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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> California >> Carrizo Plain National Monument – California tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Carrizo Plain National Monument – California

Images of Carrizo Plain National Monument – Central California, taken in May 2019.

Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carrizo Plain National Monument is a 50 mile long internal drainage basin bordered by the Caliente Range to the southwest and the Temblor Range to the northeast. The San Andreas Fault runs along the base of the Temblor Range and the Salt-encrusted Soda Lake, normally dry between May and November, is the reservoir that runoff from the mountains collects in during the rainy season.

After driving into the park from the south I headed up the Caliente Mountain Road to get a sweeping view of the park. On the way back down I was surprised to come upon the herd of Tule Elk; a group of 15, all bulls with huge racks. They were running toward the road until they saw/heard me coming and changed course. I turned around to follow and they bolted over a ridge. When I turned back around to continue on my way they came running over a hill and jumped a barbed wire fence in front of me. It was amazing to see these 1000 pound animals run and jump that fence. They crossed the road and disappeared over another hill running to the east and a few hours later our paths crossed again, this time on the basin. Just as before they bolted as soon as they saw me; I’m not taking it personally but it would have been nice if they would have grazed long enough for me to get a few close-up pictures.

As incredible as it was seeing the elk my visit to Wallace Creek was just as eye opening. This is where the forces of the San Andreas Fault have altered the creek bed turning the southwestern running creek west along the fault line for about 420 feet before it flows back into the now offset channel to the southwest (see the image in the middle of the sixth row). The fault runs directly through the offset portion of the creek bed and moves, on average, about 1.3 inches per year not including the 30 feet it moved during the last great earthquake in this area in 1857!
Foothills of the Temblor Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Foothills of the Temblor Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument 		The Caliente Range on the western side of Carrizo Plain National Monument
The Caliente Range on the western side of Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Hawk on a post surveying the plains in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Hawk on a post surveying the plains in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Distant view of the Temblor Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Distant view of the Temblor Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Tremblor range mountain near the south entrance to Carrizo Plain National Monument
Tremblor range mountain near the south entrance to Carrizo Plain National Monument
View of Soda Lake from the Caliente Mountain road in Carrizo Plain National Monument
View of Soda Lake from the Caliente Mountain road in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Soda Lake (currently dry) from the Caliente Mountain road in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Soda Lake (currently dry) from the Caliente Mountain road in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Flowers near the edge of Soda Lake on the floor of Carrizo Plain National Monument
Flowers near the edge of Soda Lake on the floor of Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Foothills of the Caliente Mountain Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Foothills of the Caliente Mountain Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Rock formation in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Rock formation in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Tule Elk herd on the plain in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Tule Elk herd on the plain in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Herd of Tule Elk bulls run to the hills in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Herd of Tule Elk bulls run to the hills in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Tule Elk herd runs down a hill in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Tule Elk herd runs down a hill in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Bull Tule Elk jump a barb wire fence in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Bull Tule Elk jump a barb wire fence in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 The Temblor Range, with San Andreas Fault along its base, in Carrizo Plain National Monument
The Temblor Range, with San Andreas Fault along its base, in Carrizo Plain National Monument
The Temblor Range from across Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument
The Temblor Range from across Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Soda Lake with hills of the Temblor Range in the distance in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Soda Lake with hills of the Temblor Range in the distance in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Plant life growing on the salt-encrusted basin of Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Plant life growing on the salt-encrusted basin of Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 The Temblor Range and Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument
The Temblor Range and Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 The edge of Soda Lake with the Caliente Range in the distance in Carrizo Plain National Monument
The edge of Soda Lake with the Caliente Range in the distance in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Old barbed wire fence overwhelmed by Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Old barbed wire fence overwhelmed by Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Soda Lake and the Temblor Range from Overlook Hill in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Soda Lake and the Temblor Range from Overlook Hill in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Butterfly feeding on a flower in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Butterfly feeding on a flower in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 View of Soda Lake from Overlook Hill in Carrizo Plain National Monument
View of Soda Lake from Overlook Hill in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Grasshopper among the rocks in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Grasshopper among the rocks in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Tule Elk herd, now on the basin, in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Tule Elk herd, now on the basin, in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Foothills of the Caliente Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Foothills of the Caliente Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Offset channel of Wallace Creek created by the movement of the San Andreas Fault in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Offset channel of Wallace Creek created by the movement of the San Andreas Fault in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Trail along the San Andreas Fault looking toward the Caliente Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Trail along the San Andreas Fault looking toward the Caliente Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Temblor Range foothills in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Temblor Range foothills in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Farm equipment at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Farm equipment at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Traver Ranch buildings in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Traver Ranch buildings in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Lizard in the brush in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Lizard in the brush in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Part of the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Part of the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Cletrac tractor at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Cletrac tractor at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Rolling foothills of the Caliente Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Rolling foothills of the Caliente Range in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Old grain elevator in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Old grain elevator in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Equipment at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Equipment at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Dead tree at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument
Dead tree at the Traver Ranch in Carrizo Plain National Monument		 Salt-encrusted pond along the San Andreas Fault near the south entrance to Carrizo Plain National Monument
Salt-encrusted pond along the San Andreas Fault near the south entrance to Carrizo Plain National Monument

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