Parks, Monuments, Preserves, and more. Photos for one’s we’ve visited

Death Valley National Park– at over 3.4 million acres, the largest national park outside of Alaska.

Looking west across Badwater Basin, the lowest point in Death Valley (-282). The Panamints are in the background.

Mojave National Preserve– 1.6 million acres, the 3rd largest unit of the national park system in the contiguous U.S.

Cima Dome, the central feature of the Cima Volcanic Field, raises 1500 feet

Mojave Trails National Monument– 1.6 million acres, on the south side of Mojave National Preserve. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Exiting Amboy Crater on the north side of the Mojave Trail National Monument. 7/6/2013. Prius claimed 120 F.

Yosemite National Park– just under 760,000 acres, it is centered around the glacial Yosemite Valley.

Looking east up Yosemite Valley. El Capitan, with Half Dome in distance. 7/15/2007

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks— Administered as one park. Sequoia NP (404,064 acres) includes the biggest giant sequoia, General Sherman, and the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S, Mt. Whitney (14,505). Kings Canyon NP (461,901 acres) is centered on another glacial valley in the western Sierras. Originally named General Grant National Park.

Base of the General Grant Tree, 2nd largest giant sequoia. 7/6/2006

Sequoia National Monument (328,000 acres) brackets Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP on the north and south. It includes 38 of the 39 giant sequoia groves in the Sequoia National Forest, about half of the total number.

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (23,000 acres) is a remarkable Mojave Desert oasis. Home to 26 endemic species, the highest concentration in the U.S. A lot of pupfish.

Crystal Spring, 2800 gallons per minute, the largest in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

Devil’s Postpile National Monument

Manzanar National Historic Site

Memorial obelisk at Manzanar War Relocation Center. Sierras in the background.

Mono Basin National Scenic Area— Protected area that surrounds Mono Lake

Mono Lake. Tufa formations in center Paoha Island behind.

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve