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85-725: The Sierra Pelona Mountains lie northwest of the San Gabriel Mountains , which are divided by the wide Soledad Canyon formation. The mountains are flanked to the south by the Santa Clarita Valley and separated from the Antelope Valley and the Mojave Desert to the north by the San Andreas Fault . Toward the southeast lie Vasquez Rocks , thrust up by the fault. Toward the west lies Interstate 5 , Pyramid Lake , and

170-575: A mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California , United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert , with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east. The range lies in, and is surrounded by, the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, with

255-506: A $ 45 million project to reconstruct the roadway, construct soldier pile retaining walls, repair drainage systems, install rockfall protection, and provide asphalt concrete overlay and traffic striping, should begin in fall 2010." In 2011, the planned repair of the road was abruptly terminated, due to concern of high future maintenance costs, and potential impact on the local bighorn sheep population. However, in October 2016, Caltrans announced it

340-517: A center median , but still with at-grade intersections . Even this four-lane Ridge Route Alternate was not adequate for the traffic, and the first section of eight-lane freeway I-5 with a minimum curve radius of 3,000 feet (910 m) opened in 1960 in Grapevine. Large parts of the Ridge Route Alternate were incorporated into the new roadway, but the area through the present Pyramid Lake

425-491: A ceramics factory, burned down on April 29, 1961, from a fire started by the new owner—who was converting it into a "camp-type operation" for underprivileged children —burning trash in the fireplace. The lease from the U.S. Forest Service was canceled in 1963, and only portions of the foundation and a rock wall remain. The name "Sandberg" is still used by the National Weather Service for an automated weather station

510-628: A county road. For the next six years Scott worked to get the road added to the National Register of Historic Places , and finally succeeded when, on September 25, 1997, the National Park Service added the 17.6 miles (28.3 km) in the forest to the National Register. He later used his research for the National Register application to write a book, Ridge Route: The Road That United California , published in 2002. The Ridge Route

595-681: A desire to reduce altering the terrain, the road was built with 697 curves, high in the mountains. Construction on the Ridge Route, officially considered to run from Castaic Junction (west of Saugus on the road to Ventura ) to the bottom of the grade at Grapevine , began in 1914. The highway was one of the earliest projects completed by the California Highway Commission. Horse-drawn scrapers were used. The new road, designed with an ideal grade of 6 percent (but with several 7 percent grades, including at Grapevine, ) cut

680-488: A fire began in the garage, and took over a day to put out. When the Ridge Route Alternate bypassed the site to the west, the inn was not rebuilt, and all that remains are concrete steps. About two miles (3.2 km) north of the National Forest Inn is Serpentine Drive, where the road curves around the sides of hills as it climbs out of a low point in the route (about 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level). North of

765-493: A hiker gets lost or stuck on a mountain ledge or may fall downhill. Some of the more extreme cases of emergency search-and-rescue efforts will often be given air time on Los Angeles television and radio newscasts. The Pacific Crest Trail passes along the mountain ridge. During the winter, many Southern California mountaineers climb a variety of snow routes and even some ice routes in the San Gabriel Mountains. Baldy Bowl

850-639: A large fault block between the San Andreas Fault Zone to the north, and the San Gabriel Fault and the Sierra Madre and Cucamonga Fault Zones to the south. This tectonic block was uplifted during the Miocene and has since been dissected by numerous rivers and washes. The highest elevation, Mount San Antonio (Mount Baldy) at 10,069 feet (3,069 m), rises towards the eastern extremity of

935-507: A minimum radius of 70 feet (21 m). The unpaved road, which had cost $ 450,000 (about $ 9.81 million in 2023) , opened in October 1915. In addition to being part of the state highway system (as a portion of the unsigned Sacramento -Los Angeles Legislative Route 4 ), the road was part of the National Park to Park Highway , a privately designated auto trail , and became part of US 99 in 1926. The continuation south via Saugus and

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1020-468: A more direct route be built to shorten this distance. A bond issue was approved in 1909 and 1910 to build a state highway system, including the Ridge Route. The new California Highway Commission was unable to raise funds in the East , but Los Angeles again contributed funds to ensure that construction would go forward. These routes all shared the roadway south of Saugus, which was generally flat but included

