Misplaced Pages

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98-841: State Route 41 ( SR 41 ) is a state highway in the U.S. State of California , connecting the Central Coast with the San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra Nevada . Its southern terminus is at the Cabrillo Highway ( SR 1 ) in Morro Bay , and its northern terminus is at SR 140 in Yosemite National Park . It has been constructed as an expressway from near SR 198 in Lemoore north to

196-537: A sovereign state or country. By this meaning a state highway is a road maintained and numbered by the national government rather than local authorities. Australia 's important urban and inter-regional routes not covered by the National Highway or National Route systems are marked under the State Route system. They can be recognised by blue shield markers. They were practically adopted in all states by

294-532: A foreman working for Sacramento pioneer John Sutter , found shiny metal in the tailrace of a lumber mill Marshall was building for Sutter on the American River . Rumors soon started to spread and were confirmed in March 1848 by San Francisco newspaper publisher and merchant Samuel Brannan . Brannan strode through the streets of San Francisco, holding aloft a vial of gold, shouting "Gold! Gold! Gold from

392-523: A four-lane divided highway and eventually a freeway approaching the Fresno city limits. The route intersects SR 99 near Jensen Avenue. Complete access is not available between SR 41/SR 99. For example, there is no direct connector between the southbound SR 41 and northbound SR 99; drivers wanting to make this transition must exit at the SR 41/SR 180 interchange, head west on SR 180, and then transition onto SR 99 at

490-687: A low clearance railroad crossing and a dangerous narrow bridge crossing the Salinas River before rejoining its existing alignment. Then Caltrans built a bypass of this dangerous route with a long wider bridge crossing the railroad, Sycamore Drive, and the river before joining the original 1950s SR 41. SR 41 is now currently signed on this bypass. Since then, the old bridge was demolished but the railroad undercrossing still remains. There's an old sign on Capistrano Avenue that still marks it as "Hwy 41" and signs on El Camino Real that mark West Mall with covered up "41" shields. In February 2024, Caltrans closed

588-484: A named route branch) Trans-Canada route marker is co-signed with a numbered provincial sign, with the provincial route often continuing alone outside the Trans-Canada Highway section. However, in the western provinces, the two parallel Trans-Canada routes are consistently numbered with Trans-Canada route markers; as Highways 1 and 16 respectively. Canada also has a designated National Highway System , but

686-643: A network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration . Three segments – from SR 1 to US 101, SR 46 to SR 33 , and SR 49 at Oakhurst to Yosemite (the Wawona Road) ;– are eligible for inclusion in the State Scenic Highway System , but SR 41 is not officially designated as a scenic highway by

784-574: A new harbor was being developed. The entire length from Fresno to Morro Bay, as well as the Wawona Road to Yosemite, was added to the state highway system in 1933 as Route 125 , and subsequently improved by the state. In 1934, the state sign route system was established, and Sign Route 41 was designated along Route 125 from Yosemite south and southwest to Cholame and then west through Paso Robles to Cambria via Legislative Route 33 . The part of Route 125 southwest of Cholame instead became part of

882-530: A population of at least 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of the relevant municipalities. The state highway that cross towns or villages with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants are urban roads (type D and E) under the jurisdiction of the municipality, subject to authorization from ANAS . State highways in India are numbered highways that are laid and maintained by state governments . Mexico 's State Highway System

980-577: A portion of SR 41 near Stratford in a project to replace the 1947 Kings River bridge, forcing a 32 mi (51 km) temporary detour. The Kings County Association of Governments has plans to improve the state highways within the county. Developers are interested in building distribution warehouses in Kings County because of its strategic location midway between the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas, but they are currently turned off by

1078-571: A portion of the area, a triangle whose vertices are Reno, Nevada ; Fresno, California ; and Las Vegas, Nevada , has been dubbed the " Nevada Triangle ", in reference to the Bermuda Triangle . Some counts put the number of crashes in the triangle at 2,000, including millionaire and record-breaking flyer Steve Fossett . Hypotheses that the crashes are related in some way to the United States Air Force 's Area 51 , or to

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1176-448: A powerful stream or jet of water at gold-bearing gravel beds. It is estimated that by the mid-1880s, 11 million troy ounces (340 metric tons) of gold (worth approximately US$ 16 billion in 2020 prices) had been recovered by "hydraulicking". A consequence of these extraction methods was that large amounts of gravel, silt , heavy metals , and other pollutants were washed into streams and rivers. As of 1999 , many areas still bear

