Shelter Valley is a community in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The town is located along County Route S2, two miles (3.2 km) south of its intersection with State Route 78 (known as Scissors Crossing) and east of Julian. It lies within the boundaries of the

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, '' AN-zə bə-RAY-goh'') is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and ...

and the geologic feature known as Earthquake Valley. The

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

passes along the northern boundary of the community. The Anza Borrego Desert State Park acquired property to the north of the community in 1998, making Shelter Valley the second community (the first being nearby

Borrego Springs Borrego Springs (''Borrego'', Spanish for "Sheep") is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,429 at the 2010 census, up from 2,535 at the 2000 census, made up of both seasonal and year-round resid ...

) to be entirely surrounded by the park. The Sentenac Canyon and Cienega to the east of Scissors crossing were acquired in 1998. The state purchased parts of Rancho San Felipe to the west of Shelter Valley in 2004 that became part of the San Felipe Valley Wild Life Area and increased the contiguous extent of public lands surrounding the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

. In less than one year (2011 and 2012), multiple wildfires threatened the small community. The Banner Fire exited state park lands and entered the edge of the community, while the Vallecito Lightning Complex burned into the San Felipe Valley (connecting valley to the north of Earthquake Valley) after menacing the nearby town of

Ranchita Ranchita (Spanish for "small ranch") is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, California. Ranchita is southwest of Borrego Springs. Ranchita has a ZIP code of 92066. A notable feature is the Rancheti, an 11-foot-tall (3.35 m), 300- ...

. All were successfully contained by

CAL FIRE The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsi ...

and the Shelter Valley Volunteer Fire Dept through the San Diego County Fire Authority and no structures were lost. Improvements to the Shelter Valley fire station were completed in 2012 to provide better quarters for the volunteers that provide protection for the surrounding region.

Gallery

Image:Shelter Valley as seen from the Pacific Crest Trail north of the community.jpg, Shelter Valley seen from the north, along the

. Image:Shelter Valley California Fire Department and Community Center (2011).jpg, Shelter Valley California Fire Department and Community Center (2011) Image:Earthquake_Valley_(Shelter_Valley,_Center)_after_the_2012_Banner_Fire.jpg, Shelter Valley (Earthquake Valley) after the 2012 Banner Fire. The foothills of Granite Mountain (the burn area) are visible to the right.

References

External links

Volunteer Fire Shelter Valley

Brush Fire Burning Near Julian Grows To 2,000 Acres, Evacuation Advisory Issued

Banner fire evacuation lifted for RV park

Borrego Springs Chamber & Visitors' Bureau
Unincorporated communities in San Diego County, California Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Unincorporated communities in California {{SanDiegoCountyCA-geo-stub