Parks & Partners

The Sierra Nevada Network serves four national park units on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California: Devils Postpile National Monument, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, and Yosemite National Park. These parks have a striking elevation gradient, from 1,360 feet in the foothills to 14,494 feet at the top of Mount Whitney—the highest peak in the lower 48 states. The range of elevations and the variety of habitats results in a high diversity of ecosystems, plants, and animals.

These parks span seven major river watersheds. The water from snowpack and rivers, streams, and lakes is critical for park organisms as well as for downstream water users outside of the parks. Water from the Sierra Nevada, stored as snowpack and in reservoirs, provides a substantial amount of California’s water supply.

Examples of the different ecosystems in Sierra Nevada Network parks

• Foothill woodlands
• Conifer forests (including giant sequoias and ancient foxtail pines)
• Alpine tundra
• Caves and karst
• Wetlands or meadows
• Lakes and rivers

Network Parks

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  Devils Postpile National Monument

  Network monument located along the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River

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  Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

  Sequoia and Kings Canyon are two network parks located side by side and managed together.

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  Yosemite National Park

  Network park encompassing the headwaters of two major watersheds: the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers

In 2012, César E. Chávez National Monument was established in our network as a historic and cultural site honoring the farmworker movement. While we do not formally conduct inventory and monitoring there, we provide occasional support for citizen and community science events, such as bird surveys.

Our Partners

Monitoring takes teamwork. The Sierra Nevada Network partners with other federal and state agencies, universities, and the private sector. These partners help us with special projects, analysis and synthesis of data, and ways to improve our understanding of the Sierra Nevada and share widely what we learn.