California Dreamin' Trivia Quiz

Yosemite National Park's breathtaking valley and mountains were formed about 10 million years ago from glacial activity. While the Ahwahneechee People had lived in the area for centuries, the Europeans first discovered the valley in 1850. By 1864 President Lincoln had signed an act making Yosemite the first federally protected land and laying down the groundwork for the US National Park system. While the park itself is over 1,000 square miles most tourists only visit the 7 sq mi that make up the Yosemite Valley. For those who like to mountain climb, there are over 800 miles of hiking trails including some of the best rock climbing around.

While writing this question, Phoenix Rising's BigTriviaDawg was reflective when discovering that the etymology of Yosemite is "they are killers" in the Miwok language about their Ahwahneechee natives. If only they knew how much worse the Europeans would be...

Lassen Volcanic National Park is an American national park in north-eastern California 50 miles east of Reading and 230 miles north of Sacramento. The main 'attraction' is Lassen Peak, which is the largest plug dome volcano in the world. It is also the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range. Within this national park, which is most unusual, are all four types of volcanoes: plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano. Lassen Peak is surrounded by boiling mud pots, fumaroles, and hot springs. All this volcanic activity is due to the subduction of the Gorda Plate sliding under the North American Plate. The national park was once two separate national monuments signed off, in 1907, by President Theodore Roosevelt: Cinder Cone National Monument and Lassen Peak National Monument. Between May 1914 and September 1917, a series of eruptions occurred on Lassen. Because of these eruptions and because the surrounding countryside was full of outstanding volcanic beauty, the area surrounding the two national monuments was established as a National Park in 1916

This question erupted from the pen of Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

Being named after the massive coniferous trees, Sequoia became a National park in 1890. This park is known for its big trees, and for a good reason: five of the largest trees on Earth can be found in Sequoia National Park. The largest of these giants is named General Sherman, sitting at 275 ft tall. Like the Grand Canyon, it is hard to imagine just how big these trees are without seeing them. The tallest mountain in the continental US, Mount Whitney, also sits squarely within the park boundaries. The park also has several caves; however, only Crystal Cave is open to the public. Over 80% of the park is designated as a wilderness area with no road access. Nature as it should be.

Phoenix Rising's BigTriviaDawg feels a bit nostalgic as he recalls his visit to Sequoia as a child.

Joshua Tree National Park was established in 1994, although it was previously set aside as a National Monument in 1936. It is named for the Joshua tree, a peculiar plant in the agave family, (Yucca brevifolia), which is a monocot that grows usually to about 40 feet but may reach as tall as 70 feet (21 meters) in height and has branches extending outward resembling supplicating arms. The park is visited by millions of people each year who come to experience the flora and fauna and unique geologic features. It includes part of both the Mojave and Colorado desert biomes. The park is larger than the state of Rhode Island and about half of it is designated as wilderness.

Player pusdoc provided this question.

Death Valley National Park is in south-central, eastern California and stretches into Nevada. It holds the record for the hottest temperature on earth at 134F in July 1913. The park is home to Badwater Basin, which has a low point of 282-feet below sea level and is the lowest point in North America. Oddly enough, Mt Whitney is only 85 miles away and is the tallest point in the lower 48, sitting at 14505 ft, but is not part of Death Valley National Park. The park is diverse with desserts, salt flats and mountain ranges.

President Herbert Hoover set aside Death Valley as a two-million-acre national monument in 1933. The monument area saw additions throughout the years and was declared a national park in October 1994 with the addition of 1.3 million acres. While Alaska claims top honors with the largest US national parks, Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48 states sitting at over 3.4 million acres.

Jaknginger of Phoenix Rising added this hot question to the quiz.

The Channel Islands are a group of five islands off the coast of Southern California, that are sometimes referred to as "North American Galapagos." A national park was established in early 1980 and covers just under 250,000 acres (101171ha). The islands were formed due to tectonic uplift. Sea lions and elephant seals laze on the beaches and the islands are home to an enormous number of shorebirds. There are also numerous species endemic to the islands, such as the island spotted skunk and the island fox (Urocyon littoralis). The island fence lizard, night lizard and side-blotched lizard are also endemic to California's Channel Islands, developing distinct characteristics in a fashion similar to the creatures in the Galapagos Islands.

The question was channelled into the quiz by Phoenix Rising adventurer VegemiteKid.

The Mojave National Preserve lies in Southern California and it plays host to three of the four major deserts in North America. These are the Mojave, the Great Basin and the Sonoran. It is an area blessed with towering sand dunes, cinder cones and domes. You will find great mesas, mountain ranges, dry river beds and rocks that are 2.5 billion years old.

You may think that this area is barren and that, as a consequence, it is devoid of life... but you need to look closer. This is an ecosystem that is brimming with life that has adapted brilliantly to the brutal temperatures here and the lack of moisture. Most of its inhabitants, which include owls, foxes, skunks, bats, rodents and mountain lions, are nocturnal... that means you have to stay awake if you want to catch a glimpse of them.

This preserve covers some 20 million acres and it fights a battle to maintain the balance between the needs for humans and the protection of its natural resources and ecosystems, which are both finite and fragile.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Redwoods National Park is co-managed with three California state parks - together they protect nearly half of the surviving coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) old-growth forests. Scenic drives and hiking trails bring visitors alongside the tallest trees in the world. The National Park was established in 1968 and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1980. Beginning in 2022, the endangered California condor was reintroduced into the park, in collaboration with the Yurok Tribe - each released bird has been given a Yurok name. In addition to the forests, the park includes prairies and coastlines.

I don't think there's room to write individual sign-offs on label quizzes, but if so:

Player pusdoc wrote this for the Phoenix Rising Global Tour - she has strolled amongst the redwoods and remembers it fondly

The Pinnacles were created by fire. Going back some 23 million years ago, a series of volcanoes blew their lids and the resultant eruptions and lava flows created the base for one of the most unique landscapes on the planet. After the eruptions it was left up to the elements, the winds, the rains and the ice, to wear away thousands of feet of sand and rubble to create steep ravines and serene canyons, ruptured ridges and silent monoliths, surreal vistas to take your breath away amid some of the most inhospitable soils, and eerie silences that are broken by the cries of eagles and Californian condors.

It offers travelers the opportunity to explore rare talus caves and hikers with astounding spires to climb and prairies, teeming with life, to venture through. For soul searches, the Pinnacles offers you some of the most amazing sunsets on Earth.

This question was brought to life by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Kings Canyon National Park is contiguous with Sequoia National Park; they are jointly managed by the National Park Service. John Muir wrote about the area, and lobbied for the development of the park; it was founded in 1890 as the nation's second national park after Yellowstone. The park's area was greatly expanded in 1940. Located at the southern portion of the Sierra Nevada, the Canyon was carved by glaciers. The Park includes giant sequoias, including the General Grant tree which is considered the world's second largest tree. (The largest, the General Sherman, is in Sequoia National Park.) The area includes several mountain peaks rising above 14,000 feet (4300 m).

Player pusdoc contributed this question for Phoenix Rising's Global Tour.