San Benito Mountain
San Benito Mountain rises to 1,597 m in California. Santa Rita Peak stands 1,560 m to the southeast, 2.9 miles off. The nearest named place is San Benito Wilderness Study Area, a nature reserve 0.7 miles away.
The story
San Benito Mountain is the highest mountain in the Diablo Range of California. The summit is at an elevation of 5,267 feet (1,605 m). The rock is composed of asbestos (chrysotile), an ultramafic rock. It weathers to produce serpentine soils with characteristically low levels of nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, and high levels of magnesium and heavy metals including nickel and chromium. This means little vegetation grows in the area though there are some plants that only grow on such soils like the local endemic San Benito evening primrose. The Clear Creek Management Area includes the San Benito Mountain Research Natural Area, recognized for its unique pine and incense cedar sky island forest assemblage. The Mediterranean climate is punctuated by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. There are two superfund sites in the area, both associated with the mining and processing of chrysotile asbestos. There are also a handful of small mines producing gems and the minerals, but the Clear Creek Serpentine Area of Critical Environmental Concern was withdrawn from mineral entry on August 7, 2012.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q7413409, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1597 m
How to reach it
Named places within 25 miles
- Alta Peak: 1.2 mi
- San Carlos Peak: 1.6 mi
- North Hill: 2.1 mi
- Santa Rita Peak: 2.9 mi
- Picacho Peak: 3.0 mi
- Car: 2.3 mi
- Outhouse: 2.7 mi
- Vehicle: 3.3 mi
- Exploratory Mine Shaft: 3.6 mi
- Car: 3.7 mi
- Aqua Buena Spring: 3.1 mi
- Dick Wright Spring: 6.8 mi
- Live Oak Spring: 19.1 mi
- Splitrock Spring: 19.2 mi
- McMillan Spring: 19.6 mi
- Los Gatos Creek County Park: 10.4 mi
- Coalinga Mineral Springs County Park: 16.2 mi
- Coalinga Memorial Bowl: 21.9 mi
- Falcon Baseball Field: 22.0 mi
- William Keck Memorial Park: 22.2 mi
- San Benito Wilderness Study Area: 0.7 mi
- Griswold Hills Day use area: 17.0 mi
- New Idria Mercury Mine: 3.6 mi
- New Idria: 3.6 mi
- Laguna falls: 10.0 mi
- The Bluff: 16.4 mi
- R C Baker Memorial Museum: 22.5 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 23.4 miles of San Benito Mountain. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rita Peak | SE 124° | 1,560 m | 2.9 mi |
| Condon Peak | SSE 158° | 1,514 m | 3.9 mi |
| San Carlos Peak | NNW 335° | 1,472 m | 1.6 mi |
| Alta Peak | SW 232° | 1,428 m | 1.2 mi |
| Sampson Peak | NW 309° | 1,420 m | 4.3 mi |
| North Hill | NNW 334° | 1,418 m | 2.1 mi |
| Idria Peak | NW 308° | 1,415 m | 3.1 mi |
| Picacho Peak | SW 236° | 1,395 m | 3.0 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:07 | 18:41 | 19:15 |
| June solstice | 05:46 | 19:46 | 20:24 |
| September equinox | 06:51 | 18:27 | 19:01 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 16:12 | 16:52 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 45 | 47 | 49 | 53 | 60 | 67 | 73 | 74 | 69 | 59 | 49 | 44 |
| Precip in | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 3.4 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Priest Valley, 13 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/358795844
Day trips start here
- King City · 29 mi
Take the scenic way to San Benito Mountain.
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