Carson Ranger District
Encyclopedia
Carson Ranger District is 368600 acres (1,491.7 km²) with approximately half in Nevada
and half in California
. It is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
.
and stretches over the Nevada line into California.
Its northern border is north and west of Reno, Nevada
and the southern border extends 84 miles (135.2 km) into California’s Sierra Nevada. This southern border lies 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Yosemite National Park
in California. Most of the Carson Ranger District is available through a four-hour automobile drive by over 10 million people, including those in several major metropolitan area
s.
of the semi-arid high desert
. In the summer temperatures range in the mid to high 90s during the day and at night may go down to the mid 50s. Winter temperatures are usually in the mid 40s during the day and the low 20s at night. Average rain fall in the winter is less than two inches a month while in the summer it is less than half an inch a month. There may be a monsoon
now and then in late summer.
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and half in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the principal U.S. National Forest located in the U.S. state of Nevada. With an area of , it is the largest National Forest of the United States outside of Alaska...
.
Location
The Carson Ranger District begins just east of Lake TahoeLake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
and stretches over the Nevada line into California.
Its northern border is north and west of Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
and the southern border extends 84 miles (135.2 km) into California’s Sierra Nevada. This southern border lies 25 miles (40.2 km) north of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
in California. Most of the Carson Ranger District is available through a four-hour automobile drive by over 10 million people, including those in several major metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
s.
Description
The Carson Ranger District's climate is varied as is the landscape. It ranges from snowy alpine peaks to the warm lower valleys covered with the sagebrushSagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
of the semi-arid high desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
. In the summer temperatures range in the mid to high 90s during the day and at night may go down to the mid 50s. Winter temperatures are usually in the mid 40s during the day and the low 20s at night. Average rain fall in the winter is less than two inches a month while in the summer it is less than half an inch a month. There may be a monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
now and then in late summer.