Santa Ana Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular
mountain range
along the coast of Southern California
in the United States
. They extend for approximately 36 mi (56 km) southeast of the Los Angeles Basin
largely along the border between Orange
and Riverside
counties.
, heading southeast of the Puente Hills
. Its northern section is divided by Santa Ana Canyon
, through which the Santa Ana River
flows. Its northernmost summit, at 3045 feet (928.1 m), is Sierra Peak. From there, the major summits are Pleasants Peak, 4007 feet (1,221.3 m); Bedford Peak, 3800 feet (1,158.2 m); and Bald Peak, 3947 feet (1,203 m). The next two peaks, Modjeska
, 5496 feet (1,675.2 m); and Santiago
, 5689 feet (1,734 m), the highest summit in the range; form Saddleback Ridge. The Saddleback, located approximately 20 mi (32 km) east of Santa Ana
, is visible from much of Southern California, and is usually the only part of the range high enough to be dusted with snow in winter storms.
South of Saddleback are Trabuco Peak, 4604 feet (1,403.3 m); Los Pinos Peak, 4510 feet (1,374.6 m); Elsinore Peak, 3575 feet (1,089.7 m); Sitton Peak, 3273 feet (997.6 m); Margarita Peak, 3189 feet (972 m); and Redonda Mesa
, 2825 feet (861.1 m). The range ends roughly at the Santa Margarita River
.
Most waterways draining the Santa Anas are ephemeral. The major streams rising from the range typically drain west into the Pacific Ocean, including the Santa Ana River
and its tributaries and Santiago Creek
, San Diego Creek
, Aliso Creek, San Juan Creek
, San Mateo Creek
and Santa Margarita River
. Water from the east side of the range empties into Lake Elsinore
and when if it fills to overflowing, empties into Aberhill Creek then into Temescal Creek which is a tributary of the Santa Ana River
.
Much of the range is within the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest
, although some parts are still owned by two century-old ranches: the Irvine Ranch (Originally known as the Yorba Family's
Rancho Lomas de Santiago
and Rancho Mission Viejo
(Originally recorded as Rancho Misión Vieja). The Santa Margarita Mountains
, a subrange of the Santa Anas also extends down to Camp Pendleton and Fallbrook.
The mountains include a subrange called the Elsinore Mountains. These include the mountains which are west of Lake Elsinore
and are the lowest portion of the range. Elsinore Peak marks the highpoint of this area.
's expedition, who camped below the mountains on July 26, 1769, the Feast Day of Saint Anne
. At the time of Portola's visit, the Santa Anas were settled by three main groups of indigenous peoples
, the Tongva in the north, and the Acjachemen
and Payomkowishum in the south.
A handful of historic sites remain in the range today. Registered California Historical Landmark
s include an Indian Village Site in Black Star Canyon
, Flores Peak, the mining boomtown sites of Carbondale and Silverado, and Helena Modjeska's home
.
The last wild grizzly bear
in the Santa Ana Mountains was shot and killed in the mountains in 1908. The mountains are also the site of a famed Indian massacre in 1831 in Black Star Canyon
.
Gray Wolf
, Pronghorn Antelope
, and California Condor
also occurred in the range.
As part of the California Floristic Province
, the Santa Ana Mountains host a diverse array of plant species within distinctive natural (plant) communities, including Coastal Sage Scrub
, Chaparral
, Riparian
Woodland, Southern Oak Woodland
, Rocky Outcrop, Vernal Pool
, Valley Grassland
, and Closed-cone Montane Coniferous Forest
. One of the southernmost stands of Madrones can be found in Trabuco Canyon. Groves of Knobcone Pine
can be found around Pleasants Peak. Big-cone Douglas Fir and Coulter Pine
can be found at the higher elevations. Rare flowers like the Intermediate Mariposa Lily, Heart-leaved Pitcher Sage (associated with the Tecate Cypress), and Chocolate Lily
are difficult to find, but breathtaking to observe. Fragrant sage
s, broadleaf evergreen
shrub
s] and trees, perennial bunchgrasses, strange succulents (Dudleya
spp.), and fire-following flowers adorn the rugged terrain.
