Grand Sentinel
Grand Sentinel is an 8,518-foot-elevation (2,596 meter) pillar located west of the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in Kings Canyon National Park, in Fresno County of northern California. This landmark is situated at the northern end of the Great Western Divide, two miles west-northwest of The Sphinx, and immediately south of Kanawyers and Zumwalt Meadow. Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises nearly 3,500 feet (1,067 meters) above the canyon floor in one-half mile. This feature's name has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names . Climate. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Grand Sentinel is located in an alpine climate zone. Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range (orographic lift). Precipitation runoff from the peak drains into the South Fork Kings River.