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72-574: Reserve lands form a transition zone, or ecotone, between the high-elevation ecosystems of the San Bernardino Mountains and the lower, hotter Mojave Desert . From 1947 to 1972, the reserve was owned by Bruce and Jean Burns. The couple built a home and raised a family there before selling much of the property to the University. The Burns house now serves as a field station that provides accommodations for reserve visitors. The University purchased

144-652: A danger that has prompted the construction of numerous flood control dams throughout the range. The largest of these is Seven Oaks Dam – the sixth highest dam in the United States – on the Santa Ana River. In 1969, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deemed the Santa Ana the greatest flood threat in the United States west of the Mississippi River because of its course through heavily developed areas. Completed in 1999,

216-599: A high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at 11,503 feet (3,506 m) at San Gorgonio Mountain – the tallest peak in Southern California. The San Bernardinos form a significant region of wilderness and are popular for hiking and skiing . The mountains were formed about eleven million years ago by tectonic activity along

288-773: A large reservoir created by the construction of a dam on the northern flank of the San Bernardinos in 1973. From Silverwood, the water passes through the mountains via the San Bernardino Tunnel, and drops down to the Devil Canyon Power Plant in the San Bernardino Valley, using the enormous hydraulic head afforded by the mountains to generate up to 276 MW of power. The streams of the San Bernardino Mountains are also prone to flash floods ,

360-547: A resident priest", San Bernardino was an estancia , or cattle ranch. In 1820, a 12-mile (19 km)-long irrigation ditch or "zanja" was dug using Native American labor to furnish water from Mill Creek , a major stream flowing out of the San Bernardinos, to the estancia and surrounding croplands. For the next twenty years, the Spanish – then the Californios under newly independent Mexico – practiced agriculture and ranching at

432-578: A sought-after winter destination by the 1930s. Skiing did not become a popular recreational activity in the mountains until a simple sling lift was built at Big Bear in 1938. By 1949, a 3,000-foot (910 m)-long chair lift was built, hugely increasing the amount of skiers the area's resorts could accommodate. Known as the Lynn Lift, it operated until 1970, but was demolished in 1981 due to its limited capacity. Tommi Tyndall, who founded ski schools at Big Bear, Mill Creek, Snow Summit and Sugarloaf Mountain ,

504-467: A tributary of the Mojave River, in particular. During the 17th and 18th centuries, various Spanish explorers passed through coastal Southern California and claimed the area for Spain. In 1769, the Spanish government began an effort to bring what they called Alta California under their control and introduce Christianity to native peoples through the construction of missions . It was not until 1772 when

576-408: Is a popular location for railfans , and many photographs of trains on Cajon Pass appear in books and magazines. The Union Pacific Railroad owns one track through the pass, on the previous Southern Pacific Railroad Palmdale cutoff, opened in 1967. The BNSF Railway owns two tracks and began to operate a third main track in the summer of 2008. The railroads share track rights through the pass ever since

648-503: Is famous among hikers. Many hikers also spend the night in the one motel at Cajon Junction. Three Southern California Edison 500 kV high voltage power lines cross the summit. These lines head to the Lugo substation northeast of Cajon Pass and connect to Path 26 and Path 46 . Both Path 26 and 46 provide the Los Angeles metro area with electricity generated from fossil fuel power plants in

720-627: Is home to several large water supply reservoirs. South of the Big Bear area the range is cut by the Santa Ana Canyon, the broad valley of the Santa Ana River , and rises dramatically to culminate at Mount San Gorgonio and eleven other peaks that exceed 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in elevation. The mountains feature a steep drop into the Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass – the latter of which

792-498: Is known as Mormon Rocks. In Spanish, the word cajón refers to a box or drawer. The name of the pass is derived from the Spanish land grant encompassing the area; it was first referred to in English on an 1852 map. Early Latter-day Saint documents, which often referred to the pass as "Cahoon Pass", suggest an alternate explanation for the name, that it is named in honor of Mormon pioneer Andrew Cahoon (pronounced similarly to Cajon), who