Fauna
A surprising variety of wildlife species can be found, including Mountain Lion, Mule Deer
, Bobcat
, Coyote
, Gray Fox
, Badger
, Ringtail
, Spotted Skunk
, Western Gray Squirrel
, Woodrat, Kangaroo Rat
, Bats
, Spotted Owl
, Western Pond Turtle
, Southern Steelhead Trout, Coast Horned Lizard
, Least Bell's Vireo, Golden Eagle
, Mountain Quail
, Canyon Wren
, Speckled Rattlesnake, Arroyo toad
, Western Spadefoot Toad
, California tree frog
, California Sister Butterfly
, various Aphonopelma
species of tarantula, and many more.
A number of minerals have been mined in the range, though none were very profitable. Commercial resources collected since the 1870s have included metals lead, silver, tin, and zinc, and minerals clay, coal, gypsum, and limestone. Parts of the range have been used to graze domestic livestock and harvest timber since the late 18th century. As the surrounding cities have grown, the water of the range's creeks has become a particularly valued resource.
region to the east and the job centers of Orange County to the west. Only one freeway, the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91), one tollway, the 241, and a narrow and winding mountain highway, the Ortega Highway (State Route 74
), connect the regions. Highway 91, which follows the Santa Ana River through a pass
between the Santa Ana Mountains on the south and the Chino Hills on the north, is one of California's most congested routes. Because of this, several proposals have been floated to dig a highway tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains, although the multi-billion-dollar idea has drawn criticism from environmentalists and others concerned about cost and safety in the earthquake-prone region. While Highway 91 is one of the most congested routes in California, Highway 74 holds a more ominous claim to fame - one of the most dangerous highways in the state.
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
along the coast of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They extend for approximately 36 mi (56 km) southeast of the Los Angeles Basin
Los Angeles Basin
The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs...
largely along the border between Orange
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
and Riverside
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
counties.
Geography
The range starts in the north with the Chino HillsChino Hills
The Chino Hills are a mountain range on the border of Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties, California, with a small portion in Riverside County...
, heading southeast of the Puente Hills
Puente Hills
The Puente Hills is a chain of hills, one of the lower Transverse Ranges, in an unincorporated area in eastern Los Angeles County, California.-Geography:...
. Its northern section is divided by Santa Ana Canyon
Santa Ana Canyon
Santa Ana Canyon is where the Santa Ana River passes between the Santa Ana Mountains and the Chino Hills, near the intersection of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. It receives particularly strong Santa Ana winds in comparison to surrounding areas, hence the name.-History:Originally,...
, through which the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
flows. Its northernmost summit, at 3045 feet (928.1 m), is Sierra Peak. From there, the major summits are Pleasants Peak, 4007 feet (1,221.3 m); Bedford Peak, 3800 feet (1,158.2 m); and Bald Peak, 3947 feet (1,203 m). The next two peaks, Modjeska
Modjeska Peak
Modjeska Peak is the northern mountain of Orange County's Saddleback formation. It is the second highest peak of the Santa Ana Mountains.The peak is named for Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska, who lived in its shadow near the end of her life....
, 5496 feet (1,675.2 m); and Santiago
Santiago Peak
Santiago Peak is the southern mountain of Orange County's Saddleback formation. It is the highest and most prominent peak of both the Santa Ana Mountains and Orange County, and also marks a border point with Riverside County. The top of it is covered with many microwave and telecommunication antennas...
, 5689 feet (1,734 m), the highest summit in the range; form Saddleback Ridge. The Saddleback, located approximately 20 mi (32 km) east of Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, is visible from much of Southern California, and is usually the only part of the range high enough to be dusted with snow in winter storms.
South of Saddleback are Trabuco Peak, 4604 feet (1,403.3 m); Los Pinos Peak, 4510 feet (1,374.6 m); Elsinore Peak, 3575 feet (1,089.7 m); Sitton Peak, 3273 feet (997.6 m); Margarita Peak, 3189 feet (972 m); and Redonda Mesa
Redonda Mesa
Redonda Mesa is a tall mesa located in the Southern Santa Ana Mountains near the Pacific Ocean. It is in an unincorporated area of southwestern Riverside County, California, United States...
