By John Lindell
Quick Facts About California
California is the third largest of all the states, with only Alaska and Texas having more area than its 163,707 square miles. Admitted to the Union on September 9th of 1850, the state borders Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and the Pacific Ocean as well as
Mexico. It is home to some of the most fascinating geographical features in the
United States, which attract millions of tourists annually.
Death Valley
Death Valley National Park was established in 1933; it is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. Death Valley is one of the deserts that cover a quarter of California and is where the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere took place--134 degrees in 1913.
Sierra Nevada range
The Sierra Nevada mountains stretch 400 miles down California's eastern border with Nevada. The highest point in the lower 48 states is Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet, located within this range.
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National is a 400,000 acre park that was established in 1890 and contains giant sequoia trees. Among them is the one called General Sherman, the tallest tree on the planet at 275 feet high and believed to be 25 centuries old.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite sits in the central area of eastern California. It contains abundant wildlife, breathtaking scenery including waterfalls and granite cliffs and covers 1,189 square miles.
Lake Tahoe
This 191-square-mile lake is North America's largest and is at an elevation of over 6,000 feet. It is home to numerous ski resorts that attract visitors from all over the world and at one point the lake is 1,645 feet deep, second only to Oregon's Crater Lake in terms of depth in the U.S.
Resources
About the Author:
John Lindell has written articles for "The Greyhound Review" and various other online publications. A Connecticut native, his work specializes in sports, fishing and nature. Lindell worked in greyhound racing for 25 years.
Photo Credits:
greatoutdoorsacademy.wordpress.com
