San Marcos Pass
Encyclopedia
San Marcos Pass is a mountain pass
in the Santa Ynez Mountains
in California
.
It is traversed by State Route 154. The pass connects Los Olivos
and the Santa Ynez Valley
with Santa Barbara, California
. The road has been designated as a daylight-headlight highway by the California Highway Patrol
and Caltrans because of frequent accidents, particularly around the exit for Lake Cachuma
.
, and the nearest to Santa Barbara. The Painted Cave
community and Laurel Springs Ranch
near Chumash Painted Cave SHP
is four miles east of San Marcos Pass via East Camino Cielo Road
, which intersects with SR 154 right at the summit.
's California Battalion crossing of the mountains via San Marcos Pass on the night of December 24, 1846. At that time the Pass was only a path, and a rough one at that. It was a rainy night, and while Fremont's battalion had lost 150 horses and mules from sliding down the muddy slopes during the crossing, the exhausted men were able to reach the Goleta Valley foothills by the next morning, where they camped for two days. On December 27, 1846, they entered into Santa Barbara, pulled down the Mexican flag, and ran up the Stars and Stripes at the Thompson Adobe (now 809-811 State Street). No force defended the town: all local men had gone to Los Angeles earlier that week to join the forces under Generals Flores and Andres Pico
. They surrendered to the Americans on January 13, 1847, a little more than two weeks later, on the Cahuenga Plain near Los Angeles.
A local Army National Guard center is named after Fremont, in recognition of his capturing Santa Barbara and making it part of the United States.
The local legend of "Fremont's Cannon" derives from this battle.
There is a California Historical marker located at the site which references the participation of William Benjamin Foxen in leading Fremont through the pass avoiding confrontation with the Mexican forces protecting Santa Barbara.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Santa Ynez Mountains
Santa Ynez Mountains
The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
It is traversed by State Route 154. The pass connects Los Olivos
Los Olivos, California
Los Olivos is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California. The ZIP Code is 93441, and the community is inside area code 805...
and the Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
with Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. The road has been designated as a daylight-headlight highway by the California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
and Caltrans because of frequent accidents, particularly around the exit for Lake Cachuma
Lake Cachuma
Lake Cachuma is an artificial lake located in the Santa Ynez Valley of central Santa Barbara County, California on the Santa Ynez River adjoining the north side of California State Route 154. The reservoir was created by the construction of Bradbury Dam, a earth-fill structure built by the U.S....
.
Geography
The pass is one of three passages across the steep Santa Ynez MountainsSanta Ynez Mountains
The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...
, and the nearest to Santa Barbara. The Painted Cave
Painted Cave, California
Painted Cave is an unincorporated community located in the Santa Ynez Mountains and is so named due to its proximity to Painted Cave State Historic Park. It is primarily served by Camino Cielo Road and California State Route 154, which link the community both to the nearby Santa Ynez Valley and...
community and Laurel Springs Ranch
Laurel Springs Ranch
Laurel Springs Ranch is a ranch located on a ridgetop in the Santa Ynez Mountain range northwest of Santa Barbara, California, between the Painted Cave community and the intersection of Painted Cave road with East Camino Cielo Road in the Los Padres National Forest.-History:Homer Snyder developed...
near Chumash Painted Cave SHP
Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park, California
Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park is a unit in the state park system of California, USA, preserving a small sandstone cave adorned with rock art attributed to the Chumash people. Adjoining the small community of Painted Cave, the site is located about north of California State Route 154...
is four miles east of San Marcos Pass via East Camino Cielo Road
Camino Cielo Road
Camino Cielo Road is a road which traverses the ridge-line of the Santa Ynez Mountains of Southern California. Geographically, it is divided into eastern and western sections, and is an important passage for adjacent inholdings in the area, for fire prevention and firefighting purposes, access to...
, which intersects with SR 154 right at the summit.
Battle of Fremont's Pass
No shots were fired during this "battle", which consisted solely of John C. FremontJohn C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
's California Battalion crossing of the mountains via San Marcos Pass on the night of December 24, 1846. At that time the Pass was only a path, and a rough one at that. It was a rainy night, and while Fremont's battalion had lost 150 horses and mules from sliding down the muddy slopes during the crossing, the exhausted men were able to reach the Goleta Valley foothills by the next morning, where they camped for two days. On December 27, 1846, they entered into Santa Barbara, pulled down the Mexican flag, and ran up the Stars and Stripes at the Thompson Adobe (now 809-811 State Street). No force defended the town: all local men had gone to Los Angeles earlier that week to join the forces under Generals Flores and Andres Pico
Andrés Pico
Andrés Pico was a Californio who became a successful rancher, served as a military commander during the Mexican-American War; and was elected to the state assembly and senate after California became a state, when he was also commissioned as a brigadier general in the state militia.-Early...
. They surrendered to the Americans on January 13, 1847, a little more than two weeks later, on the Cahuenga Plain near Los Angeles.
A local Army National Guard center is named after Fremont, in recognition of his capturing Santa Barbara and making it part of the United States.
The local legend of "Fremont's Cannon" derives from this battle.
There is a California Historical marker located at the site which references the participation of William Benjamin Foxen in leading Fremont through the pass avoiding confrontation with the Mexican forces protecting Santa Barbara.
See also
- State Route 154
- Cold Spring Canyon Arch BridgeCold Spring Canyon Arch BridgeThe Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge in the Santa Ynez Mountains links Santa Barbara, California with Santa Ynez, California. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 154. The current bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 1963 and won awards for engineering, design and beauty. It is...
- Santa Ynez ValleySanta Ynez ValleyThe Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
- Santa Ynez MountainsSanta Ynez MountainsThe Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...
- Camino Cielo RoadCamino Cielo RoadCamino Cielo Road is a road which traverses the ridge-line of the Santa Ynez Mountains of Southern California. Geographically, it is divided into eastern and western sections, and is an important passage for adjacent inholdings in the area, for fire prevention and firefighting purposes, access to...
- Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
External links
- Huell Howser Roadtrip #108
- Report by Ewan J. Kummel, Copyright 1996, Released under GFDL in 2005
- Archive.org copy of San Marcos Pass - Santa Barbara, CA 93101 - Attractions @ Virtual-SantaBarbara.com dated 26 May 2005 retrieved 1 May 2007.