, 2825 feet (861.1 m). The range ends roughly at the Santa Margarita River
Santa Margarita River
The Santa Margarita River is a short intermittent river on the Pacific coast of southern California in the United States, approximately long. One of the last free-flowing rivers in southern California, it drains an arid region of the Coast Ranges between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern...
.
Most waterways draining the Santa Anas are ephemeral. The major streams rising from the range typically drain west into the Pacific Ocean, including the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
and its tributaries and Santiago Creek
Santiago Creek
Santiago Creek is a major watercourse in Orange County in the U.S. state of California. About long, it drains most of the northern Santa Ana Mountains and is a tributary to the Santa Ana River...
, San Diego Creek
San Diego Creek
San Diego Creek is a waterway flowing into Upper Newport Bay in central Orange County in the U.S. state of California. Its basin covers in parts of eight cities, including Irvine, Tustin, and Costa Mesa. The major tributary of the northeast-flowing stream is Peters Canyon Wash, which joins a few...
, Aliso Creek, San Juan Creek
San Juan Creek
San Juan Creek, also called the San Juan River, is a stream in Orange County, California that consists of a catchment basin encompassing . Its mainstem rises in the Santa Ana Mountains, in the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest...
, San Mateo Creek
San Mateo Creek (Southern California)
San Mateo Creek is a stream in Southern California in the United States, whose watershed mostly straddles the border of Orange and San Diego Counties. It is about long, flowing in a generally southwesterly direction...
and Santa Margarita River
Santa Margarita River
The Santa Margarita River is a short intermittent river on the Pacific coast of southern California in the United States, approximately long. One of the last free-flowing rivers in southern California, it drains an arid region of the Coast Ranges between Los Angeles and San Diego at the southern...
. Water from the east side of the range empties into Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore, originally named Laguna Grande by the Spanish explorers, renamed for the town Lake Elsinore, California established on its northeastern shore April 9, 1888.-Limnology:...
and when if it fills to overflowing, empties into Aberhill Creek then into Temescal Creek which is a tributary of the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
.
Much of the range is within the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres , mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the Forest. It is the southernmost National forest of California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a government agency within...
, although some parts are still owned by two century-old ranches: the Irvine Ranch (Originally known as the Yorba Family's
José Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
Rancho Lomas de Santiago
Rancho Lomas de Santiago
Rancho Lomas de Santiago was a Mexican land grant given by Mexican Governor Pío Pico to Teodosio Yorba in 1846. The name means "Hills of St. James"...
and Rancho Mission Viejo
Rancho Mission Viejo
Rancho Mission Viejo was a land grant given in 1845 to John Forster. Later it became a cattle ranch and leased land operation in what is now Mission Viejo, California, in southeast Orange County, California.-Mexican land grant:...
(Originally recorded as Rancho Misión Vieja). The Santa Margarita Mountains
Santa Margarita Mountains
The Santa Margarita Mountains are a mountain range in coastal San Diego County, California....
, a subrange of the Santa Anas also extends down to Camp Pendleton and Fallbrook.
The mountains include a subrange called the Elsinore Mountains. These include the mountains which are west of Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore, originally named Laguna Grande by the Spanish explorers, renamed for the town Lake Elsinore, California established on its northeastern shore April 9, 1888.-Limnology:...
and are the lowest portion of the range. Elsinore Peak marks the highpoint of this area.
History
The mountains were named by members of Gaspar de PortolaGaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
's expedition, who camped below the mountains on July 26, 1769, the Feast Day of Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
. At the time of Portola's visit, the Santa Anas were settled by three main groups of indigenous peoples
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, the Tongva in the north, and the Acjachemen
Juaneño
The Juaneño or Acagchemem are a Native American group from Southern California. The Juaneño lived in what is now part of Orange and San Diego Counties and received their Spanish name from the priests of the California mission chain due to their proximity to Mission San Juan Capistrano...
and Payomkowishum in the south.
A handful of historic sites remain in the range today. Registered California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
s include an Indian Village Site in Black Star Canyon
Black Star Canyon
Black Star Canyon is a remote mountain canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains, located in eastern Orange County, California. It is a watershed of the Santa Ana River...
, Flores Peak, the mining boomtown sites of Carbondale and Silverado, and Helena Modjeska's home
Modjeska House
Modjeska House, also known as Arden, is a house designed by Stanford White in Modjeska, California. It is significant for being the only surviving home of Helena Modjeska, a Shakespearean actress and Polish patriot.-Background:...
