- San Jacinto Mountains
The San Jacinto Mountains ('Avii Hanupach [Munro, P et al. "A Mojave Dictionary" Los Angeles: UCLA, 1992] in Mojave) are a short
mountain range east of Los Angeles in southernCalifornia in theUnited States . The mountains are named forSaint Hyacinth (San Jacinto in Spanish). ThePacific Crest Trail runs along the spine of the range.The range extends for approximately 30 mi (48 km) from the
San Bernardino Mountains southeast to the Santa Rosa Mountains. The San Jacinto Mountains are the northernmost of thePeninsular Ranges , which run 1500 km (900 miles) from Southern California to the southern tip of theBaja California Peninsula . The highest peak in the range isSan Jacinto Peak (3,302 m)(10,834 ft).The
Coachella Valley stretches along the eastern side of the range, including the cities of Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage.Banning Pass andSan Gorgonio Pass separate the range fromMount San Gorgonio to the north. The western slope holds the community of Idyllwild. Above Idyllwild is Tahquitz Rock, a famousrock climbing area. The range is the eastern boundary of theSan Jacinto Valley , location of Hemet; it also marks the eastern edge of the fast-growing Inland Empire region andGreater Los Angeles as a whole.The indigenous
Cahuilla live in the deserts around the San Jacinto Mountains and used the range for hunting, foraging, and to escape the summer heat. The range can be thought of as asky island , as it contains numerous species of flora and fauna that cannot tolerate the triple-digit-Fahrenheit heat of the surrounding valleys.Much of the range is embraced by the
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument created in2000 .Mount San Jacinto State Park is located along the flank of San Jacinto Peak. Part of the eastern flank of the range is located within theAgua Caliente Indian Reservation . In1990 theCalifornia Legislature created theCoachella Valley Mountains Conservancy to protect the mountains surrounding the valley.In popular culture
The range was a frequent topic of Palm Springs artist
Paul Grimm (1892-1974).Since the dawn of Hollywood, film directors have commonly come out to shoot films around the mountains and around the surrounding area and mountain ranges, for a break from the bustling Southern California scene.
Recording artist
Peter Gabriel penned a song entitled San Jacinto.Astro Camp is located in these mountains.
References
External links
* [http://www.ca.blm.gov/palmsprings/santarosa/santa_rosa_national_monument.html BLM: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument]
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