Why are the table mountains flat on top? Over millions of years, a fascinating geologic process known as “inverted topography” took place, where what was once the bottom of a river channel now forms the top of the mesas. The Preserve’s name comes from the property’s former owner, Ruth Bea McKenzie, who wanted it to remain in ranching and open space after her passing. Big Table Mountain makes up the centerpiece of the Preserve which has been owned and managed by SFC since 1998. From the Four Corners, if you were to follow Millerton Road east to the town of Friant and continue up past Table Mountain Casino and onto Auberry Road you would initially pass Little Table Mountain on the north side of the San Joaquin river and eventually come to Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s (SFC’s) largest nature preserve, the 2000-acre Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve. Table Mountain consists of many flat-topped mountains that were once connected, including Big Table Mountain and Kennedy Table Mountain. These beautiful landmarks known as “Little Table Mountain” and “Table Mountain” have very different geologic stories and are commonly confused, yet they paint a fascinating picture of our region.
You may have noticed two iconic flat-topped mountains when looking east from the junction of Hwy 41 and Hwy 145 (“Four Corners”) north of Fresno.
