Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is in the northern part of the state of California , in the Western United States. It includes two separate areas: Lake Berryessa, west of Sacramento , and the Snow Mountain Wilderness, farther north. The monument preserves areas with great geological diversity and a wide range of wildlife habitats. Nearby archaeological finds have shown that ancestors of modern Native American peoples lived in the area at least 11,000 years ago.
Lake Berryessa lies in the Cache Creek Wilderness, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Sacramento, California’s capital city. The monument lands, which extend north from the lake, were once inhabited by Huchnom, Lake Miwok, Nomlaki, Patwin, Pomo, Wappo, Yuki, and other native peoples. Visitors to the area may enjoy hiking, birdwatching, and fishing. Kayakers can paddle the whitewater rapid sections of Cache Creek.
To the north, the monument includes the Snow Mountain Wilderness, within the Mendocino National Forest. Snow Mountain of the North Coast Range rises in the wilderness. Millions of years ago, much of the area was part of an underwater mountain range. The rising and lowering of the plates of Earth’s crust formed much of the landscape that visitors can experience today (see Plate tectonics ). Sightseers can visit a variety of natural habitats—including meadows, canyons, and rocky ridges—at different elevations within the monument. Such habitats support a variety of plant and animal life. Wildlife there includes bald eagles, black bears, martens (animals that look like large weasels), mountain lions, northern spotted owls, and Tule elk.
President Barack Obama created the monument by presidential proclamation in July 2015. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management manages the southern section of the monument. The U.S. Forest Service manages the northern section.
