The western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California are home to two major national parks, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Yosemite National Park. To the east of the mountain range lies Lake Mead National Recreation Area spanning the states, Arizona and Nevada.
From sky-scraping mountains to deep, vast caverns, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks claim an impressive elevation gradient from 1,360 feet in the foothills to the top of Mount Whitney at 14,494 feet, which is the highest peak in the lower 48 states. These parks also boast the world’s largest trees.
Sheer granite cliffs, giant sequoias, and waterfalls mark Yosemite National Park landscape. Yosemite is expansive consisting of 747,956 acres or 1,169 square miles. Known for its biological diversity, the national park supports over 400 wildlife species.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is America’s first and largest national recreation area including 1.5 million acres of mountains, canyons, and lakes. Situated just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, Lake Mead National Recreation Area boasts red-rock landscapes, Joshua trees, desert terrain, and refreshing water-based recreation.
In this gallery, The Sierra Range, we represent three national parks and a recreation area with digitized maps made available in the University of Kentucky Libraries’ collection. Before browsing the maps, take a look at Charley Harper’s commissioned work, The Sierra Range, to see the biological and geological diversity.
Learn more about these national parks at their official websites linked above.
