Santiago Canyon, California
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
Santiago Canyon | |
|---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
  Santiago Canyon | |
| Coordinates: 33°45′35″N 117°42′09″W / 33.759705°N 117.702541°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Orange |
| Elevation | 1,370 ft (420 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 |
| ZIP | 92676 |
| Area code | 949 |
Santiago Canyon is a canyon and
Modjeska Canyon and Williams Canyon are tributaries of Santiago Canyon. Santiago Creek flows northwest from the canyon, then west into the Santa Ana River. Neighborhoods in Santiago Canyon include Santiago Canyon Estates and Falcon View Estates. The landmark Cook's Corner
motorcycle restaurant is also located within Santiago Canyon.
The ZIP Code is 92676, and the community is in area code 949.
History
Within the canyons, there are excellent examples of
exfoliation
, in which rock layers peel back like layers of an onion, and of frost wedging, in which ice trapped in a crack expands to split a rock. Fossils of millions of clams, snails, and small-shelled, squid-like creatures left behind during the five times that seas washed over the ground can be found.
Appearing more than 12 million years ago, the highest points surrounding the canyons are Santiago Peak at 5,689 feet (1,734 m)[1] and Modjeska Peak at 5,481 feet (1,671 m). Together the pair forms "Old Saddleback," an easily recognizable landmark.
The first people to live in the canyons were
riparian vegetation to reach oak and pine groves. After collecting the acorns, they carried them to canyon streams and immersed the nuts in the running water to leach out the bitter tannic acid.[citation needed
] Once done, they carried the acorns to a large boulder or rock outcropping, where they used mortars to grind the nuts into powder. Over open fires, they cooked a porridge called "atole."
The first European land exploration of
Juan Crespi noted in his diary entry for July 27: "It [the creek] comes down from the mountains, and shows that it must have plenty of water in the rainy season. It was given the name of the holy apostle and patron of the Spains, Santiago."[2]
California wildfires of October 2007
Santiago Canyon was home to one of the major
Trabuco Canyon, and other areas. All homeowners in those communities were placed under mandatory evacuation, with the roads Plano Trabuco and Live Oak Canyon being temporarily closed for the use of emergency personnel. The fire was ignited on October 21, 2007, and was attributed to arsonists
. It has burned over 27,000 acres (110 km2), and the cost of rebuilding is estimated to be $5.5 million.
Recreation
bicyclists are common sights in Santiago Canyon. The California historic landmark site Cooks Corner restaurant is a favorite among motorcyclists.[citation needed
]
References
- ^ "RP 1". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
- ^ Bolton, Herbert E. (1927). Fray Juan Crespi: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774. HathiTrust Digital Library. pp. 139–140, 270. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
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