1105-639: A nearly two-hour trip. Reopening Highway 39 would cut the drive-time to the Waterman Ski Area in half and shorten the trip east to Wrightwood. According to the Caltrans District Seven "Inside Seven" Newsletter, "Two projects that will address those issues and get the highway reopened are scheduled for construction soon. The first, building two retaining walls near the city of Azusa from Old San Gabriel Canyon Road to approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of SR-2, could begin in mid-2009. The second,

1190-425: A number of blind curves were widened and straightened. In 1929 the state decided to build a new bypass of the central portion through Piru Canyon, and to upgrade the north portion over Tejon Pass and down the hill to Grapevine. This Ridge Route Alternate, or Ridge Alternate Highway, shortened the route by 9.6 miles (15.4 km) and increased the minimum curve radius from 70 to 1,000 feet (21 to 305 m). This

1275-488: A short distance to the north at Pine Canyon Road. Pine Canyon Road ( CR N2 ) marks the end of the forest and the beginning of county maintenance, and CR N2 uses the old Ridge Route alignment to reach SR 138 near Quail Lake . The Ridge Route crosses the West Branch California Aqueduct with SR 138, splitting to the northwest on Gorman Post Road. It rejoins the path of I-5 at Gorman , and, from Gorman to

1360-604: A steep, rugged and precipitous gorge. The two meet at San Gabriel Reservoir , and turn south, boring through the southern portion of the San Gabriels, emptying of the mountains near Azusa into the urban San Gabriel Valley , and eventually to the Pacific Ocean near Seal Beach . San Gabriel Mountains peaks within the Angeles National Forest include: The climate of the range varies with elevation from continental to

1445-534: Is by far the most popular route, getting hundreds of climbers per season. There are many other routes, offering a variety of choices. Rock climbing is not as common in the San Gabriel Range as it is in neighboring areas, as this range is famous for loose rock. Various faults crisscross the range, making it one of the steepest and fastest-growing ranges in the world. Plate tectonic activity breaks up most rock, making it unsuitable for rock climbing. Williamson Rock

1530-599: Is much better, and it is open much of the winter. State Route 39 connected the city of Azusa with the Angeles Crest Highway until it was seriously damaged by landslides, first in 1978, and again in 2005. The highway was opened to emergency crews in February 2003. People heading to Mount Waterman must now travel west to Pasadena and then travel on the Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) in La Cañada Flintridge,

1615-413: Is visible from Digier Road on the west side of I-5. The next part of the old road that still exists is near the bottom of the grade, where a number of curves brought the road down to Grapevine. The original plan was to build the road nearer to the center of the canyon, but a March 1914 flood destroyed the work, and the grading was redone higher up. Deadman's Curve and the Grapevine loops were both bypassed by

1700-486: The Angeles National Forest . The road for about two miles (3.2 km) south from SR 138 is part of CR N2. Harrison Scott, a retired engineer, was traveling north on I-5 with his son in 1991, when his son speculated about the difficulty of driving over the first road through the rugged terrain. Having some extra time, and recalling a drive on the old road in 1955, they left the freeway and traveled along most of

1785-623: The Castaic–Tejon Route and colloquially known as the Grapevine , was a two-lane highway between Los Angeles County and Kern County , California. Opened in 1915 and paved with concrete between 1917 and 1921, the road was the first paved highway directly linking the Los Angeles Basin with the San Joaquin Valley (southern Central Valley ) over the Tejon Pass and the rugged Sierra Pelona Mountains ridge south of Gorman . Much of

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1870-738: The Los Padres National Forest . The range has a small extension west of I-5. The Tejon Pass separates the Sierra Pelonas, the San Emigdios , the Tehachapis , and the Topatopa Mountains near Gorman and Lebec . Within the Sierra Pelonas lie the rural areas of Neenach , Three Points , Lake Hughes , Elizabeth Lake , Acton , Agua Dulce and Green Valley . The cities of Santa Clarita , Palmdale , and Lancaster are located at

