Mountains cover most of the surface of California.
The various ranges tended to isolate the diverse Native American
cultures that flourished within the present boundaries of the state.
The mountains also were formidable barriers during the early decades
of European American exploration and settlement.
Mount Whitney, the highest point in the United States
outside Alaska, rises to a majestic 14,495 feet above sea level in
Sequoia National Park, at the headwaters of the Kings and Kern rivers.
In southeastern Siskiyou County is Mount Shasta, a solitary peak
of volcanic origin whose summit is 14,162 feet. Just to the south
stands Mount Lassen at 10,457 feet. Mt. Lassen was an active volcano
between 1914 and 1921.
The Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ranges are
California's two major mountain ranges. The Klamath Mountains and
the Cascades are located
along the northern border of the state. The Transverse Ranges bisect
southern California. The mountainous spine of the Baja California
peninsula extends north into the Peninsular Ranges.
Mount Whitney, the highest point in the United States
outside Alaska, rises to a majestic 14,495 feet above sea level in
Sequoia National Park, at the headwaters of the Kings and Kern rivers.
In southeastern Siskiyou County is Mount Shasta, a solitary peak
of volcanic origin whose summit is 14,162 feet. Just to the south
stands Mount Lassen at 10,457 feet. Mt. Lassen was an active volcano
between 1914 and 1921.