Santa Barbara 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 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: 12,756 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

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

Running Springs is a mountain community in the San Bernardino Mountains. It is an inholding in the San Bernardino National Forest. Situated at the junction of State Route 18 and State Route 330, it is a major gateway to the mountain communities of Lake Arrowhead, Arrowbear, Green Valley Lake, and Big Bear and…

Average elevation: 5,489 ft

Average elevation: 3,094 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: 322 ft

Frazier Park is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is 5 miles (8 km) west of Lebec, at an elevation of 4,639 feet (1,414 m). It is one of the Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass. The population was 2,691 in the 2010 census, up from 2,348 in 2000.

Average elevation: 5,030 ft

Average elevation: 696 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: 4,049 ft

Oakhurst is located on the Fresno River 3 miles (5 km) south-southwest of Yosemite Forks, at an elevation of 2,274 feet (693 m). Its coordinates are 37°19′41″N 119°38′58″W / 37.32806°N 119.64944°W / 37.32806; -119.64944. It is located at the junction of state highways 41 and 49, at the…

Average elevation: 2,746 ft

Average elevation: 699 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

During and immediately after heavy snow storms it may not be possible to drive to the top of Mount Pinos Road due to the lack of snow plow availability. In such cases it is common for the Kern County Roads Department to close a snow gate lower on the mountain. It is still possible to ski from the snow gate and…

Average elevation: 8,097 ft

Average elevation: 472 ft

Average elevation: 33 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

Average elevation: 1,627 ft

In January 2006, Ramona Valley was designated the country's 162nd American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which recognized the area for its distinctive microclimate, elevation, and soil attributes.

Average elevation: 1,539 ft

Average elevation: 656 ft

The area is surrounded on the southwest by the Santa Rosa Mountains, by the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east and San Gorgonio Mountain to the north. These mountains peak at around 11,000 feet (3,400 m) and tend to average between 5,000 and 7,000 feet (1,500 and…

Average elevation: 236 ft

Average elevation: 472 ft

Average elevation: 5,676 ft

Average elevation: 2,923 ft

Average elevation: 3,842 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: 3,219 ft

Average elevation: 12,756 ft

Average elevation: 5,118 ft

Average elevation: 1,234 ft

Average elevation: 5,135 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

Average elevation: 180 ft

Average elevation: 157 ft

Average elevation: 909 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: 6,526 ft

Average elevation: 2,411 ft

Average elevation: 141 ft

Likely (formerly, South Fork) is a census-designated place in Modoc County, California. It is located near the South Fork of the Pit River, 18 miles (29 km) south of the county seat of Alturas, at an elevation of 4,449 feet (1,356 m). Its population is 53 as of the 2020 census, down from 63 at the time of the…

Average elevation: 4,472 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

The low mountain is 909 feet (277 m) in elevation. Mount Sutro is one of the many named hills within San Francisco, and among its original "Seven Hills".

Average elevation: 466 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: 6,486 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

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: 23 ft

Average elevation: 148 ft

Average elevation: 3,422 ft

Average elevation: 26 ft

Average elevation: 39 ft

Average elevation: 636 ft

Average elevation: 43 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

Average elevation: 1,404 ft

Average elevation: 7 ft

Average elevation: 453 ft

Contra Costa Centre is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California. Contra Costa Centre sits at an elevation of 92 feet (28 m). The 2010 United States census reported Contra Costa Centre's population was 5,364, while the 2020 census figure was 6,808. Contra Costa…

Average elevation: 118 ft

Average elevation: 3,235 ft

Average elevation: 2,618 ft

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2), 99.86% of it land. The elevation is 4,800 feet ASL.

Average elevation: 4,803 ft

Average elevation: 89 ft

Average elevation: 3,307 ft

Average elevation: 1,319 ft

Average elevation: 5,059 ft

Average elevation: 4,259 ft

Average elevation: 138 ft

Average elevation: 3,166 ft

Average elevation: 4,498 ft

Average elevation: 1,804 ft

Average elevation: 203 ft

Average elevation: 492 ft

Average elevation: 1,322 ft

Average elevation: 4,560 ft

Average elevation: 187 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

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: 5,607 ft

Average elevation: 6,614 ft

Average elevation: 197 ft

Mount Whitney (Paiute: Tumanguya; Too-man-i-goo-yah) is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). It is in East–Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, 84.6 miles (136.2 km) west-northwest…

Average elevation: 12,805 ft