1955-838: The Pacific Light and Power Company opened a power line , both staying fairly close to the entire Ridge Route. The two general routes followed by the Butterfield Overland Stage and the Southern Pacific Railroad—known respectively as the Tejon Pass Route and the Tehachapi or Midway Route—were the main automobile routes between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley around the start of the 20th century. The State Bureau of Highways recommended in 1895 that

2040-466: The San Andreas Fault as its northern border. The highest peak in the range is Mount San Antonio , commonly referred to as Mt. Baldy. Mount Wilson is another notable peak, known for the Mount Wilson Observatory and the antenna farm that houses many of the transmitters for local media. The observatory may be visited by the public. On October 10, 2014, Barack Obama designated the area

2125-511: The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument . The Trust for Public Land has protected more than 3,800 acres (1,500 ha) of land in the San Gabriel Mountains, its foothills, and the Angeles National Forest. Much of the range features rolling peaks. The range lacks craggy features, but contains a large number of canyons and is generally very rugged and difficult to traverse. The San Gabriel Mountains are composed of

2210-589: The Santa Clara River and numerous minor watercourses and washes drain the ridge: Castaic Creek , San Francisquito Creek , and Bouquet Creek . Three sag ponds nestle within the narrow valley that divides the mountains from the Antelope Valley: Hughes Lake , Munz Lakes , and Elizabeth Lake . The Native population of California in the Sierra Pelona and Santa Susana Mountains included

2295-648: The Tataviam and Serrano people. They traded with the Tongva and Chumash to the south and west, until the Spanish colonization of the Americas relocated them from their homelands. The San Francisquito Canyon , which runs north-south through the mountains, served as a major wagon route between the Antelope and San Fernando Valleys. This corridor summited at San Francisquito Pass and

2380-639: The U.S. Forest Service ; other remnants are used by local traffic. The Ridge Route was officially the Castaic–Tejon Route. The official limits of the Ridge Route, as built in the 1910s, were SR 126 at Castaic Junction and the bottom of the grade at Grapevine . Until 1930 the road from San Fernando to Castaic Junction ran through the Newhall Tunnel at San Fernando Pass and along San Fernando Road, Magic Mountain Parkway (both part of SR 126 until

2465-628: The Victor Valley and the western Cajon Valley. Past its junction with Angeles Forest Highway, traveling east, Angeles Crest Highway features blind curves, various bumps, and potholes. This section of the "Crest" is closed during the winter due to rockfall and avalanche hazards. State Route 2, just past Mountain High , is called the Big Pines Highway to the Route 138 junction. Another key county route through,

2550-530: The Alternate in Los Angeles County was completed in 1933, and Kern County line to Grapevine in 1936. The four-lane US 99 was completed in 1953 and replaced by an eight-lane freeway , Interstate 5 (I-5) in 1960-70. The portion of the road in the Angeles National Forest was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, by the efforts of Harrison Scott. Much of the road has been closed by

2635-653: The Mediterranean, with mostly dry summers (except for scattered summer thunderstorms) and cold, wet winters. Snow can fall above 4,000 ft (1,200 m) elevation during frontal passages between November and April, but is most common in December through March. Annual precipitation totals are mostly in excess of 25 in (640 mm) on the coastal (southern) slopes above 3,000 ft (900 m) elevation, with up to 45 in (1,100 mm) falling in some areas above 5,000 ft (1,500 m). The coastal (south) side of

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2720-579: The Newhall Tunnel towards Los Angeles, also part of Route 4, was added to the state highway system in 1917. The San Francisco Chronicle called the new route "one of the most remarkable engineering feats accomplished by the State Highway Commission. It is Southern California's Magnus Opus [ sic ] in mountain highway construction." It was also credited with stopping efforts to split California into two states, by linking its two halves over

2805-598: The North American west coast. Like nearly all of the other mountains in the Transverse Ranges , the San Gabriels are a series of fault blocks that were uplifted in the Cenozoic . Tectonic uplift rates and erosion rates systematically increase as topography steepens eastward in the San Gabriel Mountains, where the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults meet. Current rates of erosion in the eastern San Gabriel mountains are among