.
The last wild grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
in the Santa Ana Mountains was shot and killed in the mountains in 1908. The mountains are also the site of a famed Indian massacre in 1831 in Black Star Canyon
Black Star Canyon
Black Star Canyon is a remote mountain canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains, located in eastern Orange County, California. It is a watershed of the Santa Ana River...
.
Gray Wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, Pronghorn Antelope
Pronghorn
The pronghorn is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and...
, and California Condor
California Condor
The California Condor is a New World vulture, the largest North American land bird. Currently, this condor inhabits only the Grand Canyon area, Zion National Park, and coastal mountains of central and southern California and northern Baja California...
also occurred in the range.
Natural resources
FloraAs part of the California Floristic Province
California Floristic Province
The California Floristic Province is a floristic province with a Mediterranean climate located on the Pacific Coast of North America with a distinctive flora that bears similarities to floras found in other regions experiencing a winter rainfall, summer drought climate like the Mediterranean...
, the Santa Ana Mountains host a diverse array of plant species within distinctive natural (plant) communities, including Coastal Sage Scrub
Coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
, Chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, Riparian
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
Woodland, Southern Oak Woodland
California oak woodland
California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico...
, Rocky Outcrop, Vernal Pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
, Valley Grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, and Closed-cone Montane Coniferous Forest
Closed-cone pine forest
Closed-cone pine forest is a plant community of coastal California and several offshore islands. It consists of stands of Bishop Pines, Monterey Pines, and others which rely on fire or strong heat to open their cones and release the seeds.-Closed-cone Pines:...
. One of the southernmost stands of Madrones can be found in Trabuco Canyon. Groves of Knobcone Pine
Knobcone Pine
The Knobcone Pine, Pinus attenuata, is a tree that grows in mild climates on poor soils. It ranges from the mountains of southern Oregon to Baja California with the greatest concentration in northern California and the Oregon-California border....
can be found around Pleasants Peak. Big-cone Douglas Fir and Coulter Pine
Coulter Pine
The Coulter Pine or Big-cone Pine is a native of the coastal mountains of southern California and northern Baja California . Isolated groves are found as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area in Mt. Diablo State Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve...
can be found at the higher elevations. Rare flowers like the Intermediate Mariposa Lily, Heart-leaved Pitcher Sage (associated with the Tecate Cypress), and Chocolate Lily
Chocolate lily
Chocolate lily refers to any of a number of flowering plant species:* Arthropodium strictum, whose flowers smell of chocolate* Fritillaria biflora, with chocolate-brown flowers, in California...
are difficult to find, but breathtaking to observe. Fragrant sage
Sage
- People :*A "sage" is any wise teacher, someone who imparts wisdom or the perennial philosophy, including spiritual teachers and teachers of mysticism but not necessarily with such religious connotations, so may refer to a:...
s, broadleaf evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s] and trees, perennial bunchgrasses, strange succulents (Dudleya
Dudleya
Dudleya is a genus of succulent perennials, consisting of about 45 species in southwest North America.Many plants in the Dudleya genus were formerly classified as Echeveria....
spp.), and fire-following flowers adorn the rugged terrain.
Fauna
A surprising variety of wildlife species can be found, including Mountain Lion, Mule Deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
, Coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, Gray Fox
Gray Fox
The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...
, Badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
, Ringtail
Ringtail
The ringtail is a mammal of the raccoon family , native to arid regions of North America. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat or miner's cat, and is also sometimes mistakenly called a "civet cat"...
, Spotted Skunk
Spotted Skunk
The Eastern Spotted Skunk is smaller and more weasel-like than the striped skunk. The spotted skunks are faster and more agile than the striped skunks and they have better pelts. For the last 100 years, the Eastern Spotted Skunk was bred for its fine silky fur...
, Western Gray Squirrel
Western Gray Squirrel
The Western Gray Squirrel is an arboreal rodent found along the western coast of the United States and Canada.In some places, this species has also been known as the Silver-gray Squirrel, the California Gray Squirrel, the Oregon Gray Squirrel, the Columbian Gray Squirrel and the Banner-tail...
