Granite pinnacles soar above krumholtz trees. Castle Crags State Park, Castella, California.

Granite pinnacles soar above krumholtz trees atop Castle Dome Trail in Castle Crags State Park, just west of Interstate 5, between the towns of Castella and Dunsmuir, in California, USA. One of my favorite hikes in the state is to Castle Dome, on an excellent trail 5.8 miles round trip with 2100 feet gain. Geology: although the mountains of Northern California consist largely of volcanic and sedimentary rocks, granite plutons intruded in many areas during the Jurassic period. Heavy Pleistocene glaciation eroded much of the softer surrounding rock leaving soaring crags and spires exposed. Exfoliation of huge, convex slabs of granite made rounded towers such as the prominent Castle Dome. This panorama was stitched from 13 overlapping photos.

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Filename: 1507CAL-2869-81pan_Castle-Crags-SP.jpg
Copyright: © Tom Dempsey / PhotoSeek.com
Image Size: 16801x6260 / 30.9MB; http://www.photoseek.com/; Panorama PhotoBest landscape mountain nature outdoor ArtandCreativeMarketing.com
Contained in galleries: USA: California favorites, Highlights 2015, 2015 Jul 5-23: all: Sierra Nevada + Castle Crags, California, California: northern mountains: Klamath, Cascades

Granite pinnacles soar above krumholtz trees atop Castle Dome Trail in Castle Crags State Park, just west of Interstate 5, between the towns of Castella and Dunsmuir, in California, USA. One of my favorite hikes in the state is to Castle Dome, on an excellent trail 5.8 miles round trip with 2100 feet gain. Geology: although the mountains of Northern California consist largely of volcanic and sedimentary rocks, granite plutons intruded in many areas during the Jurassic period. Heavy Pleistocene glaciation eroded much of the softer surrounding rock leaving soaring crags and spires exposed. Exfoliation of huge, convex slabs of granite made rounded towers such as the prominent Castle Dome. This panorama was stitched from 13 overlapping photos.