2890-682: The Pacific Coast from Los Angeles in April 1861. Similarly, the residents of the City of Los Angeles approved the expenditure of a good deal of money towards the building of the Southern Pacific Railroad , which had originally planned to bypass the city. The line to San Francisco, including the 6,966-foot (2,123 m) San Fernando Tunnel through San Fernando Pass, was completed on September 5, 1876. The railroad's route between Saugus and Bakersfield

2975-671: The Ridge Route Alternate ( US 99 ) in 1930, itself superseded by Interstate 5 completed in 1971. The rapid development of Southern California throughout the 20th century saw construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct and five separate reservoirs to supply water to the region: Castaic Lake , Bouquet Reservoir , Drinkwater Reservoir, Pyramid Lake and Dry Canyon Reservoir and the St. Francis Reservoir , both now drained and destroyed. San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( Spanish : Sierra de San Gabriel ) comprise

3060-441: The Ridge Route Alternate, which was built directly over most of the old road in this area. At Grapevine the land flattens out, and the road north of Grapevine was the longest straight section of road in the state—17 miles (27 km)—in 1926. Most of this road lies under I-5 and SR 99 , but the southernmost piece in Grapevine was bypassed by the Alternate west of it, and is now between southbound and northbound lanes of I-5. Before

3145-702: The Ridge Route, roads between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley were less direct. El Camino Real (Spanish, "the King's road"), the first major road in California, connected Los Angeles and the missions , presidios and settlements with San Francisco and Sonoma . The San Joaquin Valley route split from the El Camino Real at present-day Universal City , the western leg running along the Pacific Coast and coastal valleys and

3230-614: The San Andreas Fault produces numerous springs, sag ponds, and wetland areas that are critical habitats for a variety of native species. Larger animals include California mule deer , California black bear , San Pedro Martir coyote and the rarely seen mountain lion or cougar. Smaller mammals include raccoons, opossum, skunk, and bobcats. Golden and bald eagles are found rarely, but hawks are common. Rattlesnakes are common and often encountered on trails by hikers. Critically endangered yellow-legged frogs have declined or vanished from

3315-544: The Tejon Pass Route) was steep and narrow. Another possible route, through Piru Canyon to the west, was rejected because of a proposal for a dam. This route was later chosen for the Ridge Route Alternate , but had to be abandoned in the 1970s due to the construction of Pyramid Lake. The route chosen was direct from Saugus to Gorman, over the top of the ridge for many miles. Due to cost and drainage concerns, and

3400-478: The abandoned section. Near SR 138, Scott asked a county road crew which was resurfacing the road if it was still maintained by the county, and the crew replied that they didn't know who maintained it through the desert. It turned out that the county officially owned it but did not maintain it; Scott has since convinced the county and forest to exchange ownership with the Santa Anita Canyon Road , then

3485-512: The base of the mountains. The climate of the mountains is a Mediterranean climate . Summers are mostly dry except for occasional thunderstorms, and winters comparatively cold and wet. Snowfall is infrequent due to the relatively low elevations of mountains within this ridge, with only the few tallest peaks regularly receiving snowfall during the winter. Mainly the ridge falls under the California montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, excepting

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3570-410: The crossing of San Fernando Pass. As discussed earlier, this was deepened at the county's expense in 1858. The California State Legislature authorized a turnpike in 1861, and it was completed in 1863, then owned by Edward Fitzgerald Beale . The cut, which came to be known as Beale's Cut , was deepened by Beale, and lowered once more by the county in 1904. To improve the crossing, the county bypassed

3655-433: The curves, the road passes through Swede's Cut , also called Big Cut, Culebra Excavation, or Castaic Cut. The cut was the largest on the route, with a depth of 110 feet (34 m). Reservoir Summit, also called Reservoir Hill, is 3,883 feet (1,184 m) above sea level. The Reservoir Summit Café was a popular high-class restaurant on the east side of the road, closed in the late 1920s; the foundation remains. The summit

3740-586: The cut with the narrow 435-foot (133 m) Newhall Tunnel , for railroad traffic only, which opened in October 1910. The California Highway Commission considered several easterly routes between Saugus and Gorman: Soledad Canyon (used by the Southern Pacific) had frequent washouts ; Mint Canyon (used by the Midway Route) was too long and cost too much; Bouquet Canyon (used by both automobile routes) had bad drainage; and San Francisquito Canyon (used by

