2018 First-Class Forever Stamp,Sunrise near Orinda, California

U.S. #5298m

2018 50¢ O Beautiful – Mount Diablo, California

Value:  50¢ 1-ounce First-Class Letter Rate (Forever)

Issue Date:  July 4, 2018

First Day City:  Colorado Springs, Colorado

Type of Stamp:  Commemorative

Printed by:  Ashton Potter

Printing Method:  Offset

Format:  Pane of 20

Self-Adhesive

Quantity Printed:  60,000,000

Some of the most beautiful views in America can be seen from the tops of high peaks.  One mountain in California – Mount Diablo – is just 3,849 feet tall but has one of the most widespread views in the western United States.

Mount Diablo State Park is located in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.  The park was first designated in 1931 and was expanded rapidly between the 1930s and 1960s.  Today, it encompasses about 20,000 acres and protects several threatened or endangered plant and animal species.  Its western boundary is mostly set, but the state has been expanding the park every so often as they seek to protect more land.

Formation of Mount Diablo began two million years ago when two tectonic plates collided and “geologic uplift” produced a mountain.  Mount Diablo has been growing three to five millimeters each year since it was first formed.  It is still not considered an especially tall mountain, but on a clear day, one can stand at the summit and see San Francisco, the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite’s Sentinel Dome, and more.

Thanks to the state of California, every plant, animal, rock, and mineral on and around Mount Diablo is protected by law.  Like many other US state parks, it will remain beautiful and protected for years to come.