The State of California is
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A view of the Interstate 5 Freeway in Northern California with Mount Shasta in the distance.
Not far behind Mount Whitney in height is beautiful Mount Shasta in Northern California. Mount Shasta stands 14,162 feet high and is my favorite mountain to photograph. The Shasta Recreational Area features many outdoor attractions and activities including boating on nearby Lake Shasta. To the east of Shasta lies Mount Lassen. Both Shasta and Lassen are volcanic mountain peaks (as are many prominent West Coast mountains).
The majestic profile of Mount Shasta. This photograph was taken in 1993. The Shasta recreational area provides lots of opportunities for taking excellent mountain pictures.
Another look at Mount Shasta (photographed in 1990).
The Sierra Nevada Range in central California is where you will find Mount Whitney. The mountain range also takes in the scenic area of Mammoth Mountain and Mammoth Lake, plus the incomparable beauty of Yosemite National Park (a great place to take unique pictures of mountains and mountain waterfalls).
Mammoth Lake is surrounded by beautiful rugged mountain peaks. The Mammoth area features a popular ski resort and is a great location for taking mountain pictures.
Just south of Mount Shasta is beautiful Lake Shasta. Many people rent houseboats on this lake. Shasta Caverns are also nearby as is the town of Redding, California. It is a very scenic part of the State.
If you drive west from Redding toward the coast, you will pass through the Redwood National Forest. These ancient trees (some as old as 2,000 years) are the tallest trees in the world. Many reach a height of nearly 300 feet (about the same as a 30-story building).
Believe it or not, Southern California is also a great place to capture
mountain pictures
. There are three prominent peaks of more than 10,000 feet in height in Southern California. The tallest one is Mount San Gorgonio at 11,499 feet (it is actually taller than Mount Hood in Oregon). San Gorgonio is located in the San Bernardino mountains and the San Gorgonio wilderness area is a special part of this State. Also found in the San Bernardino mountains is the town of Big Bear which features a popular ski resort and a large recreational lake (Big Bear Lake). Just a short drive away from Big Bear is another beautiful spot - scenic Lake Arrowhead. Finding two pristine mountain lakes like these in Southern California is a surprise to many people.
Mount San Gorgonio is the tallest mountain in Southern California at 11,499 feet. It has snow on it during much of the Winter and Spring months.
San Gorgonio Mountain is framed by a field of wild mustard flowers.
More than 100 scenic photographs from this site are available on disc.
Another view of Mount San Gorgonio seen from a different perspective. The mountain ridge is long and wide as opposed to some mountain peaks which are more cone-shaped.
Big Bear Lake is located in the San Bernardino Mountains at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet.
Standing almost as high as San Gorgonio and located just a short drive away is Mount San Jacinto. It rises 10,834 feet in the air and stands between the desert city of Palm Springs and the slightly cooler towns of Hemet and San Jacinto. From the Palm Springs side, you can ride a tram to the 8,000 foot elevation level of Mount San Jacinto and get a great view of the desert floor and Palm Springs below. These tall Southern California mountain peaks frequently are seen with snow on them.
Beautiful Mount San Jacinto covered in snow. From this vantage point (just off of Highway 79), you can get good mountain pictures of San Jacinto in one direction and San Gorgonio in the other.
This road leads to the town of Glen Oaks which is located on the lower slopes of Mount San Gorgonio. The elevation here is around 3,000 feet.
Another section along the road to Glen Oaks.
Further south in San Diego County is Palomar Mountain. Although Palomar is only 6,140 feet tall, it features the world-famous Palomar Observatory at it's peak. The Observatory houses a 200 inch Hale telescope which was once the largest in the world, and it is still among the most powerful telescopes on the planet. Another smaller observatory is located on nearby Mount Laguna (which is slightly taller than Palomar at 6,378 feet). Even in San Diego County, you can take beautiful mountain pictures - even if they might not quite match the majesty of a Mount Shasta.
Palomar Mountain is seen beyond the peaceful hills of Bonsall in northern San Diego County.
Mount Laguna as seen from the city of Escondido, California.
One more view of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains.
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