San Rafael Mountains
San Rafael Mountains | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Big Pine Mountain |
Elevation | 6,820 ft (2,080 m) |
Coordinates | 34°41′50″N 119°39′16″W / 34.69722°N 119.65444°W |
Geography | |
location of San Rafael Mountains in California[1] | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
District | USGS San Rafael Mountain |
Biome | California chaparral and woodlands |
The San Rafael Mountains are a mountain range in central Santa Barbara County, California, U.S., separating the drainages of the Santa Ynez River and the Santa Maria River. They are part of the Transverse Ranges system of Southern California which in turn are part of the Pacific Coast Ranges system of western North America.
Geography
Most of the mountain range is within the Los Padres National Forest, and the northern slopes are included in the remote San Rafael Wilderness area.
The highest peaks include Big Pine Mountain (6,820 ft; 2,080 m),[2] San Rafael Mountain (6,593 ft; 2,010 m)[3] and McKinley Mountain (6,220 ft; 1,900 m),[4] none of which are easily accessible except by foot or horse. The highest peak at the southern edge of the range is Little Pine Mountain.
Hurricane Deck is a spectacular block of sandstone that can be found deep in the San Rafael Wilderness.
The
Climate is moderate, with hot dry summers (rare thunderstorms) and cool to cold wet winters. Snow sometimes falls on the higher slopes between December and March during frontal passages. Annual precipitation totals are between 15 and 25 inches.
Peaks
The six highest peaks of the San Rafael Mountains with more than 500 feet (150 m) of prominence, listed by height:
- Big Pine Mountain, 6,820 feet (2,080 m)
- San Rafael Mountain, 6,593 feet (2,010 m)
- Madulce Peak, 6,539 feet (1,993 m)
- Monte Arido, 6,013 feet (1,833 m)
- Ortega Peak, 5,857 feet (1,785 m)
- Figueroa Mountain 4,534 feet (1,382 m)
Geology
The mountains mainly consist of
Habitats
The mountains are steep and rugged, and the lower slopes are dominated by
Above the
Human history
The earliest known residents of the San Rafael Mountains were the
In historic times, mercury mining was conducted on portions of the southern slopes. Tailings from these old mines sometimes contain high levels of mercury, and environmental investigations have been conducted to determine if cleanup is necessary and feasible.[citation needed]
The central part of the mountains is included into Santa Ynez Recreation area, a part of Los Padres National Forest, and is a popular hiking destination, with a dozen campgrounds.[8]
See also
- Los Padres National Forest
- Santa Ynez Mountains
- Sierra Madre Mountains
- Mountain ranges of Santa Barbara County
References
- ^ "San Rafael Mountains". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
- ^ "Big Pine Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
- ^ "San Rafael Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
- ^ "McKinley Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
- ^ Underwood, E.C., H.D. Safford, N.A. Molinari, and J.E. Keeley, Eds. (2018) Valuing Chaparral: Ecological, Socio-Economic, and Management Perspectives. Springer International Publishing. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-68303-4
- ^ "Fire and Resource Assessment Program | CAL FIRE". www.fire.ca.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ "Calflora - A non-profit database providing information on wild California plants". www.calflora.org. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ "Accessible Recreation Opportunities". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
External links
- Media related to San Rafael Mountains at Wikimedia Commons