1274-706: A publication of his photographs under the title Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras , commented, "The name Sierra is already a plural. To add an s is a linguistic, Californian, and mountaineering sin." The Sierra Nevada lies primarily in Central and Eastern California , with the Carson Range , a small but historically important spur, extending into Nevada. West-to-east, the Sierra Nevada's elevation increases gradually from 500 feet (150 m) in

1372-410: A realignment in the route since then, M indicates a second realignment, L refers to an overlap due to a correction or change, and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary ( for a full list of prefixes, see California postmile § Official postmile definitions ). Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted. The numbers reset at county lines;

1470-501: A short period, and the lightning can start fires. Summer high temperatures average 42–90 °F (6–32 °C). Winters are comparatively mild, and the temperature is usually only just low enough to sustain a heavy snowpack. For example, Tuolumne Meadows , at 8,600 feet (2,600 m) elevation, has winter daily highs about 40 °F (4 °C) with daily lows about 10 °F (−12 °C). The growing season lasts 20 to 230 days, strongly dependent on elevation. The highest elevations of

1568-617: A three-digit number designation, preceded by D . Provincial roads ( Turkish : İl yolu ) are secondary roads, maintained by respective local governments with the support of the KGM. The roads have a four-digit numbering grouped as two pairs, pairs are separated by a dash. First pair represents the license number of that province . State highways are generally a mixture of primary and secondary roads, although some are freeways (for example, State Route 99 in California, which links many of

1666-447: Is Mount Lyell (13,120 ft or 3,999 m). The Sierra rises to almost 14,000 feet (4,300 m) with Mount Humphreys near Bishop, California . Finally, near Lone Pine , Mount Whitney is at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), the highest point in the contiguous United States . South of Mount Whitney, the elevation of the range quickly dwindles. The crest elevation is almost 10,000 feet (3,000 m) near Lake Isabella , but south of

1764-750: Is 100 km/h, with reductions when one passes through a densely populated area. The highways in New Zealand are all state highways, and the network consists of SH 1 running the length of both main islands, SH 2–5 and 10–58 in the North Island, and SH 6–8 and 60–99 in the South Island. National and provincial highways are numbered approximately north to south. State Highway 1 runs the length of both islands. Local highways ( Korean :  지방도 ; Hanja :  地方道 ; RR :  Jibangdo ; MR :  Chipangdo ) are

1862-969: Is a mountain range in the Western United States , between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin . The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California , although the Carson Range spur lies primarily in Nevada . The Sierra Nevada is part of the American Cordillera , an almost continuous chain of mountain ranges that forms the western "backbone" of the Americas. The Sierra runs 400 mi (640 km) north-south, and its width ranges from 50 mi (80 km) to 80 mi (130 km) across east–west. Notable features include General Sherman ,

1960-490: Is a system of urban and state routes constructed and maintained by each Mexican state. The main purpose of the state networks is to serve as a feeder system to the federal highway system. All states except the Federal District operate a road network. Each state marks these routes with a white shield containing the abbreviated name of the state plus the route number. New Zealand state highways are national highways –

2058-675: Is a viewpoint located just outside the east end of the Wawona Tunnel, and provides the first view of Yosemite Valley . The route then continues into Yosemite Valley where it terminates at SR 140 /Southside Drive. Except between US 101 in Atascadero and SR 46 near Shandon , SR 41 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System , and north of SR 46 is part of the National Highway System ,

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2156-424: Is divided into provinces and territories, each of which maintains its own system of provincial or territorial highways, which form the majority of the country's highway network. There is also the national transcontinental Trans-Canada Highway system, which is marked by distinct signs, but has no uniform numeric designation across the country. In the eastern provinces, for instance, an unnumbered (though sometimes with

2254-456: Is either protected from development or strictly managed. The mountain range is home to three National Parks  – Yosemite , Kings Canyon , and Sequoia  – and two national monuments  – Devils Postpile and Giant Sequoia . Ten national forests span much of the mountain range's remaining area. Within these national parks, monuments, and forests lie 26 wilderness areas , which together protect 15.4% of

2352-399: Is free to choose a different marker, and most states have. States may choose a design theme relevant to its state (such as an outline of the state itself) to distinguish state route markers from interstate, county, or municipal route markers. Sierra Nevada (U.S.) The Sierra Nevada ( / s i ˌ ɛr ə n ɪ ˈ v æ d ə , - ˈ v ɑː d -/ see- ERR -ə nih- VA(H)D -ə )

2450-542: Is higher in the east. A list of biotic zones, and corresponding elevations, is presented below: Archaeological excavations placed Martis people of Paleo-Indians in northcentral Sierra Nevada during the period of 3,000 BCE to 500 CE. The earliest identified sustaining indigenous people in the Sierra Nevada were the Northern Paiute tribes on the east side, with the Mono tribe and Sierra Miwok tribe on

