San Gabriel Mountains
The
San Gabriel Mountains are located in northern
Los Angeles County and western
San Bernardino County, California,
USA. The mountain range forms a barrier between the
Greater Los Angeles Area and the
Mojave Desert. This
Transverse Range lies in and is surrounded by the
Angeles National Forest with the
San Andreas Fault as the northern border to the range. The highest peak in the range is
Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mt. Baldy.
Mount Wilson is another famous peak, famed for the
Mount Wilson Observatory. The observatory may be visited by the public.
The main road that runs through the San Gabriel Mountains is the
Angeles Crest Highway,
California State Route 2. It starts in the southwest at the city of
La Canada Flintridge and ends at its junction with
California State Route 138 just past
Wrightwood near the
Victor Valley. Past its junction with Angeles Forest Highway traveling east, Angeles Crest Highway suffers from blind curves, and various bumps and potholes. This section of the "Crest" is closed during the winter due to rockfall and avalanche hazards. The California State Route 2 just past
Mountain High is called the Big Pines Highway all the way to the 138 junction.
|
The San Gabriel Mountans from the south (Rowland Heights in the Puente Hills) On the left the snow-covered peaks are Mount Waterman, Twin Peaks, and Mount Baden-Powell. The barely-visible peak left of center is Iron Mountain #1. Mount Baldy is the high point to its right, followed by the "three Ts", Ontario, and Cucumonga Peaks. |
Another key county route which connects
Angelenos to and through the mountains is
Angeles Forest Highway. Angeles Forest Highway begins 11 miles northeast of La Canada Flintridge at its Angeles Crest Highway junction. Ending near
Acton, it allows easy access to the central Forest and the fast growing
Antelope Valley. Because the "Forest" and the 11 mile "Crest" portion leading to La Canada Flintridge is well traveled by Antelope Valley commuters, its road maintenance is much better, and is open much of the winter.
In the winter snowboarding and snow skiing is quite popular in the San Gabriels at
Mountain High, and
Mt. Baldy. There are two other resorts (
Mount Waterman and
Kratka Ridge) but they are rarely open. In the summer, hiking, backpacking, picnicing and camping are some of the activities of its visitors. From time to time, a hiker gets lost or stuck on a mountain ledge, or may fall downhill. Some of the more extreme cases of emergency search and rescue will often be given air time on Los Angeles television and radio newscasts.
The San Gabriel Mountains accommodate a few winter resorts which are:
*
Mountain High*
Mt. Baldy*
Mount Waterman*
Kratka RidgeSorted by elevation from highest to lowest:
|
Panorama of the range, from Ontario Peak looking west and north, Mount Baldy in the center. |
*
Mount San Antonio aka Mt. Baldy 3,067 m (10,064 ft)
*
Pine Mountain 2,940 m (9,648 ft)
*
Dawson Peak 2,918 m (9,575 ft)
*
Cucamonga Peak 2721 m (8,599 ft)
*
Iron Mountain #1 2,440m (8,007 ft)
*
South Mount Hawkins 2,372 m (7,783')
*
Vetter Mountain 1,800 m (5,908 ft)
** Site of active
fire lookout tower *
Mount Wilson 1,740 m (5,710 ft)
** Site of
Mount Wilson Observatory*
Mount Disappointment*
Mount Lowe 1,707 m (5,603 ft)
** Site of
Mount Lowe Railway*
Echo Mountain 977 m (3,207 ft)
Nearby mountain ranges:
*
San Bernardino Mountains*
Santa Monica Mountains*
Sierra Pelona Range*
Tehachapi Mountains*
Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association has rebuilt and operates Vetter Mountain Lookout, and Slide Mountain Lookout. Organization is rebuilding South Mount Hawkins Lookout.
*
The Natural History of the San Gabriel Mountains*
Geographic, Biological, and Geological information