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864-514: Is notorious for high winds, particularly during Santa Ana wind season, with gusts of wind up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). It has been known to cause high-profile vehicles such as semi-trucks to lose control or tip over. During wind advisories, Caltrans will use its Changeable message signs to warn motorists of dangerous weather in the Cajon Pass. Cajon Pass gets snow occasionally, usually not enough to cause closures. When any closure

936-575: Is often referred to as Cajon Pass, but a distinction is made between Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit. In 1851, a group of Mormon settlers led by Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich traveled through Cajon Pass in covered wagons on their way from Salt Lake City to southern California. A prominent rock formation in the pass, where the Mormon Road and the railway merge (at 34°19′06″N 117°29′31″W  /  34.3184°N 117.4920°W  / 34.3184; -117.4920 , near Sullivan's Curve),

1008-575: Is one of the deepest mountain passes in the United States, exceeding the Grand Canyon 's depth by over 2,000 feet (610 m). Many cities lie at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains. These include San Bernardino, Redlands and Yucaipa in the south; Yucca Valley to the east; and Hesperia to the northwest. In addition, there are several mid-sized to large towns in the mountains themselves, including Big Bear Lake , Big Bear City , Crestline , Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs . Cities within

1080-521: Is total, California Highway Patrols often provide escorts through the pass as the Interstate 15 is a major artery for the High Desert region. When there is high wind or snow in the Cajon Pass, it is fairly common for weather forecasters or reporters from Los Angeles television stations to do location reports from the Cajon Pass. The San Andreas Fault passes through the Cajon Pass (crossing I-15 on

1152-399: Is widely credited for introducing and later advocating the sport in the San Bernardino Mountains, as well as for bringing snowmaking technology, without which the present-day ski industry would be severely crippled during dry winters. During the early 20th century, the roads that serviced the San Bernardino Mountains were steep and narrow. Conflicts occurred between those who believed that

1224-659: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , was the first railroad through Cajon Pass. The line through the pass was built in the early 1880s to connect the present day cities of Barstow and San Diego . Today the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway (the successor to the Santa Fe) use the pass to reach Los Angeles and San Bernardino as part of the Southern Transcon . Due to the many trains, scenery and easy access, it

1296-464: The Banning Pass , well known for turbulence. The mass and wing loading of an aircraft determine its sensitivity to turbulence, so what may seem violent in a Cessna 172 may seem only mild to moderate in a Boeing 747 . In the 2006 Mercy Air 2 accident , an air ambulance helicopter collided with mountainous terrain near the pass in foggy weather. The California Southern Railroad , a subsidiary of

1368-764: The Blue Cut Fire again forced the closure of the freeway for several days starting on August 16, 2016. The fire closed the I-15 north and southbound lanes due to the intensity of the fire. It destroyed a number of outbuildings and homes, and destroyed the Summit Inn Restaurant in Oak Hills. A McDonald's restaurant was also burned but the damage was minor. The fire threatened homes in Lytle Creek, Phelan, Oak Hills and Wrightwood and burned 37,000 acres (15,000 ha) Cajon Pass

1440-603: The California Aqueduct traverse the mountains today; these developments have all had significant impacts on area wildlife and plant communities. The San Bernardinos run for approximately 60 miles (97 km) from Cajon Pass in the northwest – which separates them from the San Gabriel Mountains – to San Gorgonio Pass , across which lie the San Jacinto Mountains , in the southeast. The Morongo Valley in

1512-542: The Four Corners region, and hydroelectric dams along the Colorado River . During October and November 2003, a number of wildfires devastated the hills and mountainsides near and around the pass, forcing the closure of Interstate 15. The following winter, rains in addition to burnt vegetation caused a number of landslides to further close the freeway pass. On July 17, 2015, during severe drought conditions plaguing

