Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Elevation: −282 ft (−86 m) below sea level. Not only California's lowest, but the lowest in the United States and the entire Western Hemisphere. A surreal salt flat in the hottest, driest national park.
Elevation: 14,505 ft (4,421 m) above sea level. Crown of the Sierra Nevada, highest summit in the contiguous US. Accessible via 22-mi round-trip Mt. Whitney Trail (permit required) or multi-day High Sierra routes.
The vertical span between these two points is 14,787 ft (4,507 m)—one of the greatest elevation ranges in any single state, all within ~135 miles (217 km) as the crow flies. A testament to California's tectonic violence and erosional power.