2548-447: Is located 5.6 km (3.5 mi) SSW of Kettleman City on the west side of the highway. Just before reaching the intersection at SR 198 outside of the city of Lemoore , SR 41 becomes a four-lane divided highway until just southeast of Riverdale , where SR 41 reverts to one lane in each direction. The El Adobe de los Robles Rancho built by pioneer Daniel Rhoads can be found north of Lemoore. Southeast of Caruthers , SR 41 becomes

2646-568: Is not a road class. The Strade Statali , abbreviated SS, is the Italian national network of state highways. The total length for the network is about 25.000 km (15.534 mi). The Italian state highway network are maintained by ANAS . From 1928 until 1946 state highways were maintained by Azienda Autonoma Statale della Strada (AASS). The next level of roads below Strada Statali is Strada Regionale ("regional roads"). The routes of some state highways derive from ancient Roman roads , such as

2744-650: Is the source of much of the sedimentary rock in California. In the Cretaceous , a subduction zone formed at the edge of the continent. This means that an oceanic plate started to dive beneath the North American Plate . Magma, formed through the subduction of the ancient Farallon Plate , rose in plumes ( plutons ) deep underground, their combined mass forming what is called the Sierra Nevada batholith . These plutons formed at various times, from 115  Ma to 87 Ma. The earlier plutons formed in

2842-406: Is vested in the federal states of Germany. Most federal states use the term Landesstraße (marked with 'L'), while for historical reasons Saxony and Bavaria use the term Staatsstraße (marked with 'S'). The appearance of the shields differs from state to state. The term Land-es-straße should not be confused with Landstraße , which describes every road outside built-up areas and

2940-425: The 1964 renumbering , becoming SR 46 east from Paso Robles. However, instead of going south and west to Morro Bay, SR 46 continued west to Cambria, and the road via Creston and Atascadero to Morro Bay (which had since been paved) became part of SR 41. In the 1980s, the urban stretch of 41 running through Fresno was upgraded to freeway standards, intersecting SR 99 to the south. In the late 1990s and early 2000s,

3038-462: The Basin and Range Province . As this andesitic volcanism began waning about five million years ago, the rivers were able to begin eroding away the 100s of meters of volcanic deposits and resume the incision that had been halted by the first period of volcanism. Some studies have argued that this recent incision is a sign of recent tectonic uplift. Other geologists claim that the elevations of many of

California State Route 41 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3136-961: The California Department of Transportation . SR 41 is known as the E.G. Lewis Highway from SR 1 to US 101 in San Luis Obispo County, the Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Freeway from Ventura Avenue in Fresno to Herndon Avenue in Fresno, the Donald DeMers Highway from Jensen Avenue in Fresno to Elkhorn Avenue, the Yosemite Freeway from Elkhorn Avenue to the Fresno-Madera County line, the Southern Yosemite Highway from

3234-661: The Carson River runs into Carson Sink , the Walker River into Walker Lake ; Rush , Lee Vining and Mill Creeks flow into Mono Lake ; and the Owens River into dry Owens Lake . Although none of the eastern rivers reach the sea, many of the streams from Mono Lake southwards are diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct which provides water to Southern California . The height of the mountains in

3332-487: The Central Valley to more than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) atop the highest peaks of its crest 50 to 75 miles (80 to 121 km) to the east. The east slope forms the steep Sierra Escarpment . Unlike its surroundings, the range receives a substantial amount of snowfall and precipitation due to orographic lift . The Sierra Nevada's irregular northern boundary stretches from the Susan River and Fredonyer Pass to

3430-595: The Nevadan orogeny , granite formed deep underground. The range started to uplift less than five million years ago, and erosion by glaciers exposed the granite and formed the light-colored mountains and cliffs that make up the range. The uplift caused a wide range of elevations and climates in the Sierra Nevada, which are reflected by the presence of five life zones (areas with similar plant and animal communities). Uplift continues due to faulting caused by tectonic forces, creating spectacular fault block escarpments along

3528-611: The North Fork Feather River . It represents where the granitic bedrock of the Sierra Nevada dives below the southern extent of Cenozoic igneous surface rock from the Cascade Range . It is bounded on the west by California 's Central Valley , on the east by the Basin and Range Province , and on the southeast by the Mojave Desert . The southern boundary is at Tehachapi Pass . Physiographically,

