Monterey 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

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

Average elevation: 79 ft

Average elevation: 12,756 ft

The climate in San Diego, like most of Southern California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances, resulting in microclimates. In San Diego, this is mostly because of the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May…

Average elevation: 187 ft

Average elevation: 8,238 ft

Average elevation: 2,172 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

Garberville is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located on the South Fork of the Eel River 52 miles (84 km) south-southeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 535 feet (163 m). The population was 913 at the 2010 United States Census. It is approximately 200 miles (320 km) north of San…

Average elevation: 650 ft

Cajon Pass (/kəˈhoʊn/; Spanish: Puerto del Cajón or Paso del Cajón) is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault, it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m). Located in…

Average elevation: 3,835 ft

Average elevation: 1,627 ft

Average elevation: 1,929 ft

Average elevation: 2,434 ft

Keene (formerly, Wells) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California in the foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains at the southern extreme of the San Joaquin Valley. Keene is located 8.5 miles (14 km) northwest of Tehachapi, at an elevation of 2,602 feet (793 m). The population was 469 at the…

Average elevation: 2,927 ft

Average elevation: 2,172 ft

Average elevation: 2,188 ft

Average elevation: 591 ft

Average elevation: 6,486 ft

Average elevation: 322 ft

Average elevation: 12,756 ft

Average elevation: 5,607 ft

Average elevation: 659 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: 676 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: 7,106 ft

McKinleyville (formerly Minorsville) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Humboldt County, California McKinleyville is located 5.25 miles (8.4 km) north of Arcata, at an elevation of 141 feet (43 m). The population was 15,177 at the 2010 census, up from 13,599 at the time of the 2000 census.

Average elevation: 161 ft

Average elevation: 1,834 ft

Average elevation: 1,329 ft

Hilmar is an unincorporated community in Merced County, California, United States. It is located 4.25 miles (6.8 km) west-southwest of Delhi, spanning 3.9 sq mi (10 km2) and at an elevation of 92 ft (28 m) above sea level. For census purposes, Hilmar is aggregated with a nearby community into the Hilmar-Irwin…

Average elevation: 98 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: 3,307 ft

Average elevation: 3,166 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: 256 ft

Average elevation: 0 ft

The beach is less than 0.5 miles (0.8 km) long and sheltered in San Luis Bay, which is formed by Point San Luis on the west and Fossil Point on the east. Avila Beach faces south and the 600 foot elevation of Point San Luis breaks the prevailing northwesterly winds. It is therefore usually warmer than the other…

Average elevation: 151 ft

Average elevation: 699 ft

Average elevation: 584 ft

Average elevation: 4,498 ft

Average elevation: 761 ft

Average elevation: 7,733 ft

Average elevation: 154 ft

Average elevation: 2,047 ft

Average elevation: 6,673 ft

Average elevation: 7 ft

"MURPHY'S CAMP is a curious old mining-town in Calaveras County, at an elevation of 2,400 feet (730 m) above the sea, situated like a nest in the center of a rough, gravelly region, rich in gold. Granites, slates, lavas, limestone, iron ores, quartz veins, auriferous gravels, remnants of dead fire-rivers and…

Average elevation: 2,303 ft

Boonville (formerly The Corners and Kendall's City) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located 12.5 miles (20 km) southwest of Ukiah, at an elevation of 381 feet (116 m). The population was 1,018 at the 2020 census.

Average elevation: 551 ft

Average elevation: 390 ft

Average elevation: 1,880 ft

Average elevation: 2,943 ft

Average elevation: 2,457 ft

Average elevation: 3,950 ft

Sierra City (Sierra, Spanish for "mountain range") is a census-designated place in Sierra County, California, United States. The elevation of Sierra City is 4,147 feet (1,264 m), and the town is situated in the canyon of the North Yuba River on California State Route 49, twelve miles northeast of the county…

Average elevation: 5,276 ft

Average elevation: 2,726 ft

Average elevation: 509 ft

Average elevation: 348 ft

Average elevation: 725 ft

Rescue, formerly Green Valley, El Dorado County, California, is an unincorporated community in El Dorado County, California. It is located north-northwest of Shingle Springs and north-northeast of Cameron Park. The zip code is 95672, and Rescue is located in area code 530. The town lies at an elevation of 1214…

Average elevation: 1,289 ft

The most common approach to Mount Lyell is from Tuolumne Meadows on a highly traveled section of the John Muir Trail. The round trip is approximately 25 miles (40 km) and involves 4,500 feet (1,370 m) of elevation gain when starting from the Tuolumne Wilderness Office. The hike is easy from Tuolumne Meadows,…

Average elevation: 11,896 ft

Average elevation: 482 ft

Average elevation: 157 ft

Average elevation: 6,883 ft

Average elevation: 115 ft

Average elevation: 118 ft

Average elevation: 12,648 ft

Average elevation: 115 ft

Average elevation: 2,625 ft

Average elevation: 837 ft

Average elevation: 2,103 ft

Offshore, the nutrient-rich and frigid waters of the Pacific enhance the entire marine food web, from primary producers such as algae and zooplankton to apex predators like sand sharks, bottlenose dolphins, and gray whales. Within the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the diverse seafloor topography encompasses…

Average elevation: 39 ft

Average elevation: 10,988 ft

Average elevation: 312 ft

Average elevation: 427 ft

Average elevation: 6,253 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: 1,056 ft

Average elevation: 115 ft

Average elevation: 807 ft

Average elevation: 4,790 ft

Average elevation: 620 ft

Diamond Springs (formerly, Diamond Spring and Diamond) is a census-designated place (CDP) in El Dorado County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,037 at the 2010 census, up from 4,888 at the 2000 census. The…

Average elevation: 1,778 ft

Average elevation: 3,117 ft

Average elevation: 4,377 ft

Average elevation: 3,698 ft

Markleeville hosts an annual bicycle ride called the Death Ride - Tour of the California Alps. The route goes over five passes for a total distance of 129 miles and over 15,000 feet of elevation gain. In 2010 3,500 riders participated and 2,417 completed the full course of 5 mountain passes.

Average elevation: 5,866 ft

Average elevation: 23 ft

Average elevation: 148 ft

Average elevation: 26 ft

Average elevation: 39 ft

Average elevation: 636 ft

Average elevation: 3,422 ft

Average elevation: 11,165 ft

Average elevation: 4,137 ft

Average elevation: 2,635 ft

Average elevation: 299 ft

Average elevation: 1,112 ft

Average elevation: 968 ft

Average elevation: 112 ft