3825-454: The distance by 24 miles (39 km) over the Tejon Pass Route or 58 miles (93 km) over the Midway Route. A speed limit of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) was enforced between Castaic and Quail Lake, making the trip from Los Angeles to Bakersfield take about 12 hours. On the Ridge Route between Castaic Junction and Grapevine, the curves added up to about 109.5 complete circles, with

3910-492: The early 2000s) and Feedmill Road to a former bridge over the Santa Clara River . A 1930 bypass of the tunnel and Newhall through Weldon Canyon is now part of The Old Road. From Castaic Junction north to Castaic the Ridge Route has been largely buried by the Ridge Route Alternate and Interstate 5. At Castaic the Ridge Route Alternate turned northwest from the old road, now the intersection of Castaic Road and Neely Street. The first piece of Ridge Route Road out of Castaic

3995-464: The eastern El Camino Viejo , (Spanish, "the old road") via the San Joaquin Valley to San Antonio, now East Oakland . Another route between Los Angeles and Bakersfield followed the southern approach to the Ridge Route to Saugus , but took a longer route between Saugus and Gorman, heading northeast through the San Francisquito Canyon to the Antelope Valley and west to Gorman. The rest of

4080-409: The end at Grapevine, most of the old road has been covered by the Ridge Route Alternate or I-5. The path of the Ridge Route is now named Peace Valley Road and Lebec Road, passing over Tejon Pass and past Lebec and Fort Tejon . Past Fort Tejon the route descends through Grapevine Canyon to Grapevine (named for grapevines in the area ). The best-known curve on the road, Deadman's Curve or Death Curve

4165-956: The extreme eastern San Gabriels. The range terminates at Cajon Pass, through which runs Interstate 15 , and beyond which rise the even higher San Bernardino Mountains . The Range is bounded on the north by the Antelope Valley and the Mojave Desert and to the south by the communities of Greater Los Angeles . The south side of the range is almost continuously urbanized and includes the Los Angeles city communities of Sylmar , Pacoima , and Sunland-Tujunga , as well as cities and unincorporated areas of San Fernando , La Crescenta , La Cañada Flintridge , Altadena , Pasadena , Sierra Madre , Arcadia , Monrovia , Bradbury , Duarte , Azusa , Glendora , San Dimas , La Verne , Claremont , Upland , Rancho Cucamonga , Fontana , and Rialto . The north side of

4250-521: The fastest in the continental United States and have accelerated in response to the increased frequency of wildfires over the 1900s. Over future centuries, it remains unclear whether soil and brush ecosystems in the San Gabriel mountains will continue to re-establish soil and vegetation after increasing fire and soil-erosion frequencies, or if increasing fire frequencies and erosion will strip soils and permanently alter soil cover and vegetation types across

4335-400: The forest included the National Forest Inn, Kelly's Half Way Inn, Tumble Inn, and Sandberg's Summit Hotel. The National Forest Inn was on the west side of the road. A popular place, composed of white clapboard buildings, it was described in a 1932 highway beautification pamphlet as "the sort of filling station that gets into a national forest and is no addition thereto". On October 14, 1932,

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4420-402: The gorge is the southern "foothills" of the mountains, which rise abruptly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above the Los Angeles Basin and give rise to the Arroyo Seco , a tributary of the Los Angeles River . Southeast of Big Tujunga Canyon, the southern front range of the San Gabriels gradually grows in elevation, culminating in notable peaks such as Mount Wilson at 5,710 feet (1,740 m). On

4505-430: The highest peak in the range at 10,068 feet (3,069 m). On the north slopes of the San Gabriel crest, the northern ranks of mountains drop down incrementally to the floor of the Mojave Desert in a much more gradual manner than the sheer southern flank. The Angeles Crest Highway , one of the main routes across the San Gabriels, runs through this area from west to east. Little Rock, Big Rock, and Sheep Creeks drain off

