Within the borders of Sequoia/Kings Canyon is Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the United States contiguous with its 4,417 meters. Located on the border between the Californian counties of Inyo and Tulare, its southern slope is part of the territory of Sequoia National Park. It is named after the 19th century Californian geologist Josiah Whitney. It was first climbed in 1873 by Charles Begole, A.H. Johnson and John Lucas.
Curiously, it is only about 120 km as the crow flies from the lowest point in the continental United States, Death Valley (86 meters below sea level).