3626-461: The San Joaquin Valley to the rest of the state in the 1870s. This facilitated the nationwide distribution of lumber. In addition, technological advancements, such as the shay locomotive and the v-shaped log flume , made it easier to transport lumber across mountainous terrain. The tourism potential of the Sierra Nevada was recognized early in the European history of the range. Yosemite Valley

3724-626: The Strada statale 7 Via Appia , which broadly follows the route of the Roman road of the same name . Other examples are the Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia ( Via Aurelia ) and the Strada statale 4 Via Salaria ( Via Salaria ). Since the reforms following the birth of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, the State took charge of the construction and maintenance of a primary network of roads for connections between

3822-537: The United States started to move to California via Sonora and Walker Passes . In the winter of 1844, Lt. John C. Frémont , accompanied by Kit Carson , was the first European American to see Lake Tahoe . The Frémont party camped at 8,050 ft (2,450 m). The California Gold Rush began at Sutter's Mill , near Coloma , in the western foothills of the Sierra. On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall,

3920-524: The endorheic basin of Tulare Lake , which rarely overflows into the San Joaquin during wet years. The eastern slope watershed of the Sierra is much narrower; its rivers flow out into the endorheic Great Basin of eastern California and western Nevada . From north to south, the Susan River flows into intermittent Honey Lake , the Truckee River flows from Lake Tahoe into Pyramid Lake ,

4018-742: The American River!" On August 19, 1848, the New York Herald was the first major newspaper on the East Coast to report the discovery of gold. On December 5, 1848, President James Polk confirmed the discovery of gold in an address to Congress . Soon, waves of immigrants from around the world, later called the "forty-niners", invaded the Gold Country of California or "Mother Lode". Miners lived in tents, wood shanties, or deck cabins removed from abandoned ships. Wherever gold

California State Route 41 - Misplaced Pages Continue

4116-626: The Fresno-Madera County line to Yosemite National Park, and the Wawona Road from Fresno to Yosemite National Park. In 1930, the counties of Fresno , Kings , Kern , and San Luis Obispo considered organizing a joint highway district to construct a shortcut connecting Fresno with the Pacific Ocean at Morro Bay . This highway would pass through Kettleman City on its way to the Cholame Lateral ( Legislative Route 33 ) near Cholame or Shandon , and then continue to Morro Bay, where

4214-806: The Pacific Ocean at San Francisco . The northern third of the western Sierra is part of the Sacramento River watershed (including the Feather , Yuba , and American River tributaries), and the middle third is drained by the San Joaquin River (including the Mokelumne , Stanislaus , Tuolumne , and Merced River tributaries). The southern third of the range is drained by the Kings , Kaweah , Tule , and Kern rivers, which flow into

4312-722: The Park in 1906. In the same year, Sequoia National Park was formed to protect the Giant Sequoia: all logging of the Sequoia ceased at that time. In 1903, the city of San Francisco proposed building a hydroelectric dam to flood Hetch Hetchy Valley . The city and the Sierra Club argued over the dam for 10 years, until the U.S. Congress passed the Raker Act in 1913 and allowed dam building to proceed. O'Shaughnessy Dam

4410-478: The Sierra Nevada increases gradually from north to south. Between Fredonyer Pass and Lake Tahoe, the peaks range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to more than 9,000 feet (2,700 m). The crest near Lake Tahoe is roughly 9,000 feet (2,700 m) high, with several peaks approaching the height of Freel Peak (10,881 ft or 3,317 m). Farther south, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park

4508-559: The Sierra Nevada is influenced by the Mediterranean climate of California. During the fall, winter and spring, precipitation in the Sierra ranges from 20 to 80 in (510 to 2,030 mm) where it occurs mostly as snow above 6,000 ft (1,800 m). Precipitation is highest on the central and northern portions of the western slope between 5,000 and 8,000 feet (1,500 and 2,400 m) elevation, due to orographic lift . Above 8,000 feet (2,400 m), precipitation diminishes on

4606-508: The Sierra Nevada started in the early 1800s, when settlers relied on hand tools and ox-teams. Before the California Gold Rush, the industry was relatively small, and most of the lumber used in the state was imported. However, as the demand for lumber to support the mining industry increased, logging became a major industry in the region. Initially, most of the lumber produced in California was used in mining. The Comstock Lode

4704-431: The Sierra have an alpine climate . The Sierra Nevada snowpack is the major source of water and a significant source of electric power generation in California. Many reservoirs were constructed in the canyons of the Sierra throughout the 20th century, Several major aqueducts serving both agriculture and urban areas distribute Sierra water throughout the state. However, the Sierra casts a rain shadow , which greatly affects