4590-495: The mountain ecosystem. There are both areas of conifer as well as broadleaf forestation, including the presence of some endemic taxa. Conifer (pine, fir, cedar) and oak forests are most widespread above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) where the precipitation is above 30 inches (760 mm) (the central and eastern high San Gabriels). In the wetter areas, madrone and bay laurel trees also occur in places, and ferns are common. Trees like willow, alder, and cottonwood are also found throughout

4675-566: The mountains during big storms often produces flooding in adjacent foothill communities (especially in areas denuded by wildfires). The range is mostly smog-free above 5,000 ft (1,500 m) elevation, above the inversion layer. The large telescope installation at Mt. Wilson is a testimony to the clear atmospheric conditions that prevail, although light pollution from the L.A. basin below has hindered telescope activities in recent decades. The San Gabriel Mountains see wildfires frequently. The fires are often driven by dry Santa Ana wind events in

4760-425: The mountains is Angeles Forest Highway . Angeles Forest Highway begins 11 miles northeast of La Cañada Flintridge at its Angeles Crest Highway junction. Ending near Acton , it allows easy access to the central Forest and the fast-growing Antelope Valley . Because the "Forest" and the 11-mile (18 km) "Crest" portion leading to La Cañada Flintridge is well-traveled by Antelope Valley commuters, its road maintenance

4845-515: The north the range is abruptly dissected by the canyon of the West Fork San Gabriel River. Even further north the range slopes up into the towering main crest of the San Gabriels, a sweeping arc-shaped massif 30 miles (48 km) in length that includes most of the highest peaks in the range: Waterman Mountain , at 8,038 feet (2,450 m); Mount Islip , at 8,250 feet (2,510 m), Mount Baden-Powell , at 9,399 feet (2,865 m), Pine Mountain , at 9,648 feet (2,941 m), and Mount San Antonio ,

4930-412: The northeastern flank's gradual slope into the Antelope Valley near Palmdale where the ecology transitions to that of the Mojave Desert . The mountains are primarily covered in short grasses, scrub oak trees, yucca , and other chaparral shrubs. The ridge is prone to wildfires in the summer and fall, especially when the Santa Ana winds blow in from the Antelope Valley. Three major tributaries of

5015-402: The northern part of the mountains, forming large alluvial fans as they descend into the Mojave. To the east, the San Andreas Fault cuts across the range, forming a series of long, straight, and narrow depressions, including Swarthout Valley and Lone Pine Canyon. South of Mount San Antonio, San Antonio Creek drains the mountains, cutting the deep San Antonio Canyon. East of San Antonio Canyon,

5100-438: The old Ridge Route), had lower grades and became the southbound (downhill) lanes to cut down on runaway trucks . Two bridges were built to allow traffic to cross to the left side. Near the north end of this area, the Ridge Route curves away from the newer bypass. The road enters the Angeles National Forest about one mile (1.6 km) south of Templin Highway , with the Forest Service road designation 8N04. Establishments in

5185-462: The old road runs through the Angeles National Forest , and passes many historical landmarks, including the National Forest Inn, Reservoir Summit, Kelly's Half Way Inn, Tumble Inn, and Sandberg's Summit Hotel. North of the forest, the Ridge Route passed through Deadman's Curve before ending at Grapevine . The road was bypassed by the three-lane Ridge Route Alternate , then U.S. Route 99 (US 99), to handle increased traffic and remove curves;

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5270-420: The port at San Pedro in 1913. Its alignment followed the Ridge Route north of Gorman and south of Reservoir Summit , a longer distance than any of the earlier transportation routes, but from Gorman south to the present location of Pyramid Lake , where it turned east to Reservoir Summit, it roughly followed the later Ridge Route Alternate. That same year, the Midway Gas Company opened a natural gas line , and

5355-434: The range along with the stream courses (riparian habitat), even at lower elevations. Chaparral (dense shrub, brush, and small tree) vegetation is widespread where there is no continuous tall tree cover, especially at lower elevations. Chaparral is highly adapted to fire and replaces trees for decades after fires. There is a subspecies of the Leather Oak which is found only within the San Gabriel Mountains. The Rift Zone along

