Greenhorn Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Greenhorn Mountains are located northeast of Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....

 and west of Lake Isabella
Lake Isabella
Lake Isabella is a reservoir in Kern County, California created by the earthen Isabella Dam. It was formed in 1953 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Kern River at the junction of its two forks at Whiskey Flat. At 11,000 acres , it is one of the larger reservoirs in California...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The range, at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada, reaches an elevation of 8295 feet (2,528.3 m) at Sunday Peak, just south of Portuguese Pass.

The Kern Canyon, a dramatic and deep canyon cut by the Kern River
Kern River
The Kern River is a river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield. Fed by snowmelt near Mount Whitney, the river passes through scenic canyons in the mountains and is a popular destination for...

, cuts a path through the Greenhorn Mountains that is also used by State Route 178
California State Route 178
State Route 178 is a route that exists in two constructed segments. The gap in between segments is connected by various local roads and State Route 190 through Death Valley National Park....

. During the Gold Strike of 1854 miners crossing the Greenhorn Mountains founded the town of Keyesville.

Ecology

The Greenhorn Mountains contain a variety of flora and fauna. One wildflower found here is the Yellow Mariposa Lily, Calochortus luteus
Calochortus luteus
Calochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily, is a mariposa lily endemic to California.-Description:The primarily a bright deep yellow flower is 3-5cm across and perianth Bulb-shaped, lined red-brown inside, often also with central red-brown blotch and sparse hair inside.-Distribution:This species...

, which plant is at the extreme southern end of its range in the Greenhorn Mountains.
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