El Cajon Mountain

Last updated

El Cajon Mountain
View of El Capitan from Santee's Sky Ranch .jpg
View of El Cajon Mountain looking east from Sky Ranch development in Santee
Highest point
Elevation 3,677 ft (1,121 m) [1]
Prominence 1,955 ft (596 m) [2]
Listing San Diego peaks list [3]
Coordinates 32°54′53″N116°49′12″W / 32.914825394°N 116.820044197°W / 32.914825394; -116.820044197 [1]
Geography
Relief map of California.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
El Cajon Mountain
Location San Diego County, California
Topo map El Cajon Mountain
Climbing
Easiest route Hike class 1 [3]

El Cajon Mountain, commonly known as El Capitan or El cap, is a mountain in the Cuyamaca Mountains, and prominent natural landmark in the East County of San Diego. [4]

Contents

Geography

The summit of El Cajon Mountain is at 3,677 feet (1,121 m). [1] The mountain is almost completely surrounded by private property and an Indian reservation, [5] but the mountain itself is mostly within the Cleveland National Forest or the County of San Diego's El Capitan Open Space Preserve. [4]

Recreation

There are two main routes to climb El Cajon Mountain, the main class 1 trail hike from Lakeside, California, and several class 3 climbs up the south face, [5] which is now private property [6] and closed to public access. [7] The main trail hike is considered one of the hardest hikes in San Diego County because of its steep climbs and rolling terrain. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yosemite Valley</span> Glacial valley in California, United States

Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California, United States. The valley is about 7.5 mi (12.1 km) long and 3,000–3,500 ft (910–1,070 m) deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines. The valley is drained by the Merced River, and a multitude of streams and waterfalls flow into it, including Tenaya, Illilouette, Yosemite and Bridalveil Creeks. Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America and is a big attraction especially in the spring, when the water flow is at its peak. The valley is renowned for its natural environment and is regarded as the centerpiece of Yosemite National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeside, California</span> Census designated place in California, United States

Lakeside is a census-designated place (CDP) in the East County region of San Diego County, California. The population was 21,152 at the 2020 census, up from 20,648 as of the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Divide Trail</span> Long-distance scenic trail in the western United States

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of 3,028 miles (4,873 km) between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and the border with Alberta, Canada. Frequent route changes and a large number of alternate routes result in an actual hiking distance of 2,700 miles (4,300 km) to 3,150 miles (5,070 km). The CDT follows the Continental Divide of the Americas along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. In Montana near the Canadian border the trail crosses Triple Divide Pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Muir Trail</span> Trail in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, passing through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. It is named after John Muir, a naturalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Whitney</span> Highest mountain in California, United States

Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). It is in East–Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, and 84.6 miles (136.2 km) west-northwest of North America's lowest point, Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level. The mountain's west slope is in Sequoia National Park and the summit is the southern terminus of the John Muir Trail, which runs 211.9 mi (341.0 km) from Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley. The eastern slopes are in Inyo National Forest in Inyo County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guadalupe Peak</span> Highest mountain peak in Texas

Guadalupe Peak, also known as Signal Peak, is the highest natural point in Texas, with an elevation of 8,751 feet (2,667 m) above sea level. It is located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and is part of the Guadalupe Mountains range in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. The mountain is about 90 miles (140 km) east of El Paso and about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The peak rises more than 3,000 feet (910 m) above the arid floor of the Chihuahuan Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mission Trails Regional Park</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Capitan (Texas)</span> Mountain in the US state of Texas

El Capitan is a peak in Culberson County, Texas, located within Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The 10th-highest peak in Texas at 8,085 ft, El Capitan is part of the Guadalupe Mountains, an exposed portion of a Permian period reef uplifted and exposed by tectonic activity during the late Cretaceous period. The southern terminus of the Guadalupe Mountains, El Capitan looms over U.S. 62/180, where its imposing height and stark outline have made it one of the iconic images of the Trans-Pecos to generations of travelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palomar Mountain</span> Mountain in San Diego County, California, United States

Palomar Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount San Antonio</span> Highest peak of the San Gabriel Mountains in California, United States

Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a 10,064 ft (3,068 m) summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California. Lying within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest, it is the high point of the range, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cajon Pass</span> Mountain pass in Southern California