5440-482: The range gradually loses elevation, and the highest peaks in this section of the mountain range are in the south, rising dramatically above the cities of Claremont , Upland and Rancho Cucamonga . However, there are still several notable peaks in this region, including Telegraph Peak , at 8,985 feet (2,739 m), Cucamonga Peak , at 8,859 feet (2,700 m), and Ontario Peak , rising 8,693 feet (2,650 m). Lytle Creek , flowing generally southeast, drains most of

5525-437: The range is less densely populated and includes the city of Palmdale as well as the small unincorporated towns of Acton , Littlerock , Pearblossom , Valyermo , Llano , Piñon Hills , and Phelan . At the west end of the range lies the city of Santa Clarita . Within the mountains themselves are the small unincorporated communities of Mount Baldy , Wrightwood , Big Pines and Lytle Creek . Melting snow and rain runoff on

5610-425: The range just east of San Fernando, carrying runoff into the San Fernando Valley . Little Tujunga Canyon Road bridges the range in this area, connecting the San Fernando Valley to the Santa Clara River valley in the north. Towering over Big Tujunga Canyon north of Big Tujunga Reservoir , and south of Acton, is Mount Gleason, which at 6,502 feet (1,982 m), is the highest in this region of the San Gabriels. South of

5695-417: The range receives more precipitation than the desert (northern) side. The highest precipitation is found in the central and eastern parts of the range (Mt. Wilson to Mt. San Antonio). Annual precipitation totals are highly variable from year to year, and can be extremely high during wet El Nino years (sometimes over 70 in (1,800 mm), with single storm totals over 10 in (250 mm)). Runoff from

5780-427: The range which extends from the Cajon Pass (Interstate 15) on the east, where the San Gabriel Mountain Range meets the San Bernardino Mountain Range , westward to meet the Santa Susana Mountains at Newhall Pass (Interstate 5). South and east of Santa Clarita and north of San Fernando , the San Gabriel Mountains crest abruptly up to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Pacoima and Big Tujunga Canyons cut through

5865-450: The route, from Gorman toward Bakersfield via the Tejon Pass, followed the same path as the Ridge Route. The Butterfield Overland Stage , the first overland mail service to California, went from Tipton , Missouri and Memphis to San Francisco via Los Angeles. From October 1858, when the first stage passed through Tejon Pass, until April 1861, the route was identical to El Camino Viejo, running via San Francisquito Canyon. In order to keep

5950-405: The rugged terrain separating them. Work on paving the Ridge Route with 4-inch (100 mm) thick reinforced concrete began in 1917, but was delayed until 1919 by the U.S. entry into World War I . During work on the road, traffic was detoured via Mint and Bouquet Canyons. The road reopened on November 15, 1919, completely paved except north of Lebec, including the grade at Grapevine, which

6035-440: The south side of the San Gabriels' highest mountains give rise to its largest river, the San Gabriel River . Just to the west of Mount Hawkins , a north-south divide separates water running down the two main forks of the river and their tributaries. The West Fork, beginning at Red Box Saddle, runs 14 miles (23 km) eastward, and the East Fork, starting north of Mount San Antonio, flows 18 miles (29 km) south and west through

6120-542: The stages from running directly northwest from San Bernardino and bypassing Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors spent $ 8000 in 1858 (about $ 219,318 in 2023) to deepen the cut—later Beale's Cut —at San Fernando Pass, south of Saugus and Newhall (east of Sierra Highway, west of the Antelope Valley Freeway or State Route 14). The path followed by the stages was changed to pass along

6205-443: The state gas tax . It was estimated that it would pay itself off in 2.5 years with the savings in time and gas. A new bypass of the Newhall Tunnel , through Weldon Canyon , had opened on May 28, 1930, giving drivers a better route all the way from Los Angeles to Bakersfield. The roadway was widened to an expressway by 1952 at a cost of $ 13.5 million (about $ 124 million in 2023), with two lanes in each direction and

6290-468: The streams due to the loss of suitable habitat. The introduction of invasive predators like trout, which feed on tadpoles, decimated their population. The main road that runs through the San Gabriel Mountains is the Angeles Crest Highway , State Route 2 . It starts in the southwest at the city of La Cañada Flintridge and ends at its junction with State Route 138 , just past Wrightwood , near

