The Laguna Mountains are a
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...
of the
Peninsular Ranges in eastern
San Diego County, California
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...
. The mountains run in a northwest/southeast alignment for approximately .
The mountains have long been inhabited by the indigenous
Kumeyaay people.
Geography
The Laguna Mountains are bordered by the
Cuyamaca Mountains area on the west and the
Colorado Desert on the east, where the mountains form a steep
escarpment along the
Laguna Salada Fault. To the north the Laguna Mountains are bounded by the
Elsinore Fault Zone and to the south by Cameron Valley and Thing Valley.
The highest point is
Cuyapaipe Mountain at . The mountains are largely contained within
Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest is a National forest (United States), U.S. national forest in Southern California that encompasses 460,000 acres/ of inland Montane ecosystems, montane regions. It is approximately 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean, withi ...
. Snow falls on the highest peaks several times a year.
Mount Laguna is a village in the Laguna Mountains with a population of about 80.
The headwaters of three perennial streams begin in the Laguna Mountains: Noble Creek,
Cottonwood Creek, and Kitchen Creek.
The Laguna Mountains extend northwest about from the Mexican border at the
Sierra de Juárez range.
The
Sawtooth Range and
In-Ko-Pah Mountains are adjacent to the east. The
Santa Rosa Mountains lie further to the northeast. The Cuyamaca Mountains are adjacent along the west.
The southern section is in the
Mountain Empire region of San Diego County, and the northern section is in the
East County region.
Recreation
The Laguna Mountains are a popular recreation area in
Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest is a National forest (United States), U.S. national forest in Southern California that encompasses 460,000 acres/ of inland Montane ecosystems, montane regions. It is approximately 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean, withi ...
. They comprise the southernmost crest along the
Pacific Crest Trail.
Their relatively high altitude induces the highest snowfall in San Diego County making it one of the few local places to offer snow activities like sledding and snowshoeing.
chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...
habitat in foreground, Cuyamaca Mountains in background.
File:SoCal Coast.jpg, Laguna Mountains (lower right/east), and other Peninsular Ranges in Southern California.
File: Laguna_Mountains,_California,_observation_area_2015.jpg, Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest is a National forest (United States), U.S. national forest in Southern California that encompasses 460,000 acres/ of inland Montane ecosystems, montane regions. It is approximately 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean, withi ...
observation deck in the Laguna Mountains.
File:Inspiration Point Laguna Mountains.JPG, Inspiration Point view, east towards Anza Borrego Desert State Park (right), Vallecito Mountains (left), and Santa Rosa Mountains (left background).
See also
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References
External links
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Peninsular Ranges
Mountain ranges of San Diego County, California
Cleveland National Forest
Escarpments of the United States
East County (San Diego County)
Mountain Empire (San Diego County)
Kumeyaay
Mountain ranges of the Colorado Desert
Mountain ranges of Southern California