANAL E KINGS From here you can climb the challenging Kearsarge s I L Miramonte LAKES C

13160 ft CANYON WILDERNESS Pass Trail on foot to several alpine lakes or over the C E

63 R 4011 m MOUNTAINS

Leave No E Owenyo NATIONAL crest of the Sierra Nevada, through breathtaking S

T L Take only photographs and leave only footprints. Travel on existing trails J Mt. Williamson

General Sherman Tree Kings Canyon backcountry and directly to the N K PARK O

A 14375 ft and camp on hard surfaces. Keep campfires small in established fire H Nearly 275 feet tall and as much as 36.5 feet John Muir Trail. T N 4382 m I National Historic Site O E K WILDERNESS Fowler in diameter at the base, Tree M pits. Pack out garbage if no trash receptacles are nearby. Let animals Orange Cove Mt. Silliman 11188 ft N E U During World War II, more than 10,000 Japanese A A 3410 m L Beverly and Jim Rogers eat natural foods rather than yours. Parlier L is the world’s largest tree by volume and is Wuksachi IR T E E S Americans were interred at a military-style camp A T C E Museum of Lone Pine estimated to be roughly 2,000 years old. O R Village E Lone Pine E Lodgepole Visitor Center A here at the base of the Sierra Nevada. Help preserve E A N Film History

K4116 ft I Reedley L S I E E E C

Turn Your Lights Off and Look Up at the Night Sky T Auckland Bear Mt. 14494 ft Whitney Portal

1255 m their memory by touring the remnants of building Crystal Cave T B 4418 m Without the glare of city lights you will be astounded at our clear, crisp R Naturalist-guided summer tours of ancient, R K foundations and the camp cemetery, and take some A A 12944 ft

N I Mt. Whitney 3945 m C underground, rooms and formations. L K

Sierra skies. Don’t miss a chance to see the stars, the planets, and the H 136 E time to view exhibits in the interpretive center. C h

ANAL Dolomite Milky Way like you’ve never seen them before. a

a K E E Ka we h

e . k SEQUOIA e Dinuba Orosi F 14042 ft E 245 w le 13802 ft r 4280 m Y d n K E a d Be Prepared, Stay Safe E Cutler i K4207 m Swansea VIEW OF LONE PINE PEAK THROUGH MOBIUS ARCH M 201 K Ascend from river canyons to high alpine Mt. Langley JOSH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY Learn about local conditions and regulations before venturing out: Kingsburg Kaweah Mt. Kaweah . lakes to the summit of Mt. Whitney on this What’s the weather forecast? How are the roads? Are open fires The Kaweah Post Ofce, built in 1910 and still k EKeeler F 70-mile classic trek. in operation, is the last vestige of the Kaweah Kaw E permitted or are camp stoves required? Remember that many mountain eah . Mt. Whitney Bartlett

Colony, a late 1800s community based on the E N Three Rivers Lions roads are gravel or single-lane, and always carry tire chains for snow and GIANT SEQUOIAS 43 NATIONAL PARK At the south end of the John Muir Trail rises ISTOCKPHOTO.COM / JIM LOPES principles of utopian socialism. Team Roping ice during the fall, winter, and spring. Dress in layers. It’s not uncommon Mt. Whitney, an ultimate quest for hikers and Owens JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS . Three Rivers E to experience several seasons during the same day, especially at high Cr Historical Museum Three Rivers Flourishing mountain community with climbers. At 14,494 feet it is the highest Named for the naturalist-conservationist who explored the dramatic d JOHN KREBS elevations. 99 oo Lake minimal modernization, and a national peak in the . canyons, lakes, and pinnacles of this alpine terrain, the John Muir nw 63 Cabinart WILDERNESS Cultural Landscape District. Lake to Woodlake E Kaweah 198 Wilderness encompasses more than a half million acres from ot Pencil drawings and oil paintings of the K How This MapGuide Was Created elevations of 4,000 feet to mountain peaks of 14,000-plus feet. C southern Sierra Nevada by Jana Botkin. Mt. Florence 12432 ft K Studio open by appointment only. 3789 m e E INYO The people of the Sierra Nevada laid the foundation of this MapGuide a h r e n by telling the stories of thousands of authentic places and experiences aw Lemoncove K that they would like to share with you. Sites for the map were described C Fk. K a and selected by locals. The project is overseen by the Sierra Nevada S. aw eah n 190 Visalia E 245 ECartago Geocouncil, a diverse alliance of representatives committed to engage 198 y visitors in experiences that sustain and enhance the special qualities of G o the Sierra Nevada. E E E n NATIONAL Midvalley Farmersville Exeter E 12123 ft Olancha 10042 ft 3695 m BLUE RIDGE Maggie Mt. 3061 m K When you’re traveling in the Sierra, use the Sierra N.W.R. K WILDERNESS WILDERNESS Nevada Geotourism mobile phone app to find local Dry Creek Preserve e places and fun things to do near you! This unique nature preserve sits on 152 ul E T Tulare E acres of reclaimed mining land on which Milo . FOREST N. Haiwee k