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1584-530: The Mojave Desert to the north. Most of the range lies within the boundaries of the San Bernardino National Forest . From its northwestern end, the crest of the mountains rises steadily until they are interrupted by the gorge of Bear Creek . The northern part of the San Bernardinos is a large upland plateau characterized by a series of extensive subalpine basins, including Big Bear Valley, and

1656-465: The San Andreas Fault , and are still actively rising. Many local rivers originate in the range, which receives significantly more precipitation than the surrounding desert. The range's unique and varying environment allows it to maintain some of the greatest biodiversity in the state. For over 10,000 years, the San Bernardinos and their surroundings have been inhabited by indigenous peoples, who used

1728-586: The San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California . Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault , it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m). Located in the Mojave Desert , the pass is an important link from the Greater San Bernardino Area to the Victor Valley , and northeast to Las Vegas . The Cajon Pass area is on the Pacific Crest Trail . Cajon Pass is at

1800-665: The Transverse Ranges of Southern California, a mountain chain formed by tectonic forces between the North American and Pacific Plates along the San Andreas Fault . An early version of the range rose in the Miocene , between eleven and five million years ago, but has largely eroded. The range was shaped into its present form during the Pleistocene epoch beginning approximately two million years ago, with regional uplift continuing to

1872-548: The 1880s, and the mountains were quickly depopulated, with most of the miners settling down in the San Bernardino Valley and the Mojave Desert near present-day Hesperia. Many structures built by miners, including chutes, sluices and a few cabins, can still be found in the area today. In 1880, Frank Elwood Brown designed the first dam in the Big Bear Valley, forming Big Bear Lake – the world's largest artificial reservoir at

1944-540: The Arrowhead Reservoir and Power Company – and reportedly inspired by the success of the Big Bear Lake project – Lake Arrowhead was to be one of a series of three reservoirs that would divert water draining off the northwestern San Bernardino Mountains into the San Bernardino Valley, and furnish water to a 260 KW hydroelectric plant. Although the project was never completed to full extent, Arrowhead became one of

2016-579: The Coachella Valley into the Salton Sea , and the Mojave River , which drains northwards into the Mojave Desert. The San Bernardino Mountains (along with the adjacent San Gabriel and San Jacinto Mountains) are a humid island in the mostly semi-arid southern California coastal plain. Parts of the San Bernardino Mountains have annual precipitation totals in excess of 40 inches (e.g. Lake Arrowhead and Barton Flats areas), and provide an important water resource for

2088-479: The Oak Hills exit at the summit of the pass, was a historic Route 66 diner and was in the same location from 1952 to 2016, when it was destroyed by the Blue Cut fire. Some maps may show the Cajon Pass as a feature on SR 138, which crosses I-15 south of the summit between West Cajon Valley and Summit Valley. The highest point on I-15 between Los Angeles and Victorville is thus sometimes identified as Cajon Summit. However,

2160-614: The San Bernardino Mountains total a population of about 44,000, with this number sometimes increasing tenfold during peak tourist season. Several regional streams and rivers also have their headwaters in the mountains. The principal drainage is provided by the Santa Ana River, which runs westwards into the Pacific Ocean in Orange County . Other streams flowing off the mountains include the Whitewater River , flowing southeast through

2232-453: The San Bernardino Valley, Santa Ana Canyon, and Big Bear Lake. In the late 1950s, work began on the California Aqueduct , a massive system of canals and pipelines designed to bring water from Northern California to growing cities in the parched south. The East Branch of the aqueduct passes over the San Bernardino Mountains through a complex arrangement of pumping stations, reservoirs and power stations. The aqueduct feeds Silverwood Lake ,

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2304-611: The San Bernardinos east of Cajon Pass and permitted trade between people of the Inland Empire basin and the Mojave Desert. San Gorgonio Pass, which forms the largest natural break in the Transverse Ranges, also allowed interaction between coastal and desert tribes. River canyons, especially those of the Mojave and Santa Ana, provided the major means of entry to the mountains. Many archaeological sites have been discovered along Deep Creek,

