Margarita Lookout

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Margarita Lookout

Margarita Lookout 1935.jpg

Margarita Fire lookout tower as it appeared in 1935
Highest point
Elevation 3,087 ft (941 m)
Coordinates 33°16′00″N117°13′48″E / 33.26665°N 117.23°E / 33.26665; 117.23 Coordinates: 33°16′00″N117°13′48″E / 33.26665°N 117.23°E / 33.26665; 117.23
Geography
Location San Diego County, California
Parent range Santa Margarita Mountains
Climbing
Easiest route Trail

Margarita Lookout, also known as Santa Margarita Lookout, is a lookout point in the Santa Margarita Mountains, part of the larger Santa Ana Mountains in San Diego County, California. The original fire lookout tower, built in 1935 by the CCC, was later replaced by a new lookout tower and cabin in 1965. In 1986, the tower and cabin were both burned in a wildfire. [1] In 1988, the burnt tower was destroyed in a collision with a Marine Corps CH-46E helicopter. The lookout tower was badly damaged as a result and was promptly removed. [2] Only a concrete foundation remains today, however the site is still accessible via trail (Margarita Road/Truck Trail). The lookout is approximately one mile north of Margarita Peak, and is located in the Cleveland National Forest.

Santa Margarita Mountains

The Santa Margarita Mountains are a mountain range, part of the larger Santa Ana Mountains in the Peninsular Ranges System. They are located in the coastal North County region of San Diego County, California.

Santa Ana Mountains mountain range in Southern California, United States

The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 61 miles (98 km) southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties.

San Diego County, California County in California, United States

San Diego County, officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the state of California, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,095,313. making it California's second-most populous county and the fifth-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is San Diego, the eighth-most populous city in the United States. It is the southwesternmost county in the 48 contiguous United States.

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Margarita Peak is a prominent mountain in San Diego County. It is 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Murrieta Hot Springs and 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Fallbrook. Its 3,193-foot (973 m) summit is the 32nd most prominent peak in San Diego County. Margarita Peak is owned by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy, which has closed public access to the peak and the surrounding Margarita Peak Preserve for biological studies and sensitive habitat. The trail to the peak was relatively little-used and not known by many people. It was considered one of San Diego's greatest hidden gems, due to the breathtaking 360-degree panorama views at the top. The main trail begins on Margarita Road after the end of Tenaja Road 13 miles (21 km) southwest of I-15 and leads to nearby Margarita Lookout. Persons attempting to reach the peak must use a steep, poorly maintained firebreak that connects to the main trail. The hike to the top is 3 miles (4.8 km) each way.

Los Pinos Peak mountain in United States of America

Los Pinos Peak is a 4,455-foot (1,358 m) summit in the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County, California, about 8 miles (13 km) east of Rancho Santa Margarita. Los Pinos is the southernmost peak above 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in the Santa Anas, and provides extensive views south towards San Diego and the Pacific Ocean as well as views of the San Jacinto Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains in the east. The summit rises rather prominently above the main crest of the Santa Anas and is conspicuously visible from much of southern Orange County, although its actual topographic prominence is only about 610 feet (186 m).

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