San Jacinto Peak

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San Jacinto Peak
North face of San Jacinto Peak.
Elevation	10,834 feet (3,302 metres)
Location	California, United States
Range	San Jacinto Mountains
Prominence	8,311 ft (2,533 m)
Coordinates	33°48′52.96″N, 116°40′45.98″W
Topo map	USGS San Jacinto Peak
Easiest route	tramway and trail

San Jacinto Peak is the highest peak in Riverside County, California. It is part of the San Jacinto Mountains, and lies within Mount San Jacinto State Park. The peak towers over the city of Palm Springs as well as the mountain community of Idyllwild. The peak is also frequently named Mount San Jacinto. The steep escarpment of its north face, above Snow Creek, climbs over 10,000 feet (3 km) in 7 miles (11.3 km). This is one of the largest gains in elevation over such a small horizontal distance in the contiguous United States.

The peak is flanked by Jean Peak (10,670 feet, 3252 metres) and Marion Mountain (10,362 feet, 3158 metres). These peaks were named in 1897 by USGS topographer Edmund Taylor Perkins, Jr. Perkins named Jean Peak for his sweetheart and future bride, Jean Waters of Plumas County, whom he married in 1903. He named Marion Mountain after Marion Kelly, his girlfriend, a teacher for the Indian Bureau at the Morongo Valley Reservation. According to a local legend, Perkins spent the summer of 1897 deciding which woman to marry as he conducted his topographical survey of San Jacinto Peak and its environs.

Near the summit of San Jacinto peak is a stone hut that was built in 1935 by Zubi, an immigrant from Central Europe who for many years until his death in the 1970s was a beloved figure in the mountain community of Idyllwild.

In the 1930s, Idyllwild staged an annual race from the town center to San Jacinto Peak and back. Contestants could choose any route they wished to get to and from the peak.

San Jacinto Peak, showing its north escarpment, one of the highest in the contiguous United States.

[edit] Hiking

San Jacinto Peak is easily accessible, as many trails penetrate the San Jacinto Wilderness. The most popular route involves taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway from Valley Station (2,643 ft) in Palm Springs up to Mountain Station (8,516 ft). From there, one can easily climb the mountain face via trails. Another method is to hike to the peak from the nearby mountain town of Idyllwild. The climb is popular and not overly strenuous. The Cactus to Clouds trail climbs over 10,000 ft from the Desert Art Museum in Palm Springs to the summit at 10,800 ft [1]. Snow Creek is a destination for mountaineers.

The mountain is quite rugged in places, with several outdoor hazards that hikers may be unprepared for, including high altitude, severe weather, steep rock faces, and wild animals. Hikers and climbers die or are harmed every year.

From the peak, Mount San Gorgonio can be seen across the San Gorgonio Pass. Also easily visible below is the Coachella Valley, which is home to the Salton Sea. In addition, much of the Inland Empire to the west can be viewed on a clear day.