4802-662: The Sierra is a section of the Cascade–Sierra Mountains province, which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System physiographic division. The California Geological Survey states that "the northern Sierra boundary is marked where bedrock disappears under the Cenozoic volcanic cover of the Cascade Range." The range is drained on its western slope by the Central Valley watershed, which discharges into

4900-497: The Sierra's 63,118 km (24,370 sq mi) from logging and grazing. The United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management currently control 52% of the land in the Sierra Nevada. Logging and grazing are generally allowed on land controlled by these agencies, under federal regulations that balance recreation and development on the land. The California Bighorn Sheep Zoological Area near Mount Williamson in

4998-424: The Sierra. The combination of river and glacier erosion exposed the uppermost portions of the plutons emplaced millions of years before, leaving only a remnant of metamorphic rock on top of some Sierra peaks. Extension of the Basin and Range continues today, leading to downdropping of crustal blocks just east of the Sierra Nevada during large earthquakes, such as the Lone Pine earthquake of 1872. The climate of

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5096-425: The Tuolumne and Merced River drainage. The group may have been the first non-indigenous people to see Yosemite Valley . The Walker Party probably visited either the Tuolumne or Merced Groves of giant sequoia , becoming the first non-indigenous people to see the giant trees, but journals relating to the Walker party were destroyed in 1839, in a print shop fire in Philadelphia. Starting in 1841, emigrants from

5194-444: The activities of extra-terrestrial aliens , have no evidence to support them. The Sierra Nevada is divided into a number of biotic zones , each of which is defined by its climate and supports a number of interdependent species. Life in the higher elevation zones adapted to colder weather, and to most of the precipitation falling as snow. The rain shadow of the Sierra causes the eastern slope to be warmer and drier: each life zone

5292-399: The area around Yosemite National Park and what would become Kings Canyon National Park . James S. Hutchinson , a noted mountaineer, climbed the Palisades (1904) and Mount Humphreys (1905). By 1912, the USGS published a set of maps of the Sierra Nevada, and the era of exploration was over. Logging in the Sierra Nevada has significantly impacted the landscape. The logging industry in

5390-404: The cities of the Central Valley , Route 128 in Massachusetts, or parts of Route 101 in New Hampshire). Each state has its own system for numbering and its own marker. The default marker is a white circle containing a black sans serif number (often inscribed in a black square or slightly rounded square), according to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). However each state

5488-405: The climate and ecology of the central Great Basin . This rain shadow is largely responsible for Nevada being the driest state in the United States. Precipitation varies substantially from year to year. It is not uncommon for some years to receive precipitation totals far above or below normal. The height of the range and the steepness of the Sierra Escarpment, particularly at the southern end of

5586-412: The crest and north of 37.2°N. In the Triassic and into the Jurassic , an island arc collided with the west coast of North America and raised a chain of volcanoes, in an event called the Nevadan orogeny . Nearly all subaerial Sierran Arc volcanoes have since disappeared; their remains were redeposited during the Great Valley Sequence and the subsequent Cenozoic filling of the Great Valley, which

5684-407: The eastern edge of the southern Sierra. The Sierra Nevada has played an important role in the history of California and the United States. The California gold rush occurred in the western foothills from 1848 through 1855. Due to its inaccessibility, the range was not fully explored until 1912. Used in 1542 by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to describe a Pacific Coast Range ( Santa Cruz Mountains ),

5782-430: The end of the 1980s, and in some states, some less important National Routes were downgraded to State Routes. Each state has or had its own numbering scheme, but do not duplicate National Route numbers in the same state, or nearby routes in another state. As with the National Routes and National Highways, State Routes are being phased out in most states and territories in favour of alphanumeric routes. However, despite

5880-434: The fact that Victoria has fully adopted alphanumeric routes in regional areas, state route numbers are still used extensively within the city of Melbourne as a part of its Metropolitan Route Numbering Scheme . Brazil is another country that is divided into states and has state highways. For example, the longest highway in the state of São Paulo , the Rodovia Raposo Tavares , is designated as SP-270 and SP-295 . Canada

5978-418: The freeway portion was extended several miles beyond Fresno in both directions. Also in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Atascadero, the old SR 41 alignment used to cut through downtown by going north on El Camino Real and turning right onto West Mall. Then it continued past the Atascadero Colony Building and crossed the 1921 Atascadero Creek Bridge before turning left onto Capistrano Avenue. It then went under

