Claim: California has the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The Sierra Nevada -LRB- -LSB- siˈɛrə_nᵻˈvɑːdə -RSB- or -LSB- nᵻˈvædə -RSB- , -LSB- ˈsjera neˈβaða -RSB- , snowy range -RRB- is a mountain range in the Western United States , between the Central Valley of California and the Basin and Range Province . 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 , a chain of mountain ranges -LRB- cordillera -RRB- that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western `` backbone '' of North America , Central America , South America and Antarctica .   The Sierra runs 400 mi north-to-south , and is approximately 70 mi across east-to-west . Notable Sierra features include Lake Tahoe , the largest alpine lake in North America ; Mount Whitney at 14505 ft , the highest point in the contiguous United States ; and Yosemite Valley , sculpted by glaciers out of one-hundred-million-year-old granite . The Sierra is home to three national parks , twenty wilderness areas , and two national monuments . These areas include Yosemite , Sequoia , and Kings Canyon National Parks ; and Devils Postpile National Monument .   The character of the range is shaped by its geology and ecology . More than one hundred million years ago during the Nevadan orogeny , granite formed deep underground . The range started to uplift four M.A. -LRB- million years -RRB- 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 . Uplift continues due to faulting caused by tectonic forces , creating spectacular fault block escarpments along the eastern edge of the southern Sierra .   The Sierra Nevada has a significant history . The California Gold Rush occurred in the western foothills from 1848 through 1855 . Due to inaccessibility , the range was not fully explored until 1912 .