Interesting Facts About California
Home of the Coast Redwood and the Giant Sequoia
California is home to some of the oldest and largest trees on earth, the Coast Redwood and the Giant Sequoia. Thanks to California's mild climate, the ancient trees were spared during the Ice Age. These majestic trees grow to heights of between 200 and 250 feet. Many are between 2,000 and 3,000 years old, which means they were around at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ and the Roman Empire. Some were even around when dinosaurs roamed the earth! The California redwood was designated California's official state tree in 1937. For more information, visit the Save The Redwoods League website.
California Coast is the Third Longest in the U.S.
Despite appearances, California 1,019-mile-long coastline is actually the third longest in the United States. Alaska's coastline is 6,640 miles long—longer than that of all the other 49 states combined. Surprisingly, the small New England state of Maine has the second longest coastline in the United States. Because of its many tiny islands and jutting peninsulas, Maine has 3,478 miles of coastline.
California Is Home to the Highest and Lowest U.S. Spots
The highest spot in the continental United States is California's Mount Whitney, a mountain located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, in Sequoia National Park along the Tulare County and Inyo County lines. Mount Whitney reaches a height of 14,505 feet at its highest peak.
Coincidentally, the lowest point in North America is California's Death Valley, located only 85 miles from Mount Whitney. It reaches a depth of 282 feet below sea level. Many famous movie scenes were shot on location in Death Valley, including scenes from Spartacus, Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, and countless westerns.
Extra info: The state of Alaska has 10 peaks that are higher than Mount Whitney, including Denali (formerly Mount McKinley). At 20,310 feet from sea level to peak, Denali is not even in the top 100 highest peaks on Earth. But, it is the highest mountain on earth from base to peak (18,000 feet) of all mountains that are entirely above sea level and is the third most prominent and third most isolated peak on Earth.
California Is Home to the Hottest Place on Earth
Not only is California's Death Valley the lowest point in North America, it has also been recognized as the hottest location in the world. On July 10, 1913, air temperatures in Death Valley’s aptly-named Furnace Creek (then known as Greenland Ranch) reached a scorching 134° Fahrenheit. On July 15, 1972, a ground temperature of 201° Fahrenheit was recorded.
Speaking of Death Valley …
Another interesting fact: Death Valley got its name when, in 1849, pioneers in 107 wagons made the mistake of taking a shortcut through the inhospitable valley in the winter, in an attempt to avoid the fate of the Donner party. Although they split up into groups and took different routes, they all ended up lost in Death Valley. The trip took months rather than the two weeks the travelers had estimated. 13 pioneers died, but the others survived thanks in part to a freak snow storm that provided them with water. The story goes that, as the survivors left the valley and began to cross the Panamint Range, one of them turned back and said, “Goodbye, Death Valley.” One of the survivors who was instrumental in rescuing the travelers was William Lewis Manly, who settled in California and became a writer. You can download his autobiography, Death Valley in ‘49.
California Is the Largest Wine-Producing State
81% of the wine produced in the United States is produced in the State of California. In fact, the wildly popular White Zinfandel was invented in California. Zinfandel is the only red grape considered native to California. The grape's origins prior to its discovery in the Golden State are a complete mystery. It is grown almost exclusively in California, where it is well-loved.
California Is the Largest Beer-Producing State
California leads the United States in the production of beer, producing 3,664,080 barrells of beer in 2022. This makes sense because California has the most breweries in the United States. It has 1,571 breweries, more than twice as many as the state with the second and third most breweries—New York has 762 and Pennsylvania has 761.
Let's Talk Turkey
California may play an integral part in your Thanksgiving dinner this year. California is the eighth top turkey-producing state in the United States, with an estimated turkey production of 6 million for 2021. California is also the second-leading producer of sweet potatoes in the country (610 million lbs. in 2021), topped only by North Carolina (1.8 billion lbs. in 2021). Finally, California is the third top producer of pumpkins in the United States, harvesting about 150 million lbs. of pumpkins in 2021.
California is Home to the Nation's Christmas Tree
President Calvin Coolidge and Congress officially designated the General Grant Tree the "Nation's Christmas Tree" on April 28, 1926. Located in California's Kings Canyon National Park, the General Grant Tree is a sequoia. President Hoover addressed the National Christmas Tree Association at the foot of the General Grant Tree in 1931. On March 29, 1956, President Eisenhower designated the tree the only living National Shrine and dedicated it to the memory of those who have given their lives in service of their country. An annual Christmas ceremony is held at the base of the General Grant Tree on the second Sunday of each December. During the ceremony, a large Christmas wreath is placed at the base of the tree by park rangers. For more information, contact the City of Sanger, "The Nation's Christmas Tree City," or the Sanger Chamber of Commerce.