137 F Reservoir local conservationists and community SOUTH Visit www.sierranevadageotourism.org to connect . members restored sycamore woodlands, N SIERRA with the residents and more than 1,500 of their native grasses, and habitat for native and River Ridge Ranch SEQUOIA S. Haiwee favorite art and cultural events, historic sites, time- migratory bird species. Working cattle ranch WILDERNESS Reservoir and nature preserve. . Tule Cannell Trail ALABAMA HILLS less towns, local shops, and outdoor explorations. k E Haiwee E le F 190 Camp Nelson For hard-core mountain bikers, this 23.7-mile trail Millennia of rain, snow, and windblown sand E d SIERRA 65 Springville Mid is considered one of ’s most sculpted these distinctive hills of granite, out of T The Needles which rise impressive arches such as Alabama ule Kthrilling rides. The route (mostly single-track) starts NEVA DA Tule 8245 ft E Hills’ Mobius Arch. If you notice a familiar quality 2513 m in the thin air at 9,200 feet, climbs an additional Dunmovin GEOTOURISM Lake 1,900-or-so vertical feet, and rewards you with to the landscape it may be with good reason. The contoured formations have served as the Success ule jaw-dropping views and an overall 9,000-vertical-foot Porterville E T backdrop for hundreds of Hollywood films, from After you climb the quarter-mile staircase to the exposed E . descent down to the Kern River. 395 k Gunga Din and The Lone Ranger to Gladiator and 190 F summit of and behold the Sierra Nevada and for- East . Iron Man. ested canyons, it becomes clear how this became California’s Porterville S NATIONAL first national park. The Museum familiarizes RESERVATION Sherman Peak K you with the towering sequoias and verdant meadows before 9909 ft you venture out among the trees, the tallest of which are the L 3020 m 36°

36° A SACATAR N

A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DESTINATION height of the average 26-story building. and A

C E Lodge, an upscale mountain resort, invites you to rest and N DOMELAND n R Trail of 100 Giants Johnsondale r E relax in luxury. e K Walk the 1.3-mile paved interpretive trail McNally's Fairview Lodge TRAIL T K k

e N through Long Meadow Grove and marvel at the . E e IA Local dining favorite where the in-house Little Lake r R 65 k C F giant sequoias, the largest which has a 20-foot butcher hand cuts every steak to order. er F e diameter and stands 220 feet tall. D E . Fairview S WILDERNESS ACK CO K B UN California A TRY BYW E AY FOREST P E Hot Springs E Culture and Heritage Y E Earlimart Pine Flat E WILDERNESS N Kernville M Early Native Americans and settlers left behind artifacts that I CHIMNEY PEAK

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Examine objects depicting thousands of years of s C n i n WILDERNESS immerse visitors in the detail and nostalgia of history. In a a local history—including fossils and Native American t r BULLOCK’S ORIOLE PERCHING IN COTTONWOOD TREE, AUDUBON n e u traditional roundhouse, families hold a ceremony for WILLIAM LEAMAN / ALAMY artifacts—at the Kern Valley Museum. Honor the legacy K OREGON o of the region’s earliest settlers with a walk through the M an annual acorn harvest. In a windswept meadow north of Lake 99 timeworn Old Kernville Historic Cemetery. Browse n John Muir r 8295 ft o Tahoe, campers bake pizza in an early 20th-century Basque downtown art galleries and shops, watch kayakers and h K2528 m n “As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds E anglers on the Kern River, and get to know some locals e Delano e Sunday Peak fieldstone oven. In the near Bridgeport, children r

