Dawson Saddle is a

saddle A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not know ...

and

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

over the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains () are a mountain range located in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert ...

located in northeastern

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, United States. At , it is the highest point along the

Angeles Crest Highway The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane highway over the San Gabriel Mountains, in Los Angeles County, California. It runs through the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Angeles National Forest. With the exception of a section in ...

and the second highest mountain pass in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

after

Onyx Summit Onyx Summit is a mountain pass located in the San Bernardino Mountains in the southwestern part of San Bernardino County, California, United States. At an elevation of 8,443 ft. (2,573 m), it is the highest mountain pass in Southern Californ ...

Geography

Dawson Saddle lies between Mount Lewis to the north and

Throop Peak Throop Peak ( ) is a peak of the San Gabriel Mountains, in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest, in Los Angeles County, California. The high peak provides views of both the Mojave Desert and the Los Angeles B ...

to the southeast. The saddle is accessible via State Route 2 (Angeles Crest Highway) or by foot along Dawson Saddle Trail, a branch of 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 ...

. Vehicle access during the winter months is restricted due to heavy snowfall.

References

Landforms of Los Angeles County, California San Gabriel Mountains Mountain passes of California {{LosAngelesCountyCA-geo-stub

Geography

See also

References