Merced County topographic map

The San Francisco Bay Area is characterized by a diverse and dynamic topography shaped by geological processes over millions of years. This region features a combination of coastal plains, steep hills, and rugged mountains, all influenced by the tectonic activity associated with the nearby San Andreas Fault…

Average elevation: 371 ft

Average elevation: 213 ft

Average elevation: 12,756 ft

The highest peaks of the crest of the coast range are located at an average distance from the coast of three and a half miles [5.6 km]. In this distance they rise to elevations of from three thousand six hundred to five thousand feet [1,100 to 1,500 m] above the sea-level. From San Carpoforo Creek to…

Average elevation: 633 ft

The Santa Cruz Mountains are a region of great biological diversity, encompassing cool, moist coastal ecosystems as well as warm, dry chaparral. Much of the area in the Santa Cruz mountains is considered temperate rainforest. In valleys and moist ocean-facing slopes some of the southernmost coast redwoods…

Average elevation: 755 ft

The Berkeley Hills are bounded by the major Hayward Fault along their western base, and the minor Wildcat fault on their eastern side. The highest peaks are Grizzly Peak with an elevation of 1,754 feet (535 m) and Round Top, an extinct volcano with an elevation of 1,761 feet (537 m) and William Rust Summit at…

Average elevation: 518 ft

In the 1860s, San Franciscans began to feel the need for a spacious public park similar to Central Park, which was then taking shape in New York City. Golden Gate Park was carved out of unpromising sand and shore dunes that were known as the Outside Lands, in an unincorporated area west of San Francisco's…

Average elevation: 233 ft

Average elevation: 2,172 ft

Average elevation: 174 ft

Average elevation: 6,516 ft

Cameron Park is situated in an interior chaparral zone or brush zone just east of the Central Valley. It is the closest population center to the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve. Native vegetation includes an abundance of redbud and manzanita bushes, and brush in general. Where treed the native trees are primarily…

Average elevation: 1,342 ft

Average elevation: 2,287 ft

Average elevation: 115 ft

Average elevation: 4,049 ft

Average elevation: -3 ft

Twain Harte is situated in Tuolumne County along Highway 108 at an elevation of 3,640 feet (1,110 m).

Average elevation: 3,684 ft

Average elevation: 79 ft

Average elevation: 2,047 ft

Average elevation: 1,522 ft

Average elevation: 909 ft

Average elevation: 3,107 ft

The Half Dome Cable Route hike runs from the valley floor to the top of the dome in 8.2 mi (13 km) (via the Mist Trail), with 4,800 ft (1,460 m) of elevation gain. The length and difficulty of the trail used to keep it less crowded than other park trails, but in recent years the trail traffic has grown to as…

Average elevation: 6,191 ft

Average elevation: 7,100 ft

Average elevation: 6,486 ft

The topography of the sea floor surrounding Crescent City has the effect of focusing tsunamis. According to researchers at Humboldt State University and the University of Southern California, the city experienced tsunami conditions 31 times between the years 1933 and 2008. Although many of these incidents were…

Average elevation: 102 ft

Average elevation: 7,096 ft

El Dorado Hills (EDH), as defined by the 2010 census-designated place (CDP), is at the western border of El Dorado County, between the City of Folsom and the unincorporated community of Cameron Park. The northern limits of the CDP are Folsom Lake and the South Fork of the American River, where river rafters…

Average elevation: 833 ft

Average elevation: 2,106 ft

Mount Shasta (Shasta: Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki; Karuk: Úytaahkoo) is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of 14,179 feet (4,321.8 meters), it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth-highest in the state. Mount Shasta…

Average elevation: 12,195 ft

Average elevation: 807 ft

Average elevation: 5,118 ft

Average elevation: 1,640 ft

Average elevation: 10 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

Average elevation: 1,627 ft

Average elevation: 351 ft

Walnut Grove's location has made it the site of a rare collection of very tall radio and television transmission towers. The first major tower here was the KXTV/KOVR/KCRA Tower built in 1962, which dominated the skyline for over twenty years with its 1,548 foot height. In 1985 the old tower was joined by…

Average elevation: 3 ft

Crowley Lake is a census-designated place in Mono County, California. Crowley Lake sits at an elevation of 6,939 feet (2,115 m). The 2020 United States census reported Crowley Lake's population was 980.