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6076-406: The highest peak in the range. In 1873, Mount Whitney was climbed for the first time by 3 men from Lone Pine, California, on a fishing trip. From 1892 to 1897 Theodore Solomons made the first attempt to map a route along the crest of the Sierra. Other people finished exploring and mapping the Sierra. Bolton Coit Brown explored the Kings River watershed in 1895–1899. Joseph N. LeConte mapped

6174-699: The highway intersects U.S. Route 101 in Atascadero , proceeds through the Coast Range and intersects SR 46 . Actor James Dean died in an accident in 1955 at the intersection of SR 46 in Cholame . Currently, there is a memorial located there. The interchange is now called the James Dean Memorial Junction . Between SR 46 and SR 33, SR 41 ascends the Diablo Range and Cottonwood Pass and briefly travels through Kern County without any intersections in its entirety. After entering Kings County , it reaches SR 33 . SR 41 then intersects Interstate 5 south of Kettleman City . A large hazardous waste and municipal solid waste disposal facility operated by Waste Management, Inc.

6272-440: The interchange between those two freeways. Likewise, there is no direct connector between the northbound SR 41 and the southbound SR 99. Drivers must exit at Jensen Avenue, head east on Jensen until its junction with SR 99 a half-mile east of SR 41, and then make the southbound transition onto SR 99. SR 41 continues north into downtown Fresno, then intersects SR 180 at a section of the latter route that links SR 41 to both SR 99 to

6370-463: The lack of freeway access. For SR 41, the plan is to upgrade it so the highway is a continuous freeway from I-5 north to Fresno County. However, Kings County voters have shown little interest in passing any transportation taxes to fund these projects. Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964 , based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. R reflects

6468-442: The lake, the peaks reach only a modest 8,000 feet (2,400 m). There are several notable geographical features in the Sierra Nevada: Communities in the Sierra Nevada include Paradise , South Lake Tahoe , Truckee , Grass Valley , Lee Vining , Mammoth Lakes , Sonora , Nevada City , Placerville , Pollock Pines , Portola , Auburn , Colfax and Kennedy Meadows . Much of the Sierra Nevada consists of federal lands and

6566-620: The largest tree in the world by volume; Lake Tahoe , the largest alpine lake in North America; Mount Whitney at 14,505 ft (4,421 m), the highest point in the contiguous United States ; and Yosemite Valley sculpted by glaciers from one-hundred-million-year-old granite , containing high waterfalls . The Sierra is home to three national parks , twenty-six wilderness areas, ten national forests, and two national monuments. These areas include Yosemite , Sequoia , and Kings Canyon National Parks , as well as Devils Postpile National Monument . More than one hundred million years ago during

6664-429: The late 1800s due to several factors. The Timber and Stone Act of 1878 allowed individuals to claim ownership of old-growth timber tracts, which were later consolidated under joint-stock companies , such as those founded by Midwestern lumber magnates. These companies had the financial resources to transport timber from remote locations and build sawmills near the tracks of the Southern Pacific railroad which connected

6762-455: The late 1800s, the logging industry moved westward due to the depletion of white pine forests in the upper Midwest. This shift was encouraged by the positive portrayal of the Sierra Nevada as a promising timber region. In 1859, Horace Greely marveled, "I never saw anything so much like good timber in the course of any seventy-five miles' travel as I saw in crossing the Sierra Nevada." The logging industry experienced significant growth in

6860-429: The main cities; in 1865 the Lanza law introduced the classification of roads between national, provincial and municipal (see Annex F, art.10) and the Royal Decree of 17 November 1865, n. 2633 listed the first 38 national roads. Italian state highways are identified by a number and a name. In road signs and maps the number is preceded by the acronym SS, an acronym for strada statale ("state road"). The nomenclature of

6958-417: The miners, provoking counter-attacks on native villages. The Native Americans, out-gunned, were often slaughtered. The Gold Rush populated the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, but even by 1860, most of the Sierra was unexplored. The state legislature authorized the California Geological Survey to officially explore the Sierra (and survey the rest of the state). Josiah Whitney was appointed to head

7056-492: The modern rivers flowing down the range are only 100–300 meters (300–1,000 ft) lower than their ancient counterparts from 30–40 million years ago and the overall elevation and bedrock topography of the northern Sierra Nevada has changed little since at least 30–40 million years ago. About 2.5 Ma, the Earth's climate cooled, and ice ages started. Glaciers carved out characteristic U-shaped canyons throughout

7154-712: The mountains were amongst a group led by fur trapper Jedediah Smith , crossing north of the Yosemite area in May 1827, at Ebbetts Pass . In 1833, a subgroup of the Bonneville Expedition led by Joseph Reddeford Walker was sent westward to find an overland route to California . Eventually the party discovered a route along the Humboldt River across present-day Nevada , ascending the Sierra Nevada, starting near present-day Bridgeport and descending between