6375-533: The summer and fall. Notable wildfires in the San Gabriel Mountains have included the 2009 Station Fire , 2020 Bobcat Fire , and the 2024 Bridge Fire . Granitic and metasedimentary rocks are the primary constituent of the San Gabriel Mountains. Metasedimentary rocks were attached to the North American craton in the Precambrian eon, and granitic rocks formed throughout the Mesozoic as oceanic plates subducted underneath

6460-427: The top step with "TUMBLE INN" in the concrete, and a retaining wall remain. The Sandberg's Summit Hotel, later Sandberg's Lodge, was just north of Liebre Summit, the highest point (4,233 feet (1,290 m)) on the road, at 4,170 feet (1,270 m) above sea level. The hotel was built in 1914 and served travelers from the opening of the road in 1915. Built of logs, it was a high-class hotel. The place, which had become

6545-453: Was again considering plans to re-open the road, after pressure from local communities. In the winter, snowboarding and skiing are quite popular in the San Gabriels, at Mountain High and Mt. Baldy . The two other resorts, Mount Waterman and Kratka Ridge , are rarely open due to insufficient snow. In the summer, canyoneering , hiking, backpacking, picnicking, and camping are some of the activities popular with visitors. From time to time,

6630-412: Was completely bypassed. I-5 over the mountains between Castaic Junction and Grapevine was completed on August 24, 1970, at a cost of $ 103 million (about $ 624 million in 2023). Portions of the old road continued to exist as a county road. The longest preserved segment was the part bypassed by the Ridge Route Alternate, between Castaic and SR 138 near Sandberg , including the portion through

6715-487: Was done for the safety of the road, which had many accidents, and to increase the road's capacity. The old highway was to be relinquished to Los Angeles County and incorporated into the county road system. Construction began in 1930, and the road south of Tejon Pass opened on October 29, 1933; replacement of the Grapevine grade was completed in 1936. The three-lane road, with a center "suicide" passing lane , cost $ 3.5 million (about $ 60.4 million in 2023) , paid for by

6800-400: Was even longer than that of El Camino Viejo and the Butterfield Overland Stage, heading east through Soledad Canyon before turning north via Palmdale to Mojave and northwest over Tehachapi Pass . In the 1910s several power companies built lines through the area. The General Pipe Line Company completed an oil pipeline connecting the San Joaquin Valley's Midway-Sunset Oil Field with

6885-509: Was named after a now-dry reservoir, one of three probably built for the concrete used in paving the road. Kelly's Half Way Inn was roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Bakersfield, on a small knoll with a single tree on the east side of the road; all that remains is remnants of the foundation. The Tumble Inn, later Mountain View Lodge, was on the west side of the road, and closed when the Ridge Route Alternate opened in 1933. Steps, including

6970-517: Was only oiled . After a bond issue was passed in July 1919, this portion was paved from September 1919 to May 1921; the dangerous detour during the paving included a 20 percent grade. The paving added about $ 1 million to the cost, for a total price of about $ 1.5 million (about $ 20.3 million in 2023) , which was not paid off until 1965. Asphalt was added on top of the concrete for 20 miles (32 km) south from Swede's Cut in 1922, and in 1924

7055-586: Was part of the El Camino Viejo - an alternate land route to the El Camino Real for reaching northern Spanish and Mexican colonial Alta California - as well as the Butterfield Overland Mail route. The Ridge Route , a landmark two-lane highway that connected Los Angeles to the rest of California, was built along the western flank of the ridge and was completed in 1915. It was later bypassed by

7140-521: Was realigned as recently as the late 1990s when the North Lake housing development was built. The road begins to climb after passing North Lake; a portion was straightened in 1924 and now is next to the southbound lanes of I-5. In this area, known as the Five-Mile Grade, the four-lane Ridge Route Alternate became the northbound lanes of I-5, while the added four-lane alignment, built to the east (next to

7225-486: Was the most famous climbing area until it was closed for climbing. There are many other craggy areas scattered about the range that provide mostly traditional climbing opportunities. Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association has rebuilt and operates Vetter Mountain Lookout , and Slide Mountain Lookout . The organization is rebuilding South Mount Hawkins Lookout . Ridge Route The Ridge Route , officially

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