2376-507: The San Bernardinos – California State Route 18 , more popularly known as the Rim of the World Highway for 107 miles (172 km) as it winds through the mountains – was dedicated on July 18, 1915. Traveling from Crestline through Big Bear City and north into the Mojave Desert, the Rim of the World Highway is one of the most spectacular roads in Southern California, affording motorists wide views of

2448-511: The Union Pacific gained track rights on the Santa Fe portion negotiated under the original Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad . The original BNSF (ATSF) line was built in the 1880s and later roads, U.S. Route 66 and I-15, roughly followed this route. The 3.0% grade for a few miles on the south track is challenging for long trains, making the westbound descent dangerous, as a runaway can occur if

2520-482: The area's agricultural production by bringing in thousands of head of livestock and overhauling the local irrigation network. In order to obtain lumber for their settlements, they also began the first large-scale logging operations in the San Bernardino Mountains, starting in the Mill Creek valley. Luis Vignes built the first sawmill in the range sometime between 1851 and 1853. By 1854, six lumber mills were in operation in

2592-562: The area. The party captured and skinned more than twenty bears. Later, they found and arrested the rustlers, who were hiding along the Mojave River. Wilson's expedition opened the interior of the San Bernardinos to later exploration, and discouraged Native Americans such as the Mohave from staging similar raids over the mountains. Beginning in 1851, Mormon colonists began emigrating to the San Bernardino Valley. The Mormons bought and subsequently split up Rancho San Bernardino , and greatly improved

2664-460: The automobile could provide fast and cheap transportation up the steep grades of the mountains, and those who worried that cars were dangerous and would cause accidents with the stagecoaches then in use. In 1908, W.C. Vaughan drove up the Waterman Canyon road to Lake Arrowhead in protest of county restrictions, with police in hot pursuit. In spite of a total ban on automobiles imposed by the county

2736-496: The coastal plain below. Most of the precipitation falls between November and March; summers are mostly dry except for infrequent thunderstorms during late summer. During the colder winter storms, snow can fall above 2,000 feet, but most usually falls above 3,500 feet. Ski resorts (mostly in the Big Bear area) capitalize on this snowfall, the most reliable south of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The San Bernardinos are part of

2808-450: The dam is designed to completely contain a 350-year flood. Many other dams, including Mojave Forks Dam on the Mojave River and various retention basins and check dams on smaller drainages, provide more localized flood and sediment control. The San Bernardino Mountains, along with the nearby San Gabriel and San Jacinto ranges, is considered a sky island – a high mountain region whose plants and animals vary dramatically from those in

2880-512: The engineer is not careful in handling the brakes. The second track, built in 1913, is 2 miles (3.2 km) longer to get a lower 2.2% grade. It ran through two short tunnels, but both were removed when the third main track was added next to the 1913 line. Trains may be seen traveling at speeds of 60 and 70 mph (97 and 113 km/h) on the straighter track away from the pass, but typically ascend at 14 to 22 mph (23 to 35 km/h) and descend at 20 to 30 mph (32 to 48 km/h). With

2952-401: The entire area, including Cajon Summit, is often called Cajon Pass. The Pacific Crest Trail goes through the Cajon Pass area, and during the hiking season up to several thousand transient hikers will pass through this area after walking one of the hottest, driest, and most grueling sections of desert on the trail. A nearby McDonald's restaurant happens to be very close to the trail, and it

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3024-411: The existing I-15 right-of-way. The Mojave Freeway (I-15) was built in 1969 over Cajon Summit west of Cajon Pass. It is a major route from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire to Las Vegas. The freeway runs above and parallel to an original stretch of historic Route 66 and U.S. Route 395 . This stretch, now known as Cajon Boulevard, is a short, well-preserved fragment dating to a rerouting and widening of