7252-409: The mountains. Washo and Maidu were also in this area prior to the era of European exploration and displacement. American exploration of the mountain range started in 1827. Although prior to the 1820s there were Spanish missions , pueblos (towns), presidios (forts), and ranchos along the coast of California, no Spanish explorers visited the Sierra Nevada. The first Americans to visit

7350-408: The new U.S. Route 466 . By the 1950s, the short piece of US 466 (Route 125) between Creston and Atascadero had not yet been paved, and so US 466 was moved to the longer but better road via Paso Robles, replacing SR 41 to Paso Robles and overlapping US 101 to Atascadero. As SR 41 had not been signed over the unpaved road west of Paso Robles, it was truncated to Cholame. US 466 was eliminated in

7448-482: The next important roads under the National highways . The number has two, three, or four digits. Highways with two-digit numbers routes are called State-funded local highways. State roads ( Turkish : Devlet yolu ) are primary roads, mostly under the responsibility of General Directorate of Highways (KGM) except in metropolitan city centers where the responsibility falls into the local government. The roads have

7546-399: The northern Sierran valleys with volcanic deposits. These pyroclastic flows, which continued for about 10 million years, were followed by andesitic lahars which nearly completely buried the northern Sierran landscape such that only the tallest peaks emerged above a volcanic plain. This second period of volcanism appears to have been triggered by crustal extension associated with extension of

7644-696: The oldest being metasedimentary rocks from the Cambrian in the Mount Morrison region. These dark-colored hornfels , slates , marbles , and schists are found in the western foothills (notably around Coarsegold , west of the Tehachapi Pass ) and east of the Sierra Crest. The earliest granite of the Sierra started to form in the Triassic period. This granite is mostly found east of

7742-521: The plural ( Smokies , Rockies , Cascades , etc.), since Sierra is already pluralized in its native language, some locals who live in "the Sierra" are not hesitant to admonish those who refer to the area as "the Sierras". However, there are historical and literary references that use the plural, such as the 1871 collection of Joaquin Miller poems, Songs of the Sierras . Ansel Adams , in response to

7840-420: The range, produces a wind phenomenon known as the "Sierra Rotor". This is a horizontal rotation of the atmosphere just east of the crest of the Sierra, set in motion as an effect of strong westerly winds. Because of the large number of airplanes that have crashed in the Sierra Nevada, primarily due to the complex weather and atmospheric conditions such as downdrafts and microbursts caused by geography there,

7938-559: The scars of hydraulic mining, since the resulting exposed earth and downstream gravel deposits do not support plant life. It is estimated that by 1855, at least 300,000 gold-seekers, merchants, and other immigrants had arrived in California from around the world. The huge numbers of newcomers brought by the Gold Rush drove Native Americans out of their traditional hunting, fishing and food-gathering areas. To protect their homes and livelihood, some Native Americans responded by attacking

8036-565: The south part of Fresno , where the Yosemite Freeway begins, passing along the east side of downtown and extending north into Madera County . The majority of Route 41 runs as either two-lane rural highway or four-lane divided highway. The only part of SR 41 that turns into a freeway itself is in Fresno County and parts of Madera. The southern end of the highway intersects SR 1 in Morro Bay . Between Morro Bay and Fresno ,

8134-458: The southern Sierra was established to protect the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep . Starting in 1981, hikers were unable to enter the Area from May 15 through December 15, in order to protect the sheep. As of 2010, the restriction has been lifted and access to the Area is open for the whole year. The earliest rocks in the Sierra Nevada are metamorphic roof pendants of Paleozoic age,

8232-427: The southern entrance to Yosemite National Park . Inside the park, state routes are federally maintained and are not included in the state route logs. Although there is an "End SR 41" sign south of the park's entrance, state routes within the park may still be signed at intersections. The highway continues as Wawona Road north to Wawona and Yosemite West before turning east to pass through Wawona Tunnel . Tunnel View

8330-420: The start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column. State highway Roads maintained by a state or province include both nationally numbered highways and un-numbered state highways. Depending on the state, "state highway" may be used for one meaning and "state road" or "state route" for the other. In some countries such as New Zealand , the word "state" is used in its sense of

8428-640: The state highways managed by ANAS generally follows the SS n scheme, where n is a number ranging from 1 ( Aurelia ) up to 700 (of the Royal Palace of Caserta ) depending on the date of establishment of the state highway. Newly built ANAS roads, not yet classified, are identified by the acronym NSA, an acronym for nuova strada ANAS ("new ANAS road"). State highways can be technically defined as main extra-urban roads (type B road) or as secondary extra-urban roads (type C road). State highways that cross towns with

