Rocks and Riches: Exploring California's Stunning Geology

by Gary L. Prost

Overview

Take a road trip through deep time and California history, with a friendly expert geologist at the wheel.

From its epic earthquakes to its famed epithet "the Golden State," California as we know it would not exist without geology. Gary L. Prost, an expert geologist born and raised in California, embarked on a quest to better understand the state's rocky history. His road trips have culminated in Rocks and Riches, an accessible and entertaining look at the land that has shaped the lives of all Californians. With humor and abiding curiosity, Prost examines the workings of deep time, the fascinating and troubled legacies of the Gold Rush, and the ways geology continues to influence life in California today. Visiting 56 stops of geologic interest, he traverses the Marin and Sonoma coasts, the Central Valley, the Sierra Foothills, Yosemite, and the Basin and Range country, ending with an extended journey through Death Valley to meditate on the awe-inspiring intensity of California's deserts. Including dozens of illustrations and road maps, as well as guidance for fellow travelers, Rocks and Riches is both a practical handbook and an invitation to see California's landscapes with wonder.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597146777
Publisher:	Heyday
Publication date:	07/22/2025
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Gary L. Prost has been working as a geologist for more than fifty years, specializing in mineral and oil exploration. He studied geology at the Colorado School of Mines, obtaining his PhD there in 1986. His employers have included the United States Geological Survey and several oil companies, and his work has taken him to more than thirty countries. Now retired, he leads field trips and does public outreach on topics of geological interest. His books include The Geology Companion, The United Kingdom's Natural Wonders, South America's Natural Wonders, and the two-volume North America's Natural Wonders. He lives in El Cerrito, California.

Table of Contents

Preface

A Very Brief Introduction to California Geology

It’s About Time

Jurassic Coast

Plate Tectonics Means Constant Change

Chapter 1 - Coast Ranges

Marin Headlands 

• Stop 1 - Pillow Basalts at Point Bonita Lighthouse
• Stop 2 - Deformed Franciscan Ribbon Cherts

Mount Tamalpais and San Francisco Bay

• Stop 3 - Rock Springs Trailhead Serpentinite
• Stop 4 - Tamalpais Summit and the Evolution of San Francisco Bay

The San Andreas Fault

• Stop 5 - Bear Valley Visitor Center and the San Andreas Fault

Point Reyes National Seashore

• Stop 6 - Point Reyes Lighthouse
• Stop 7 - Drake’s Beach

Mayacamas Mountains

• Stop 8 - Petrified Forest, Calistoga
• Stop 9 - The Geysers 

The Sonoma Volcanics

• Stop 10 - Palisades of the Sonoma Volcanics
• Stop 11 - Glass Mountain

Napa Valley and the Terroir of Wine

• Stop 12 - Quintessa Vineyards

Chapter 2 – The Central Valley

The Great Valley Sequence

• Stop 13 - The Great Valley Sequence at Monticello Dam

The Devil’s Thicket

• Stop 14 - Mount Diablo 

Chapter 3 - Gold Rush Country 

The Sierra Foothills

• Stop 15 - Empire Mine State Historic Park
• Stop 16 - Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
• Stop 17 - Pre-Sierra Nevada Stream Gravels, I-80 Roadcut at Gold Run
• Stop 18 - Sutter’s Mill and Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma

Placerville 

• Stop 19 Gold Bug Park and Mine
• Stop 20 El Dorado County Historical Museum

Chapter 4 - Sierra Nevada

Yosemite National Park and Yosemite Valley

• Stop 21 - Tunnel View Point

The High Country

• Stop 22 - Olmsted Point and Tenaya Lake
• Stop 23 - Lembert Dome and Tuolumne Meadows
• Stop 24 - Glacial Till 
• Stop 25 - Tioga Pass and Mount Dana View

Chapter 5 – Basin-and-Range

The Eastern Slope

• Stop 26 - Sierra Nevada Metavolcanic Roof Pendant at Tioga Lake
• Stop 27 - Pre-Sierra Nevada Metasediments, Ellery Lake
• Stop 28 - Lateral Moraine

Mono Lake and Lee Vining

• Stop 29 - Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center 
• Stop 30 - Tufa Pinnacles at Mono Lake

Bodie and Travertine Hot Springs

• Stop 31 - Bodie State Historic Park and Ghost Town
• Stop 32 - Travertine Hot Springs

The Long Valley Caldera and Sierra Escarpment

• Stop 33 Wilson Butte, Inyo Craters
• Stop 34 Sierra Nevada Fault View

Mammoth Mountain and Devils Postpile National Monument

• Stop 35 - Earthquake Fault
• Stop 36 - Mammoth Mountain
• Stop 37 - Minaret Vista
• Stop 38 - Devils Postpile National Monument

Owens Valley 

• Stop 39 - Convict Lake
• Stop 40 - McGee Creek Scarp
• Stop 41 - Bishop Tuff and Volcanic Tablelands
• Stop 42 - Owens Valley Fault
• Stop 43 - Alabama Hills
• Stop 44 - Sierra Nevada Fault

Death Valley National Park

• Stop 45 - Father Crowley Overlook
• Stop 46 - Mosaic Canyon
• Stop 47 - Mesquite Flats Dunes
• Stop 48 - Furnace Creek Visitor Center
• Stop 49 - Zabriskie Point
• Stop 50 - Artist’s Palette
• Stop 51 - Devil’s Golf Course
• Stop 52 - Badwater Basin
• Stop 53 - Mormon Point and the Copper Canyon Turtleback 
• Stop 54 - Split Cinder Cone
• Stop 55 - Resting Spring Pass 

Epilogue

Acknowledgements 

Bibliography

Glossary

Editorial Reviews

"Geologist Prost takes us on a road trip to better understand California's past. Blending science, history, and travel, he explores everything from the state's earthquake activity to the messy legacy of the gold rush. Making 56 stops as he travels from the Marin coast to the Central Valley, Prost offers an engaging, in-depth look at the geology that continues to shape California and the lives of those who call it home." —Alta Journal

"A masterful and enlightening excursion through California's rich cultural and geological history, both above ground and under our feet." —Gary Noy, author of Gold Rush Stories and Gem of the Sierra

"To fans of geology, California is a golden state. Follow a trail of nuggets across it with Gary Prost's treasure map." —Andrew Alden, author of Deep Oakland

From the Publisher