3096-521: The following year, Jack Heyser took a car down the narrow stage roads around modern-day Crestline in 1910, proving that the mountains could be safely serviced by automobiles. By 1911, cars had largely replaced horse-drawn carts as the primary mode of transport in the mountains, and new toll roads were constructed through the range to service them. Among the first were roads through Cajon Pass, City Creek Canyon ( SR 330 ), and Mill Creek and Santa Ana Canyons ( SR 38 ). The largest and most famous road through

3168-475: The foot of the mountains. The high country of the mountains remained largely unexplored until 1845, when Benjamin D. Wilson led a party of 22 men from a rancho near present-day Riverside to catch several Mohave cattle rustlers who had fled into the mountains. Wilson was the first recorded European to see the Big Bear Valley, and named Bear Lake (today's Baldwin Lake ) for the abundance of California grizzly in

3240-579: The head of Horsethief Canyon , traversed by California State Route 138 (SR 138) and railroad tracks owned by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad . Improvements in 1972 reduced the railroad's maximum elevation from about 3,829 to 3,777 feet (1,167 to 1,151 m) while reducing curvature. Interstate 15 does not traverse Cajon Pass, but rather the nearby Cajon Summit , 34°20′58″N 117°26′47″W  /  34.34944°N 117.44639°W  / 34.34944; -117.44639  ( Cajon Summit ) , The entire area, Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit,

3312-525: The highlands today, but they are not native to the region: they were imported from the Sierra Nevada by the California Department of Fish and Game in the 1930s, in part to attract tourists to the mountains. Cajon Pass Cajon Pass ( / k ə ˈ h oʊ n / ; Spanish : Puerto del Cajón or Paso del Cajón ) is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and

3384-537: The highway in the early 1950s. Only the southbound/westbound lanes are in use; the northbound/eastbound lanes and corresponding bridges are closed to through traffic. It is along this stretch of road, accessible via either the Kenwood Avenue or Cleghorn Road exits that some of the best trainspotting areas are found. The Cajon Pass segment of I-15 was named the deadliest road in California. The historic Summit Inn , off

3456-564: The lands surrounding the San Bernardinos. These included the Tongva , who occupied the Inland Empire area southwest of the mountains; the Cahuilla , who lived in the Coachella Valley and Salton Sea basin; and the Serrano and Chemehuevi peoples, whose territory comprised land north and northeast of the San Bernardinos, adjacent to the Mojave Desert. Most of these tribes did not have permanent settlements in

3528-446: The large montane plateau that characterizes the northern portions of the range; and the more complex and fractured San Gorgonio, Wilson Creek and Yucaipa Ridge blocks, which form the rugged and heavily dissected southern parts of the mountains. Because of their large, steep rise above the surrounding terrain, the San Bernardinos have been subject to great amounts of erosion that have carved out numerous river gorges. Rocks and sediment from

3600-424: The lowlands around the San Bernardinos, and began to tap the mountains' rich timber and water resources on a large scale by the late 19th century. Recreational development of the range began in the early 20th century, when mountain resorts were built around new irrigation reservoirs. Since then, the mountains have been extensively engineered for transportation and water supply purposes. Four major state highways and

3672-583: The military governor of Alta California, Pedro Fages , became the first European known to reach the San Bernardino Mountains. Although the original purpose of his expedition was to pursue deserters from the Spanish army, he ended up venturing into not just the San Bernardinos but also the San Jacinto Mountains, the Mojave Desert, and eventually north into the Central Valley . The San Bernardinos and their surrounds were sporadically explored throughout

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3744-636: The most popular fishing destinations in Southern California. In the early 20th century, John Baylis built the Pinecrest Resort on Lake Arrowhead. This was followed by several other tourist developments, including the Skyland Inn and Thousand Pines Camp. Most early tourists arrived by stagecoach, though in time the old Mormon logging road through Waterman Canyon was overhauled, allowing for the passage of automobiles. Development of resorts also proliferated on rivers and high mountain valleys. The Seven Oaks Camp