8526-425: The survey. Men of the survey, including William H. Brewer , Charles F. Hoffmann and Clarence King , explored the backcountry of what would become Yosemite National Park in 1863. In 1864, they explored the area around Kings Canyon . In 1869, John Muir started his wanderings in the Sierra Nevada range, and in 1871, King was the first to climb Mount Langley , mistakenly believing he had summited Mount Whitney ,

8624-468: The system is completely unsigned, aside from the Trans-Canada routes. This makes Canada unique in that national highway designations are generally secondary to subnational routes. In Germany , state roads ( Landesstraßen or Staatsstraßen ) are a road class which is ranking below the federal road network ( Bundesstraßen ). The responsibility for road planning, construction and maintenance

8722-490: The term "Sierra Nevada" was a general identification of less familiar ranges toward the interior. In 1776, Pedro Font 's map applied the name to the range currently known as the Sierra Nevada. The literal translation is "snowy mountains", from sierra "a range of mountains", 1610s, from Spanish sierra "jagged mountain range", lit. "saw", from Latin serra "a saw"; and from fem. of Spanish nevado "snowy". While many mountain ranges are unanimously referred to in

8820-424: The water from an entire river into a sluice alongside the river, and then dig for gold in the newly exposed river bottom. By 1853, most of the easily accessible gold had been collected, and attention turned to extracting gold from more difficult locations. Hydraulic mining was used on ancient gold-bearing gravel beds on hillsides and bluffs in the gold fields. In hydraulic mining, a high-pressure hose directed

8918-526: The west, and to SR 168 to the east. North of Fresno, the route crosses the San Joaquin River, and enters Madera County near Valley Children's Hospital before reverting to a two-lane highway. 8.5 miles (13.7 km) further north, SR 41 intersects with SR 145 , before entering California's Sierra-Nevada mountain range. SR 41 continues through the towns of Coarsegold and Oakhurst , where it intersects with SR 49 . SR 41 then heads north to

9016-529: The western half of the Sierra, while the later plutons formed in the eastern half of the Sierra. At this time, the Sierra Nevada formed the western ramp of a high plateau to the east, the Nevadaplano . During this period, rivers cut deep canyons into the range, generating topographic relief similar to the modern Sierra Nevada. This period of incision was halted approximately 30 million years ago by vast outpourings of pyroclastic flows from Nevada which filled

9114-509: The western side, and the Kawaiisu and Tübatulabal tribes in the southern Sierra. Today, some historic intertribal trade route trails over mountain passes are known artifact locations, such as Duck Pass with its obsidian arrowheads . The California and Sierra Native American tribes were predominantly peaceful, with occasional territorial disputes between the Paiute and Sierra Miwok tribes in

9212-511: The western slope up to the crest, since most of the precipitation has been wrung out at lower elevations. Most parts of the range east of the crest are in a rain shadow , and receive less than 25 inches of precipitation per year. While most summer days are dry, afternoon thunderstorms are common, particularly during the North American Monsoon in mid and late summer. Some of these summer thunderstorms drop over an inch of rain in

9310-530: The word "state" in this sense means "government" or "public" (as in state housing and state schools ), not a division of a country. New Zealand's state highway system is a nationwide network of roads covering the North Island and the South Island . As of 2006, just under 100 roads have a "State Highway" designation. The NZ Transport Agency administers them. The speed limit for most state highways

9408-470: Was a major center for logging, with operations supplying lumber for the construction of mine structures, such as tunnels, shafts, and buildings, as well as fuel for the mines. Dan DeQuille observed in 1876, "the Comstock Lode may truthfully be said to be the tomb of the forests of the Sierra. Millions upon millions of feet of lumber are annually buried in the mines, nevermore to be resurrected.” In

9506-479: Was discovered, hundreds of miners would collaborate to put up a camp and stake their claims. Because the gold in the California gravel beds was so richly concentrated, the early forty-niners simply panned for gold in California's rivers and streams. However, panning cannot take place on a large scale, and miners and groups of miners graduated to more complex placer mining. Groups of prospectors would divert

9604-440: Was first protected by the federal government in 1864. The Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded to California in 1866 and turned into a state park. John Muir perceived overgrazing by sheep and logging of giant sequoia to be a problem in the Sierra. Muir successfully lobbied for the protection of the rest of Yosemite National Park: Congress created an Act to protect the park in 1890. The Valley and Mariposa Grove were added to

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