Cajon Pass is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault, it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m). Located in the Mojave Desert, the pass is an important link from the Greater San Bernardino Area to the Victor Valley, and northeast to Las Vegas. The Cajon Pass area is on the Pacific Crest Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego River</span> River in California, United States

The San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at 112,800 acre-feet (139,100,000 m3). Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs west through Santee and San Diego. While passing through Tierrasanta it goes through Mission Trails Regional Park, one of the largest urban parks in America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln National Forest</span> National forest in New Mexico, United States

Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service located in southern New Mexico. The Lincoln National Forest covers an extensive 1.1 million acres in southeastern New Mexico. Established by Presidential Proclamation in 1902 as the Lincoln Forest Reserve, the 1,103,897 acres (4,467.31 km2) forest begins near the Texas border and contains lands in parts of Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, and Otero counties. The Lincoln National Forest is home to three major mountain ranges: Sacramento, Guadalupe and Capitan. The three Ranger Districts within the forest contain all or part of a total of four mountain ranges, and include a variety of different environmental areas, from desert to heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands. Clean air, water, and soil are necessary elements that the National Forests contribute to the environment. Established to balance conservation, resource management, and recreation, the lands of the Lincoln National Forest include important local timber resources, protected wilderness areas, and popular recreation and winter sports areas. The forest headquarters is located in Alamogordo, N.M. with local offices in Carlsbad, Cloudcroft, and Ruidoso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boney Peak</span> Mountain in California, United States

Boney Mountain in Ventura County, California is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains. The prominent mountain visible from Newbury Park, California is 2,825 feet (861 m). It is also known as Boney Peak. The mountain contains four of the highest peaks in the coastal range of the Santa Monica Mountains: Boney Peak, Sandstone Peak, Exchange Peak, and Tri Peaks. The highest summit in the Santa Monica Mountains is Sandstone Peak, situated less than a mile northeast of Boney Peak along the same ridge of volcanic rock. It is the top section of a mass of volcanic rock which solidified around 15 million years ago, and was later uplifted to its dominant position, overshadowing western Conejo Valley. The Chumash Native Americans have a long and deeply spiritual history of interaction at and near the mountain, and the peak is considered a sacred mountain to the Chumash people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beacon Mountain</span> Mountain in New York, United States

Beacon Mountain, locally Mount Beacon, is the highest peak of Hudson Highlands, located south of City of Beacon, New York, in the Town of Fishkill. Its two summits rise above the Hudson River behind the city and can easily be seen from Newburgh across the river and many other places in the region. The more accessible northern peak, at 1,516 feet (462 m) above sea level, has a complex of radio antennas on its summit; the 1,595 feet (486 m) southern summit has a fire lookout tower, which was built in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyamaca Peak</span> Mountain in California, United States

Cuyamaca Peak is a mountain peak of the Cuyamaca Mountains range, in San Diego County, Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyamaca Mountains</span> Mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, in San Diego County, southern California

The Cuyamaca Mountains, locally the Cuyamacas, are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, in San Diego County, southern California. The mountain range runs roughly northwest to southeast. The Laguna Mountains are directly adjacent to the east, with Palomar Mountain and Hot Springs Mountain more distant to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pikes Peak</span> Mountain in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, United States of America

Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The ultra-prominent 14,115-foot (4,302.31 m) fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, 12 miles (19 km) west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The town of Manitou Springs lies at its base.

There are 34 routes assigned to the "S" zone of the California Route Marker Program, which designates county routes in California. The "S" zone includes county highways in Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East County, San Diego</span> Region of the San Diego Metro Area in San Diego County

East County is a region of San Diego County, California, east of San Diego.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "El Cajon". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce . Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  2. "El Cajon Mountain, California". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Sand Diego peaks list". San Diego Chapter, Sierra Club . Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "San Diego River Park Foundation". San Diego River Park Foundation. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "El Cajon Mountain". SummitPost.org. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  6. "San Diego River Park Foundation". sandiegoriver.org. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  7. Crishazzard (March 17, 2021), English: Sign At Closed Area of El Cajon Mountain Summit Junction , retrieved March 21, 2021
  8. Hazzard, Cris (March 21, 2021). "El Cajon Mountain Trail Guide". HikingGuy.com. Retrieved March 21, 2021.