In-Ko-Pah Mountains

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The In-Ko-Pah Mountains are located near the U.S. border with Mexico in southern California, west of the Jacumba Mountains. The range is approximately 12 miles long. Mt. Tule, at 4,647 feet, and Sombrero Peak, at 4,229 feet above sea level, are the tallest mountains in the chain. The range, which lies in a north-south direction, is located just north of Interstate 8, and east of the Manzanita Indian Reservation.

The mountains consist of faulted granitic intrusive bedrock, weathered into dramatic piles of residual boulders. The local granodiorite is naturally a very light color, weathering over centuries into a reddish-orange desert varnish. Visitors can view these landforms while driving Interstate 8 through Devil's Canyon. Remnants of Highway 80, the first North American transcontinental highway, can be seen on either side. The boulders can be examined closer at the Desert View Tower, a privately-owned park which includes a boulder park and a number of massive Depression-era sculptures carved from local rock. Camping among the rocks is available in the McCain Valley Recreational Area, located near Boulevard off Highway 80.