Inyo National Forest
The Inyo National Forest is a national forest in the United States of America . It is for the most part (7,445.76 km²) in the state of California and a smaller part (245.47 km²) in the western part of the state of Nevada . It covers the southern Sierra Nevada east of the main ridge between Yosemite National Park and the southern part of Sequoia National Park . The Inyo National Forest also includes the White and Inyo Mountains east of the Sierra, separated from it by the Owens Valley . The Sequoia National Forest connects to the south, the Sierra National Forest in the center beyond the Sierra Ridge and the Bridgeport Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to the north . Much of the national forest is designated as Wilderness Area , the strictest class of nature reserve in the United States.
Foundation and support
The name “Inyo” goes back to a designation by the native peoples of America and means “abode of the great spirit”. This is how the natives described the mountains in the area to the early white settlers, which are still called the Inyo Mountains today. The name is also found in Inyo County , which is a larger area of the forest. The forest also extends to the California counties Mono , Tulare and Madera and in Nevada to the counties Esmeralda and Mineral .
The Inyo National Forest was established on May 25, 1907. On July 1, 1945 it was supplemented by the land of the former Mono National Forest. The national forest is looked after by the United States Forest Service , the local administration is based in Bishop .
Long-lasting pines
In the Inyo National Forest, in the highest region of the White Mountains between the border with Nevada and Death Valley National Park , grow at an altitude of over 3,000 m above sea level. NN in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest , in particular the so-called Grove of Methusaleme (English: Methuselah Grove ), several long-lived pines ( Pinus longaeva , English: Bristlecone pine ), the age of which is over 4,000 years, including the oldest uncloned tree in the world, which was dated in 2012 to an age of 5062 years, converted to the year 2012. The grove is accessible by a circular route ( Methuselah Walk ) with several information stations about the ecosystem starting at the visitor center, but the exact location of the record holder is kept secret for his protection. On September 4, 2008, the visitor center and some of the long-lived pine trees were destroyed by a forest fire. The new building opened in September 2012.
Others
The highest point in Nevada, Boundary Peak in the White Mountains is also located in the Inyo National Forest, right on the border with California.
Other tourist attractions in the Inyo National Forest and its surroundings include the lakes Mono Lake (a soda lake with an extraordinary ecosystem and a bizarre landscape), Tioga Lake , June Lake and the Tioga Pass , Mount Whitney (highest mountain in the USA outside of Alaska) as well as the tourist resorts of Lone Pine and Mammoth Lakes .
Within the Inyo National Forest are the South Sierra Wilderness , Golden Trout Wilderness , John Muir Wilderness , Ansel Adams Wilderness , Boundary Peak Wilderness and Hoover Wilderness . Like all wilderness areas, they are not accessible by roads and may only be entered on foot and with the help of horses or mules. Mountain bikes are also prohibited. The Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail long-distance hiking trails run through the National Forest for a short stretch north of Yosemite National Park.
literature
- Clarence A. Hall, Jr. (Ed.): Natural History of the White-Inyo Range, Eastern California . University of California Press, Berkeley 1991.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Inyo National Forest , US National Forest Campground Guide
- ^ Inyo National Forest, Frequently Asked Questions , US Forest Service
- ↑ National Forests of the United States ( Memento of the original from February 21, 2013 on WebCite ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Richard C. Davis, The Forest History Society, September 29, 2005 (PDF, 341kB)
- ↑ Rocky Mountain Tree Ring Research: Database of ancient trees (January 2013)
- ^ Recreation.gov: Schulman Grove Visitor Center
- ↑ Christopher J. Earle: Pinus longaeva. In: The Gymnosperm Database. May 22, 2011, accessed November 8, 2011 .
- ↑ Fire claims Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest visitor center , Los Angeles Times , September 6, 2008.
- ↑ USFS: Bristlecone Visitor Center Set to Open September 1st With Grand Opening Celebration , August 16, 2012
Coordinates: 37 ° 14 ′ 4.9 " N , 118 ° 28 ′ 15.8" W.