Northern California usually refers to the state's northernmost 48 counties. The main population centers of Northern California include
San Francisco Bay Area (which includes the cities of
San Francisco,
Oakland, and the largest city of the region,
San Jose), and
Sacramento (the state capital) as well as
its metropolitan area. It also contains
redwood forests, along with the
Sierra Nevada including
Yosemite Valley and
Lake Tahoe,
Mount Shasta (the second-highest peak in the
Cascade Range after
Mount Rainier in
Washington), and the northern half of the
Central Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. The climate can be generally characterized by its
marine to warm
Mediterranean climates along the coast, to a somewhat continental Mediterranean climate in the valley to alpine climate zones in the high mountains. Apart from the
San Francisco Bay Area and
Sacramento metropolitan areas (and some other cities in the Central Valley), it is a region of relatively low population density. Northern California's economy is noted for being the de facto world leader in industries such as high technology (both software and
semiconductor), as well as being known for
clean power, biomedical, government, and finance.
Klamath Mountains The
Klamath Mountains are a
range in northwest California and southwest Oregon, the highest peak being
Mount Eddy in
Trinity County, California, at . The range has a varied geology, with substantial areas of
serpentine and
marble. The climate is characterized by moderately cold winters with heavy snowfall and warm, very dry summers with limited rainfall. As a consequence of the geology, the mountains have a unique flora, including several endemic or near-endemic species, such as
Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and
Foxtail Pine (Pinus balfouriana).
Brewer's Spruce (Picea breweriana) and
Kalmiopsis (Kalmiopsis leachiana) are relict species, remaining since the
last ice age.
Cascade Range The
Cascade Range is a mountainous region stretching from the
Fraser River in
British Columbia, Canada down to south of
Lassen Peak, California. The Cascades (as they are called for short) are part of the Pacific
Ring of Fire, the ring of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean. All of the known historic eruptions in the contiguous United States have been from either Cascade volcanoes or near
Mono Lake. Lassen Peak was the last Cascade volcano to erupt in California, from 1914 to 1921. Lassen is the most southerly active volcano of the Cascade chain. This region is located in the northeastern section of the state bordering
Oregon and
Nevada, mostly north of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The area is centered on
Mount Shasta, near the
Trinity Alps. Mount Shasta is a dormant volcano, but there is some evidence that it erupted in the 18th century. The plateau lies between the Cascade Range to the west and the
Warner Mountains to the east. The
Lost River watershed drains the north part of the plateau, while southern watersheds either collect in basin reservoirs or flow into
Big Sage Reservoir and thence to the
Pit River. Nine percent of the plateau is protected as reserves or wilderness areas, The plateau supports large herds of
mule deer (
Odocoileus hemionus),
Rocky Mountain Elk (
Cervus canadensis), and
pronghorn (
Antilocapra americana). One notable feature of the Basin and Range is
Mono Lake, which is the oldest lake in
North America. The Basin and Range also contains the
Owens Valley, the deepest valley in North America (more than 10,000 feet (3 km) deep, as measured from the top of Mount Whitney). In the eastern part of the state, below the Sierra Nevada, there is a series of dry lake beds that were filled with water during the last ice age (fed by ice melt from
alpine glaciers but never directly affected by
glaciation; see
pluvial). Many of these lakes have extensive
evaporite deposits that contain a variety of different
salts. In fact, the salt sediments of many of these lake beds have been
mined for many years for various salts, most notably
borax (this is most famously true for
Owens Lake and
Death Valley). In this province reside the
White Mountains, which are home to the oldest living organism in the world, the
bristlecone pine Coast Ranges To the west of the Central Valley lies the
Coast Ranges, including the
Diablo Range, just east of
San Francisco, and the
Santa Cruz Mountains, to the south of San Francisco. The Coast Ranges north of San Francisco become increasingly foggy and rainy. These mountains are noted for their
coast redwoods, the
tallest trees on earth, which live within the range of the coastal
fog.
Central Valley California's geography is largely defined by its central feature—the
Central Valley, a huge, fertile
valley between the coastal mountain ranges and the
Sierra Nevada. The northern part of the Central Valley is called the
Sacramento Valley, after its main river, and the southern part is called the
San Joaquin Valley , after its main river. The whole Central Valley is watered by mountain-fed rivers (notably the
San Joaquin,
Kings, and
Sacramento) that drain to the
San Francisco Bay system. The rivers are sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities, notably
Stockton, and
Sacramento are seaports. The southern tip of the valley has interior drainage and thus is not technically part of the valley at all.
Tulare Lake, with an area of , once filled much of the area. In modern times, it is usually a
dry lake and partially covered with agricultural fields. The lake reappears during unusually high levels of rainfall or snow melt such as the winter of 2022 and early spring of 2023.
Sierra Nevada in the eastern Sierra Nevada In the east of the state lies the
Sierra Nevada, which runs north–south for . The highest peak in the contiguous United States,
Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet (4.42 km), lies within the Sierra Nevada. The topography of the Sierra is shaped by uplift and glacial action. The Sierra has 200–250 sunny days each year, warm summers, fierce winters, and varied terrain, a rare combination of rugged variety and pleasant weather. The famous
Yosemite Valley lies in the Central Sierra. The large, deep freshwater
Lake Tahoe lies to the North of Yosemite. The Sierra is also home to the
Giant Sequoia, the most massive trees on Earth. The most famous hiking and horse-packing trail in the Sierra is the
John Muir Trail, which goes from the top of Mount Whitney to Yosemite valley. This is part of the
Pacific Crest Trail that goes from
Mexico to
Canada. The three major national parks in this province are
Yosemite National Park,
Kings Canyon National Park, and
Sequoia National Park. ==Southern California==