This Is The Newest Park In Northern California And It’s Incredible
Northern California is a place of endless natural beauty, which is why it’s no surprise to us that new parks seem to pop up left and right to protect incredible places in this region. The Berryessa Snow Mountains National Monument was established on July 10, 2015 and is the newest federal park in Northern California.
It’s a hard place not to fall madly in love with. Here’s why.
The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument starts nearly at sea level and rises up to peaks reaching 7,000 feet above snow level.
The monument encompasses 330,780 acres from Lake Berryessa in the south to the Snow Mountain Wilderness in the north and the Yuki Wilderness on the east.
This area has been inhabited by Native Americans for over 11,000 years. Over 8 different tribes have lived in this region, making it a linguistically diverse spot.
The geology here is fascinating. Some of the peaks visitors can climb once rose out of the bottom of ocean and never touched the surface. Over time, shifting plates pushed them higher and higher until they formed the peaks we see today.
Jill is a freelance writer from a small Northern California town and lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. If you have an idea for an Only In Northern California story, email her at jsanford@onlyinyourstate.com.
