Among California's most amazing natural assets are its mountains. While there are quite a few mountain ranges in California, the dominant range in the eastern part of California, Sierra Nevada, runs north–south for 400 miles.  The topography of the Sierra is shaped by uplift and glacial action as evidenced by stunning views at Yosemite National Park (with famed Half Dome,) Mammoth Lakes and the highest peak in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet, visible from Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. The mountains feature camping, hiking, skiing, fishing, many sports, and include distinct seasons with winters that includes up to several hundred inches of snow in mountain resorts such as Mammoth Lakes.
 

CITIES & TOWNS

Ahwahnee Arnold Bass Lake Bear Valley Benton Big Pine Bishop Bodfish Bodie Bridgeport Buck Meadows Cedar Grove Coleville Dorrington El Portal Fish Camp Giant Forest Grant Grove Groveland Havilah Homewood Huntington Lake Kernville Kirkwood Kit Carson Kyburz June Lake Independence Kernville Kings Beach Kirkwood Lake Isabella Lakeshore Lee Vining Lindsay Lone Pine

Mammoth Lakes Mariposa Markleeville Meeks Bay Meyers Mi-Wuk Village Norden Northstar North Fork Oakhurst Olympic Valley Pinecrest Pollock Pines Quincy Shaver Lake Soda Springs South Lake Tahoe Squaw Valley Tahoe City Tahoe Vista Tahoma Tom's Place Three Rivers Truckee Tuolumne Twain Harte Twin Bridges Walker Wawona Weldon Yosemite National Park Yosemite Village

COUNTIES

Alpine
El Dorado
Kern
Mono
Nevada
Placer
Mariposa
Madera
Tulare
Tuolumne

PARKS & RECREATION AREAS

East Walker Wildlife Area
Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area
Kings Canyon National Park
Sequoia National Park
Giant Sequoia National Monument
Inyo National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
Toiyabe National Forest
El Dorado National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest 
Sierra National Forest
Devils Postpile National Monument
Yosemite National Park

Bodie State Historic Park
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve
Wassama Round House State Historic Park
Grover Hot Springs State Park
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Burton Creek State Park
Donner Memorial State Park
Sugar Pine Point State Park
DL Bliss State Park
Emerald Bay State Park

China Flat/Silver Fork Campground
Loon Lake/Crystal Basin Recreation Area
Martis Creek Lake Recreation Area
High Sierra Recreation Area

Dodge Ridge
Squaw Valley
Desolation Wild Area
Hope Valley Wild Area
Yosemite Falls
Badger Pass
Pioneer Yosemite History Center
Yosemite Mountain
Sugar Pine Railroad
Rainbow Falls
Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway

RIVERS & LAKES

S Fork American River
N Fork American River
Lake Tahoe
Cottage Springs
Pinecrest Lake
Lee Vining/ Tioga Lake
Union Valley Reservoir
Mokelumne River
Tuolumne River
Lake Eleanor
Cherry Lake
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
San Joaquin River
Merced River
N Fork Stanislaus River
Mammoth Pool Reservoir
Bass Lake
Kern River
Shaver Lake
Huntington Lake
Lake Thomas Edison
Crowley Lake
Tinemaha Reservoir
S Fork Kern River
Owens River
Pine Flat Reservoir
Bridgeport Reservoir
Mono Lake
Lake Isabella
Kings River
Haiwee Deer Winter Refuge
Hot Creek Wetlands & Fish Hatchery
Fish Slough
Laurel Ponds
Boyden Cavern
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Cottonwood Creek
Mount Whitney/ Black Rock Hatcheries
California Hot Springs
 

MOUNTAINS

Sonora Pass   9,265'  
Leavitt Peak   11,569'
Tower Peak   11,755'
Mount Lyell   13,114'
Monitor Pass   8,314'
Donner Summit   7,240'
Carson Pass   8,560'
Echo Summit   7,382'
Ebbetts Pass   8,732'
Tioga Pass   9,945'
Mount A Adams   11,760'
Half Dome   8,842'
Merced Peak   11,726'
Olancha Peak   12,123'
Mt Langley   14,042'
Mount Whitney   14,494'
Mount Williamson   14,375'
University Peak   13,632'
Matterhorn Peak   12,264'
Red Slate Mountain   13,163'
Mt Abbot   13,715'
Glass Mountain   11,123'
White Mountain   14,246'
Blanco Mountain   11,278'
Mount Tom   13,652'
Mt Powell   13,361'
Split Mountain   14,058'
North Palisade   14,242'
Mount Pinchot   13,495'