San Gorgonio Mountain
San Gorgonio Mountain rises to 3,502 m in California. Jepson Peak stands 3,416 m to the west-northwest, 1.2 miles off. The nearest named place is C-47 Crash Site, a attraction 0.5 miles away.
The story
San Gorgonio Mountain, also known locally as Mount San Gorgonio, or Old Greyback, San Gor and San G is the highest peak in Southern California and the Transverse Ranges at 11,503 feet (3,506 m). It is in the San Bernardino Mountains, 27 miles (43 km) east of the city of San Bernardino and 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of San Gorgonio Pass. It lies within the San Gorgonio Wilderness, part of the Sand to Snow National Monument managed by the San Bernardino National Forest. Spanish missionaries in the area during the early 17th century named the peak after Saint Gorgonius. Since it is the highest point in a region which is separated from higher peaks (e.g. in the Sierra Nevada) by relatively low terrain, San Gorgonio Mountain is one of the most topographically prominent peaks in the United States. It is ranked 7th among peaks in the 48 contiguous states and 18th overall. Like other high peaks in the Transverse Ranges, the mountain has a pyramid shape, with a steep north face and a slightly shallower south face. The mountain is large and broad; the summit plateau itself is one square-mile in area (2.6 km2). In contrast to its spectacular but lower neighbor, San Jacinto Peak, San Gorgonio is not particularly craggy, and from a distance, it appears to be an exceptionally tall hill, earning it the name of greyback. Despite not being particularly striking in appearance during the summer, it is the only mountain in Southern California with a summit a significant distance above the tree line. As such its bright white winter snow cap, unobstructed by vegetation, makes the mountain noticeable from many miles away. The mountain hosts the longest recorded line of sight in the contiguous United States; it is plainly visible from the summit of Mount Whitney, 190 miles (306 km) away. It is also possible on clear days to see the skyline of Los Angeles from the peak, 82 miles (132 km) away.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q3364408, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 3502 m
How to reach it
Named places within 25 miles
- Bighorn Mountain: 0.7 mi
- Dragon's Head: 0.7 mi
- Zahniser Peak: 0.9 mi
- Jepson Peak: 1.2 mi
- Lake Peak: 1.3 mi
- Lodgepole Spring: 1.3 mi
- High Meadow Springs: 3.0 mi
- San Y Ca Spring: 4.4 mi
- Trail Fork Springs: 4.5 mi
- Jackstraw Spring: 5.3 mi
- Barton Flats Recreation Area: 5.6 mi
- Lakeview Field: 6.0 mi
- Jenks Lake Junction Recreation Area: 6.7 mi
- Oak Glen Schoolhouse Museum and Park: 7.6 mi
- Lows Ropes Course: 7.7 mi
- Oak Glen School House Museum: 7.6 mi
- Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens: 11.5 mi
- Big Bear Valley Historical Society: 11.5 mi
- Edward Dean Museum of Decorative Arts: 11.8 mi
- Gilman Historic Ranch and Wagon Museum: 12.0 mi
- Sand to Snow National Monument: 7.0 mi
- Sawmill Pebble Plain: 10.1 mi
- Bluff Lake Reserve: 11.7 mi
- Whitewater Preserve: 12.3 mi
- nature corridor: 12.4 mi
- C-47 Crash Site: 0.5 mi
- Snow Play: 11.4 mi
- Gold Rush Mining Company Adventures: 11.4 mi
- Champion Lodgepole Pine: 11.8 mi
- Gilman Ranch: 12.0 mi
- Green Spot Picnic Area: 8.8 mi
- Thurman Flats Picnic Area: 10.7 mi
- Aspen Glen Picnic Area: 11.1 mi
- Juniper Point Picnic Area: 12.0 mi
- Meadows Edge Picnic Area: 12.1 mi
- Pirate: 12.0 mi
- Mr. Rex: 12.7 mi
- Dinny: 12.7 mi
- Fork in the Road: 20.1 mi
- Smiley Brothers Statue: 20.8 mi
- Swim Beach: 11.2 mi
- Morongo's Oasis Beach: 12.3 mi
- Penninsula Park Beach: 22.8 mi
- Lake Arrowhead Village Lakefront: 23.3 mi
- Lake Arrowhead Village Beach: 23.4 mi
- Henry Washington Survey Marker: 6.2 mi
- Mile High Ranch Road Tree: 9.3 mi
- Thee Oak Tree: 9.3 mi
- Pigmy Cabin: 14.3 mi
- Eden Hot Springs: 19.3 mi
- Silverwood Falls: 1.7 mi
- Big Falls: 4.1 mi
- Monkeyface Creek: 7.5 mi
- Monkeyface Falls: 7.5 mi
- Monkeyface Creek: 7.5 mi
- Voodoo Garden: 15.2 mi
- Saint Francis Garden: 19.5 mi
- Brother Boniface Memorial Garden: 19.5 mi
- Rose Garden: 19.6 mi
- LaFourcade Community Garden: 19.7 mi
- Brookside Rest Area: 14.8 mi
- Whitewater Rest Area: 15.3 mi
- Whitewater Adobe Rest Area: 15.4 mi
- Wildwood Rest Area: 15.6 mi
- Wildwood Rest Area: 15.6 mi
- Keller Cliffs: 13.6 mi
- Dry Falls: 23.6 mi
- Belleville: 14.3 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 14.9 miles of San Gorgonio Mountain. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jepson Peak | WNW 282° | 3,416 m | 1.2 mi |
| Bighorn Mountain | SSE 149° | 3,352 m | 0.7 mi |
| Dragon's Head | SSW 207° | 3,312 m | 0.7 mi |
| Anderson Peak | WNW 294° | 3,304 m | 4.3 mi |
| Charlton Peak | WNW 303° | 3,291 m | 2.0 mi |
| Shields Peak | WNW 301° | 3,261 m | 3.8 mi |
| Little Charlton Peak | WNW 296° | 3,248 m | 1.6 mi |
| San Bernardino East Peak | WNW 290° | 3,236 m | 5.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:52 | 18:26 | 18:59 |
| June solstice | 05:37 | 19:26 | 20:03 |
| September equinox | 06:36 | 18:13 | 18:46 |
| December solstice | 06:50 | 16:04 | 16:43 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 35 | 35 | 39 | 44 | 52 | 59 | 65 | 64 | 59 | 49 | 41 | 35 |
| Precip in | 4.5 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — BIG Bear Lake, 11 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata- USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 248858 — San Gorgonio Mountain, San Bernardino County, California.
OpenStreetMap element node/358792071
Day trips start here
- Big Bear Lake · 11 mi
- Banning · 12 mi
- Southern California · 12 mi
- Beaumont · 15 mi
- Desert Hot Springs · 21 mi
- Redlands · 21 mi
Take the scenic way to San Gorgonio Mountain.
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