Palomar Mountain
Palomar | |
---|---|
Monte Palomar (Spanish) | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 6,142 ft (1,872 m) NAVD 88[1] |
Prominence | 2,856 ft (871 m)[2] |
Listing | San Diego peak list[3] |
Coordinates | 33°21′49″N 116°50′11″W / 33.363483514°N 116.836394236°W[1] |
Geography | |
Location | San Diego County, California |
Parent range | Peninsular Ranges |
Topo map | USGS Palomar Observatory |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Road |
Palomar Mountain (
History
The Luiseño name for Palomar Mountain was Paauw and High Point was called Wikyo.[4]
The Spanish name Palomar, meaning "pigeon roost" or “place of the pigeons”, comes from the Spanish colonial era in Alta California when Palomar Mountain was known as the home of band-tailed pigeons.[5]
The peak was once called Mount Joseph Smith but reverted to its Spanish name, Palomar, in 1901.
During the 1890s, the population was sufficient to support three public schools, and it was a popular summer resort for Southern California, with three hotels in operation part of the time, and a tent city in Doane Valley each summer.
Nathan Harrison, the first African American homesteader in San Diego area, purchased several acres on the western slope of the mountain in the 1880s and graded a road that became a popular tourist route called
Palomar Observatory
Palomar Mountain is most famous as the home of the Palomar Observatory which includes the Hale Telescope. The 200-inch telescope was the world's largest and most important telescope from 1949 until 1992. The observatory currently has four large telescopes, the most recent one being a 40-in robotic infrared one operational since 2021.
Palomar Mountain State Park
Palomar Mountain is the location of Palomar Mountain State Park, a
Palomar Mountain, especially in the state park area, is densely wooded with abundant oak and conifer tree species (pine, cedar, fir). Ferns are abundant everywhere in the shady forest. The forest is supported by annual precipitation totals in excess of 30 inches.
Beginning in the 1920s a fire
Doane Valley, located within the State Park, is home to the Camp Palomar Outdoor School for 6th grade students in the San Diego Unified School District.[11]
Oak Knoll Campground
At the base of Palomar Mountain on County Route S6 is Oak Knoll Campground, formerly known as Palomar Gardens. In the 1950s and 1960s, Palomar Gardens was made famous by its owner and resident, UFO contactee George Adamski.[12] Adamski had a self-built, wooden observatory at Palomar Gardens and photographed objects in the night sky that he claimed were UFOs. Adamski co-authored the bestselling Flying Saucers Have Landed in 1953,[13] about his alleged alien encounter experiences, and in particular his meetings with a friendly "Space Brother" from Venus named Orthon.[14] The 1977 film The Crater Lake Monster had many scenes filmed on Palomar Mountain, including scenes shot at the summit restaurant, but not the scenes of the monster in a lake.[15]
High Point
High Point, in the Palomar Mountain range, is one of the highest peaks in San Diego County. At an elevation of 6,140 feet (1,871 m), it is surpassed by
Other local peaks include:
- Birch Hill (5,710 ft or 1,740 m)
- Boucher Hill (5,436 ft or 1,657 m).
Access
South Grade Road, the stretch of
Climate
According to the
Climate data for Palomar Mountain Observatory, CA (1991-2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 51.4 (10.8) |
51.0 (10.6) |
56.0 (13.3) |
61.3 (16.3) |
69.3 (20.7) |
78.5 (25.8) |
84.3 (29.1) |
84.4 (29.1) |
79.3 (26.3) |
69.1 (20.6) |
58.2 (14.6) |
50.7 (10.4) |
66.1 (18.9) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.2 (6.8) |
43.6 (6.4) |
47.3 (8.5) |
51.5 (10.8) |
58.8 (14.9) |
67.8 (19.9) |
74.1 (23.4) |
74.5 (23.6) |
69.4 (20.8) |
59.9 (15.5) |
50.3 (10.2) |
43.7 (6.5) |
57.1 (13.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.1 (2.8) |
36.1 (2.3) |
38.7 (3.7) |
41.8 (5.4) |
48.4 (9.1) |
57.0 (13.9) |
63.9 (17.7) |
64.5 (18.1) |
59.5 (15.3) |
50.8 (10.4) |
42.5 (5.8) |
36.6 (2.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.93 (151) |
7.34 (186) |
4.61 (117) |
2.00 (51) |
0.89 (23) |
0.17 (4.3) |
0.29 (7.4) |
0.68 (17) |
0.48 (12) |
1.21 (31) |
2.25 (57) |
4.56 (116) |
30.41 (772) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.2 (16) |
10.6 (27) |
3.1 (7.9) |
3.5 (8.9) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
2.4 (6.1) |
26.2 (67) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.8 | 7.5 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 42.0 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 7.0 |
Source: NOAA[20][21] |
The upper elevations of the Palomar Mountain Range have notably different
See also
- California montane chaparral and woodlands
- California oak woodlands
- Closed-cone pine forests
References
- ^ a b "Palomar". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
- ^ "Palomar Mountain, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Sand Diego peaks list". San Diego Chapter, Sierra Club. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ Sparkman, Philip Stedman (1908). The Culture of the Luiseño Indians (PDF). Berkeley: University of California Press. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ^ Wood, Catherine M. (1937). Palomar from teepee to telescope (PDF). San Diego: Frye & Smith. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
- ^ Weiss, Daniel (March–April 2021). "https://www.archaeology.org/issues/414-2103/features/9443-california-nathan-harrison-pioneer". Archaeology. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
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- ^ Weiss, Daniel (March–April 2021). "https://www.archaeology.org/issues/414-2103/features/9443-california-nathan-harrison-pioneer". Archaeology. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
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: External link in
(help)|title=
- ^ "Palomar Mountain State Park – chins up, powering on".
- ^ "California State Park Closures Announced". Roughin.It. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
- ^ "Boucher Hill Lookout". Forest Fire Lookout Association-San Diego Riverside Chapter.
- ^ "Camp Palomar Outdoor School – Directions". San Diego Unified School District. Archived from the original on 2010-11-06. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ (Moseley, pp. 62-68)
- ISBN 0-85435-180-9.
- ^ (Moseley, p. 60)
- ^ "The Crater Lake Monster". Crown International Pictures. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ "Cleveland National Forest: Oak Grove Trail".
- ^ "Oak Grove Trail to High Point Hike (2019)". HikingGuy.com. 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
- ^ J. Harry Jones (September 25, 2005). "Twists, turns, trouble". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2010-01-28.
- ISBN 978-1-884313-18-9.
- ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ^ "Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ a b "Bailey's Palomar Resort". Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ "waynesword.palomar.edu". Retrieved 2007-08-16.
Sources
- "High Point". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- "Palomar Mountain East Grade (S7)". SundayMorningRides.com. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
- "Palomar Mountain South Grade (S6)". SundayMorningRides.com. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
- "Palomar Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
External links
- California State Parks: official Palomar Mountain State Park website
- Friends of Palomar Mountainhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Palomar_Mountain State Park
- Palomar Mountain History (book)
- Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce: Palomar Mountain
- Forest Fire Lookout Association - San Diego/Riverside County Chapter