at the Kern River Brewing Company. G S 155 E and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the explore the abandoned buildings of a preserved ghost town. In Kernville WILDERNESS I 155 Canebrake K language of , storm, and the avalanche. the western foothills, a ranching family drives cattle across river E GlennvilleE E E Owens 8452 ft Alta Sierra Ecological Reserve Canebrake 2576 m R NEVADA Peak I’ll acquaint myself with the and wild E bridges to winter pastures. In the barren northeast, history buffs R Lake E Wofford Heights Tahoe Woody gardens, and get as near the heart of the world examine rutted paths marking the routes of brave 19th-century A Audubon Kern EOnyx Sacramento B E River Preserve as I can.” emigrants seeking prosperity. In the south among the giant McFarland E P CALIFORNIA Nuui Cunni Native American Intertribal Cultural Center E KIAVAH L A N Isabella Lake Indian Wells —John­ Muir redwoods, artists capture the spirit of early settlers embodied The Cultural Center’s museum, gathering place, and multi- E Weldon SEQUOIA 5245 ft C E Bella 1599 m I acre gardens feature native plants, artifacts, handmade in the historic Kaweah Post Office. F V crafts, and wares from Native American tribes such as the Isabella Lake Dam Vista NATIONAL FOREST 178 I AREA A John Muir and climbers Clarence R. King and Thanks to the people who preserve the Sierra’s cultural C ENLARGED D Shoshine Paiute, Tubatulabal, and . E Freeman E O A WILDERNESS Junction Norman Clyde dedicated their lives to exploring artifacts and traditions, it is possible to contemplate the C E ACKERSON MEADOW, NEAR YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Bodfish y E e and writing about the Sierra while advocating region’s future while treasuring the past. CHARLES PHILLIPS / STONECREEKGALLERY.COM A E l 65 l N Pine Mountain K Miracle a for its protection. They believed sharing their AUDUBON KERN RIVER PRESERVE 4085 ft Hot Springs V 1245 m E One of the country’s first ten sites to receive “Globally Important Armistead dramatic adventures would awaken the 178 s E SEQUOIA l Bird Area” recognition, this natural preserve on the South Fork Kern l 14 public’s interest in the natural world. In all E BRIGHT e River contains freshwater wetlands and cottonwood-willow riparian Po Democrat EL PASO so C Havilah STAR W of John Muir’s adventures, he believed the forests that provide habitat for rare and/or protected bird species— reek Hot Springs NATIONAL MOUNTAINS such as bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and southwestern willow WILDERNESS n a WILDERNESS Sierra Nevada, affectionately referred to as DESERT flycatcher—and 200 species of nesters. G ESageland i Map Key FOREST d n the “Range of Light,” was the most divinely I Indian Reservation K beautiful chain of mountains he had ever seen. n er Piute Peak 8437 ft National Forest K Audubon Kelso Creek Sanctuary 2572 m Oildale E One hundred fty-six acres of riparian forest, desert P National Park or Monument scrub, and Joshua tree woodlands lie on a major i u migratory corridor for songbirds, raptors, and bats. t Wilderness e E 184 P Bakersfield M A Red Rock Canyon C I State Park National Scenic Byway o F I u C

C n R Other Scenic Byway E RED ROCK CANYON STATE PARK t S EBena a T JACK GOLDFARB / DESIGN PICS / CORBIS i N National Wild and Scenic River n A Loraine ETwin Oaks T E E I Cantil te Cr s O ien ee E 58 al k N Trail E C A E Millersville L Rancho S Caliente C 204 E Seco

Festival or Event E N E I ELamont C Cinco

Greenfield T Historic Site E R Rowen A I Museum L E Sugarloaf Mt. 184 Keene EWoodford K Natural or Scenic Area E E 223 6244 ft Alameda Arvin E 1903 m Walong E Other Point of Interest Marcel ECable Outdoor Recreation 119° Bear Valley E G Springs Scheduled Air Service E 14 California City O Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park Tehachapi E Visitor Center EMonolith 3793 ft Open by tour only, Tomo-Khani is the ancestral 1156 m 58

home of the Kawaiisu people who resided here L 118° for around 1,500 years. On the moderately Scale 1:543,000 strenuous three-hour hike you’ll encounter ancient Chaffee E cave paintings, grinding holes, and other 58 0 5 10 15 20 25 Miles RED ROCK CANYON STATE PARK EMojave Eroded cliffs, buttes, and rock formations rise from the desert remnants of this hunter-gatherer culture. landscape in striations of red, brown, and gray, often used as land- marks for weary pioneers and miners in the late 1800s. Camp at 0 5 10 15 20 25 Kilometers the foot of a magnificent sandstone ridge, hike along miles of trails, 1 inch = 8.6 miles or take a guided nature hike in the spring when wildflowers are

1 centimeter = 5.4 kilometers ablaze with color. THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND JOHN MUIR ON GLACIER POINT, YOSEMITE VALLEY, 1903 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

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