3816-421: The mountains are deposited on the surrounding valley floors as massive alluvial fans . Regional alluvial deposits can reach depths of 1,000 feet (300 m) or more, and their permeable soils constitute several major groundwater basins. Archaeological discoveries in the San Bernardino Valley suggest that humans have populated the region for at least 10,000-12,000 years. Several Native American groups held

3888-405: The mountains as a summer hunting ground. Spanish explorers first encountered the San Bernardinos in the late 18th century, naming the eponymous San Bernardino Valley at its base. European settlement of the region progressed slowly until 1860, when the mountains became the focus of the largest gold rush ever to occur in Southern California. Waves of settlers brought in by the gold rush populated

3960-562: The mountains, perennial streams fed by springs and lakes nourish stands of alders , willows and cottonwoods . About 440 species of wildlife inhabit the mountains, including many endangered species such as the San Bernardino flying squirrel , California Spotted Owl , Mountain yellow-legged frog , Southern rubber boa , and Andrew's marbled butterfly . The mountains once had an abundant population of California grizzly, but hunting eliminated their populations by 1906. Black bears roam

4032-550: The mountains, some as high as the crest of the range three-quarters of a mile above San Bernardino, accessed by a twisting road through Waterman Canyon. Some of these mills were driven by waterwheels, although most were steam powered. Prospectors William F. Holcomb and Ben Choteau's 1860 discovery of gold on Holcomb Creek kicked off a flood of gold seekers to the San Bernardino Mountains. Mining boomtowns, including Belleville, Clapboard Town, Union Town, Bairdstown and Doble, were established almost overnight. Belleville even exceeded

4104-410: The mountains, with the possible exception of a few groups of Serrano. Indigenous peoples traveled into the mountains in the summer to hunt deer and rabbits, gather acorns, berries and nuts, and seek refuge from the desert heat. They established well-traveled trade routes, some of which were later used by Europeans to explore and settle the region. The precipitous Mojave Road (or Mojave Trail) crested

4176-505: The next 50 years or so - first by Francisco Garcés , the first known European to use the Mojave Road, in 1776, followed by José Maria de Zalvidea , who surveyed the Mojave River area in 1806. In 1810, Francisco Dumetz led a small company to build a temporary chapel near what is now Redlands. On May 20, the Feast Day of Bernardino of Siena , Dumetz named the San Bernardino Valley. This name

4248-594: The north or the southeast. Air spilling over the San Gabriels can cause violent up- and downdrafts. On a normal day, with the wind out of the west, turbulence usually starts a few miles west of Rialto and continues a few miles to the east, growing in strength above the altitude of the mountains and especially over the pass near the HITOP intersection. In Santa Ana conditions, up- and downdrafts can become violent northeast of Ontario Airport, and turbulence can be experienced east to

4320-472: The population of San Bernardino itself for a short time and narrowly lost to the latter city for election as the county seat. Numerous mills and processing plants were constructed in the area, which became known as Holcomb Valley. In 1873, Eli "Lucky" Baldwin built California's largest stamp mill in Holcomb Valley. Although another major gold strike was made in that same year, area deposits petered out by

4392-409: The present. The rocks that make up the mountains are much more ancient than the mountains themselves – ranging from 18 million years to 1.7 billion years old. The San Andreas Fault was also responsible for the formation of both major mountain passes that mark the east and west ends of the range. These mountains are shaped by several primary tectonic or fault blocks – the Big Bear block, which forms

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4464-457: The remainder of the Burns land in 1990. The most salient feature of the reserve are its weathered boulder hills. Because the reserve lies in the rain shadow of the San Bernardino Mountains , millions of years of drying eroded the soils. Wind blew away much of the soil, exposing the granitic bedrock below. Additional spalling produced the characteristic look of the reserve's boulder piles. Habitats at

