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Alta Sierra California Map

Explore Alta Sierra, California, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Alta Sierra, California

How to Use This Alta Sierra, California Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Alta Sierra, California. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of California or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Alta Sierra.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Alta Sierra
State	California (CA)
County	Nevada County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles)

Latitude	39.126174
Longitude	-121.049085
Population	7,204
Density	334.3 /km²
Incorporated	N/A
ZIP Codes	93285, 95949
Area Code	530
County Seat	Nevada City
School District	Nevada Joint Union High School District

🌦 Goto Alta Sierra Weather Page: Alta Sierra, California — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Alta Sierra, California

Alta Sierra is a locality in Nevada County, California, United States. It has a population of approximately 7,204. The population density is 334.3 people per km². Alta Sierra is located at 39.1262°N, 121.0491°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. ZIP codes: 93285, 95949.

Alta Sierra occupies a rugged expanse of oak savanna and rolling terrain where the landscape tilts toward the deep cuts of the foothills. It lies 5.4 miles south of Grass Valley, CA (from Grass Valley, CA: bearing 176°T), and is situated 7.0 miles north of Lake of the Pines. Rattlesnake Creek carves a winding path through the brush, its seasonal flow shaping the gullies and rocky outcrops that define the local topography. To the east, the distant Sierra Nevada rises against the sky, a jagged blue spine that catches the fading light of evening and holds it long after the valleys have turned to shadow. Within a short distance, the terrain opens into the quiet expanse of French Ravine, where the earth seems to hold the stillness of the high country, and the Adam Ryan Preserve offers a sanctuary of native grasses and scattered timber. The air in Alta Sierra carries the dry, scent-laden weight of sun-baked pine and manzanita, a stillness that feels as though the land is waiting for the next cycle of the seasons to pull at its dormant roots.

History lingers in the soil here, marked by the proximity of the Probable Donner Trail, a reminder of the arduous passages that once defined this interior geography. Alta Sierra functions today as a quiet corridor, its economy rooted in the steady rhythms of residential life and the maintenance of a landscape that demands constant stewardship against the summer heat. The waters of Rollins Reservoir, resting five miles away, provide a necessary cooling influence, acting as a basin for the runoff that feeds the surrounding woodland. Residents move through the day with an awareness of the brittle, golden grass and the encroaching forest, recognizing the delicate balance between habitation and the wild, unyielding nature of the terrain. Life here is measured by the passage of light over the ridges and the slow, deliberate work of keeping a home in a place where the earth is still very much in conversation with the elements.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Adam Ryan Preserve (Conservation Area) — 1.5 mi, 020° N
Mathis Pond Preserve (Conservation Area) — 1.7 mi, 031° NE
Bear River Fishing Access (State Recreation Area) — 4.1 mi, 137° SE
Old Bear River Bridge (Monument) — 4.8 mi, 085° E
Heritage Museum (Museum) — 5.5 mi, 110° E
North Star Museum (Museum) — 5.8 mi, 349° N
Knight Monument (Monument) — 6.0 mi, 349° N
Combie Reservoir (Local Recreation) — 6.2 mi, 172° S
North Fork American Wild and Scenic River (Wild & Scenic River) — 6.5 mi, 099° E · 4,161 acres
Tahoe National Forest (National Forest) — 6.6 mi, 016° N · 895k acres
Auburn State Recreation Area (State Recreation Area) — 6.6 mi, 105° E
Deadmans Flat Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Area of Critical Environmental Concern) — 6.6 mi, 334° NW
Cascade Canal Access Trail (Monument) — 8.4 mi, 020° N
Providence Mine (Historic Ruins) — 9.2 mi, 004° N
North Fork American, California Wild and Scenic River (Wild & Scenic River) — 9.3 mi, 093° E · 12k acres
Mystic Theater (Theatre) — 9.6 mi, 010° N
Firehouse Number 1 Museum (Museum) — 9.6 mi, 010° N
Stamp Mill (Historic Ruins) — 9.6 mi, 009° N
Spenceville Wildlife Area (State Conservation Area) — 10.2 mi, 266° W
Beale Falls (Viewpoint) — 10.4 mi, 266° W
South Yuba River State Park (State Park) — 11.1 mi, 345° N
Purdon Crossing (Attraction) — 13.9 mi, 001° N
Emerald Pool (Attraction) — 14.2 mi, 004° N
China Dam (Attraction) — 14.2 mi, 004° N
Edwards Crossing (Attraction) — 14.5 mi, 014° N
Eldorado National Forest (National Forest) — 15.1 mi, 142° SE · 703k acres
Giant Indian Statues (Public Artwork) — 15.2 mi, 185° S
General Gomez Arts (Gallery) — 15.6 mi, 184° S
Placer County Museum (Museum) — 15.9 mi, 185° S
Bernard House (Museum) — 16.3 mi, 185° S

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