Average elevation: 7,385 ft

Average elevation: 2,201 ft

Downieville is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Sierra County, California, United States. Downieville is on the North Fork of the Yuba River, at an elevation of 2,966 feet (904 m). The 2020 United States census reported Downieville's population was 290.

Average elevation: 3,796 ft

Average elevation: 325 ft

Average elevation: 141 ft

Average elevation: 5,676 ft

Average elevation: 1,289 ft

4S Ranch is underlain by Jurassic Santiago Peak Volcanics, Tertiary Stadium conglomerate, and slope wash alluvium. The land of 4S Ranch before development consisted of a variety of landforms ranging from nearly flat-lying mesas and gently rolling hills to rugged, steeply-sloping hillside terrain. Elevations…

Average elevation: 600 ft

Average elevation: 2,438 ft

Shaver Lake (formerly, Musick Creek and Musick Creek Heights) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 634 at the 2010 census, down from 705 at the 2000 census. Shaver Lake is on the southwest end of the lake of the same name, 10 miles (16 km) east of…

Average elevation: 4,715 ft

Average elevation: 12,756 ft

Average elevation: 5,607 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

Average elevation: 2,913 ft

Average elevation: 1,407 ft

Average elevation: 3,291 ft

Average elevation: 1,004 ft

Bodie (/ˈboʊdiː/ BOH-dee) is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, United States. It is about 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Lake Tahoe, and 12 mi (19 km) east-southeast of Bridgeport, at an elevation of 8,379 feet (2554 m). Bodie became a boom…

Average elevation: 8,619 ft

Average elevation: 3,422 ft

Average elevation: 138 ft

Average elevation: 5,381 ft

Average elevation: 1,709 ft

Average elevation: 6,745 ft

Average elevation: 584 ft

Average elevation: 3,219 ft

Average elevation: 1,814 ft

The prehistoric Hog Back landslide lies in the canyon of San Antonio Creek at 4000' elevation. When the slide occurred, it dammed the river, whose depth built up until the water was released catastrophically, forming a slot canyon which now holds some of the area's few good rock climbing routes (difficulty…

Average elevation: 8,776 ft

Average elevation: 1,982 ft

Average elevation: 8,150 ft

Average elevation: 2,336 ft

Average elevation: 4,908 ft

Average elevation: 226 ft

Average elevation: 12,421 ft

Average elevation: 11,572 ft

Average elevation: 3,566 ft

Average elevation: 679 ft

Average elevation: 2,241 ft

Average elevation: 1,296 ft

Groveland is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tuolumne County, California. Groveland sits at an elevation of 3,136 feet (956 m). The 2020 United States census reported Groveland's population was 540.

Average elevation: 2,946 ft

Average elevation: 3,914 ft

Average elevation: 5,512 ft

Average elevation: 203 ft

Average elevation: 2,421 ft

The highest point in the community is Black Mountain, which rises to an elevation of 1,500 feet (460 m).

Average elevation: 515 ft

Average elevation: 348 ft

Average elevation: 8,238 ft

Average elevation: 138 ft

Average elevation: 659 ft

Average elevation: 3,888 ft

Coarsegold is located on Highway 41 between Fresno and the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, at an elevation of 2,218 ft (676 m). Fresno is 38 miles (61 km) to the south, and the south entrance of Yosemite is 23 miles (37 km) to the north. Nearby communities include Oakhurst 8 miles (13 km) to the…

Average elevation: 2,507 ft

Average elevation: 4,524 ft

Average elevation: 1,539 ft

Average elevation: 381 ft

Average elevation: 4,078 ft

Average elevation: 3,996 ft

Average elevation: 2,625 ft

Average elevation: 1,568 ft

The pool is not the lowest point of the basin: the lowest point (which is only slightly lower) is several miles to the west and varies in position, depending on rainfall and evaporation patterns. The salt flats are hazardous to traverse (in many cases being only a thin white crust over mud), and so the sign…

Average elevation: 499 ft

Average elevation: 804 ft

Average elevation: 11,893 ft

Average elevation: 299 ft

Average elevation: 3,077 ft

Average elevation: 1,056 ft