4536-630: The reserve include desert, a freshwater seep, and a wash. Vegetation typical of the high elevation Mojave, such as Joshua trees ( Yucca brevifolia ), nolina ( Nolina parryi ), and the reserve's namesake, the piñon pine ( Pinus monophylla ) grow atop the dry hills. The wash supports lower-elevation desert plants such as desert willow ( Chilopsis linearis subsp. arcuata ), mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana ) and catclaw ( Senegalia greggii ). Perennially moist lower Railroad Wash sustains Muller's oak ( Quercus cornelius-mulleri ) and rushes ( Juncus sp.) Two species of quail mingle on

4608-433: The reserve, mountain ( Oreortyx pictus ) and Gambel's ( Callipepla gambelii ) "NRS: Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve" . UC Irvine Natural Reserve System . UC Irvine . Retrieved 16 February 2016 . . Other common fauna include horned lizards , coachwhip snakes , and phainopepla . Two new beetle species discovered in the wash were described in 2011. San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are

4680-597: The southeast divides the range from the Little San Bernardino Mountains . Encompassing roughly 2,100 square miles (5,400 km ), the mountains lie mostly in San Bernardino County , with a small southern portion reaching into Riverside County . The range divides three major physiographic regions: the highly urbanized Inland Empire to the southwest, the Coachella Valley in the southeast, and

4752-443: The surrounding semi-arid lands. The San Bernardinos in particular comprise the largest forested region in Southern California, and support some 1,600 species of plants. Foothill regions are primarily composed of chaparral and evergreen oak woodland communities, with a transition to forests of deciduous oak, yellow pine , Jeffrey pine , incense cedar and several fir species at elevations above 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Deeper within

4824-538: The third track, the BNSF lines have a capacity of 150 trains per day. Amtrak's Desert Wind used the pass until it quit running in 1997. The Southwest Chief runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles, through Cajon Pass on the BNSF line. As of 2024, the Brightline West high-speed rail line is currently under construction in Cajon Pass as part of its route between Rancho Cucamonga and Las Vegas. The route will follow

4896-491: The time – to supply water to citrus farms around San Bernardino. By 1910, a new dam had been built, increasing the size of the lake threefold. An unintended effect of the lake was to dramatically increase tourism in the San Bernardino Mountains, and its shores were developed with lodges and visitor facilities by the 1920s. The old logging camp of Big Bear Lake was expanded to accommodate increasing numbers of tourists from all over Southern California. Originally proposed in 1891 by

4968-468: The whole state and creating extreme fire hazards, a fast, wind-whipped wildfire swept over Interstate 15 between California State Route 138 and the Oak Hill Road exits, sending drivers running for safety and setting 20 vehicles ablaze, officials said. The vegetation fire, which closed the I-15 southbound lanes and restricted the northbound side to one lane, overtook stalled cars. The following year

5040-466: Was an early settler in nearby San Bernardino and assisted in surveying and laying out the city of San Bernardino. Cajon Pass is known for high wind, turbulence and fog. The weather over the pass can vary from foggy days with poor visibility to clear afternoons where aircraft are bounced by gusting Santa Ana winds that top 80 mph (130 km/h). The wind is typically from the west, although in Santa Ana and other weather conditions it may be out of

5112-444: Was applied to San Bernardino Peak by 1835, and was in wide use for the entire range by 1849. In 1819, San Bernardino de Sena Estancia was created near present-day San Bernardino as an outpost of nearby Mission San Gabriel Arcángel . Although sometimes referred to as an asistencia , or "a mission on a small scale with all the requisites for a mission, and with Divine Service held regularly on days of obligation, except that it lacked

5184-420: Was established on the banks of the Santa Ana River in 1890, and resorts also grew up at Crestline and Running Springs in higher regions of the San Bernardino Mountains. Snow in the San Bernardinos was seen as an obstacle before the 1920s and practically shut down recreation in the winter. However, more and more Southern Californians braved the dangers of winter travel in the mountains, and Lake Arrowhead became

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