, Woodrat, Kangaroo Rat
Kangaroo rat
Kangaroo rats, genus Dipodomys, are small rodents native to North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form: as they hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, although they are not related...
, Bats
Bats
A bat is a flying mammal in the Chiroptera order.Bats may also refer to:-Films:*Bats , starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Bob Gunton*Bats: Human Harvest -Groups:...
, Spotted Owl
Spotted Owl
The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 13 and 66 yards high and usually contain two eggs...
, Western Pond Turtle
Western pond turtle
The western pond turtle , or Pacific pond turtle is a small to medium-sized turtle growing to approximately 20 cm in carapace length. It is limited to the west coast of the United States of America and Mexico, ranging from western Washington state to northern Baja California...
, Southern Steelhead Trout, Coast Horned Lizard
Coast Horned Lizard
The coast horned lizard is a species of phrynosomatid lizard which can be found from Baja California north to California's Sacramento Valley. It is a widely divergent species with over 6 subspecies in their relatively small range...
, Least Bell's Vireo, Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, Mountain Quail
Mountain Quail
The Mountain Quail, , is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. This species is the only one in the genus Oreortyx, which is sometimes included in Callipepla...
, Canyon Wren
Canyon Wren
The Canyon Wren is a small North American wren, and is about 14.5 cm long. It ranges from far southern British Columbia and Montana south through much of Mexico to western Chiapas and east to Oklahoma and Texas...
, Speckled Rattlesnake, Arroyo toad
Arroyo toad
The Arroyo toad, Anaxyrus californicus , is a stocky, blunt-nosed, warty-skinned species of toad, between 5 and 7.5 cm long. It has horizontal pupils, and is greenish, grey or salmon on the dorsum with a light-colored stripe across the head and eyelids...
, Western Spadefoot Toad
Western Spadefoot Toad
Western Spadefoot or Western Spadefoot Toad is the common name of two different species of toads*Spea hammondii, found in North America*Pelobates cultripes, found in Europe...
, California tree frog
California tree frog
The California tree frog is a cryptically colored species of frog, often resembling granitic stones. It is grey or light brown on its dorsum with darker blotches, and has a whitish venter. It is yellow on the undersides of its legs, groin and lower abdomen; males of the species have a dusky-yellow...
, California Sister Butterfly
California Sister Butterfly
The California Sister , sometimes placed in the genus Limenitis), is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. The butterfly is named for its black and white markings on the forewing that resemble a nun's habit...
, various Aphonopelma
Aphonopelma
Aphonopelma is a genus of tarantulas, members of which are native to the Americas. It includes nearly all of the North American tarantulas north of Mexico and a considerable part of the tarantulas which range into Central America. Only a few species are described from South America...
species of tarantula, and many more.
A number of minerals have been mined in the range, though none were very profitable. Commercial resources collected since the 1870s have included metals lead, silver, tin, and zinc, and minerals clay, coal, gypsum, and limestone. Parts of the range have been used to graze domestic livestock and harvest timber since the late 18th century. As the surrounding cities have grown, the water of the range's creeks has become a particularly valued resource.
Transportation
The mountains form a natural barrier between the fast-growing Inland EmpireInland Empire (California)
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
region to the east and the job centers of Orange County to the west. Only one freeway, the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91), one tollway, the 241, and a narrow and winding mountain highway, the Ortega Highway (State Route 74
California State Route 74
State Route 74 , a part of the Pines to Palms Scenic Byway, is a mostly scenic highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Palm Desert in Riverside County westward to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.-Route description:...
), connect the regions. Highway 91, which follows the Santa Ana River through a pass
Santa Ana Canyon
Santa Ana Canyon is where the Santa Ana River passes between the Santa Ana Mountains and the Chino Hills, near the intersection of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. It receives particularly strong Santa Ana winds in comparison to surrounding areas, hence the name.-History:Originally,...
between the Santa Ana Mountains on the south and the Chino Hills on the north, is one of California's most congested routes. Because of this, several proposals have been floated to dig a highway tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains, although the multi-billion-dollar idea has drawn criticism from environmentalists and others concerned about cost and safety in the earthquake-prone region. While Highway 91 is one of the most congested routes in California, Highway 74 holds a more ominous claim to fame - one of the most dangerous highways in the state.