San Gorgonio Pass
Encyclopedia
The San Gorgonio Pass el. 1591 ft (484.9 m) cuts between the San Bernardino Mountains
on the north and the San Jacinto Mountains
to the south. Like the Cajon Pass
to the northwest, it was also created by the San Andreas Fault
. The pass is not as steep as the Cajon or the Tejon
passes, but it is one of the deepest mountain passes in the 48 contiguous states, with the mountains to either side rising almost 9000 ft (2,743.2 m) above the pass. San Gorgonio Mountain
is at the pass's northern end, and Mount San Jacinto
is at the southern end. Mount San Jacinto has the fifth-largest rock wall in North America
. The peak is only six miles south of Interstate 10. Today the San Gorgonio Pass is used by commuters from the Greater San Bernardino Area to travel through the mountains to Palm Springs
and the Coachella Valley
, and points further east, all the way to Phoenix, Arizona
.
(former U.S. Route 60) intersect at the western end of the pass in Beaumont
and climbs through Banning
at its peak before reaching down the town of Cabazon
, where it begins to descend steeply towards the Coachella Valley. The eastern end of the pass is at the junction of Interstate 10 and State Route 111
near Whitewater Canyon
. The Southern Pacific Railroad
(now the Union Pacific
) laid down tracks through the pass in 1875, and in 1952 an expressway was built through the pass, carrying U.S. Route 99 and U.S. Route 60. There are still portions of the old US 99 route between Whitewater Canyon and Cabazon. Main Street in Cabazon, Ramsey Street in Banning, 6th Street in Beaumont, and Roberts Road in Calimesa are all old sections of US 99.
The San Gorgonio Pass area tends to get snow at least once or twice during the winter months, although it rarely, if ever, sticks to hard surfaces, such as the freeway or city streets. The most famous sight on San Gorgonio Pass is the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
on its eastern slope, as it marks the gateway into the Coachella Valley. The pass is one of the windiest places in Southern California
.
San Bernardino Mountains
The San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
on the north and the San Jacinto Mountains
San Jacinto Mountains
The San Jacinto Mountains are a mountain range east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. The mountains are named for Saint Hyacinth . The Pacific Crest Trail runs along the spine of the range.The range extends for approximately from the San Bernardino Mountains southeast to...
to the south. Like the Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault...
to the northwest, it was also created by the San Andreas Fault
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental strike-slip fault that runs a length of roughly through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip...
. The pass is not as steep as the Cajon or the Tejon
Tejon Pass
The Tejon Pass is a mountain pass at the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains linking Southern to Central California.-Geography:The apex of the pass is near the northwesternmost corner of Los Angeles County, north of Gorman...
passes, but it is one of the deepest mountain passes in the 48 contiguous states, with the mountains to either side rising almost 9000 ft (2,743.2 m) above the pass. San Gorgonio Mountain
San Gorgonio Mountain
San Gorgonio Mountain, also known locally as Mount San Gorgonio, or Old Greyback, is the highest peak in Southern California at . It is in the San Bernardino Mountains, east of the city of San Bernardino and north-northeast of San Gorgonio Pass. It lies within the San Gorgonio Wilderness, part of...
is at the pass's northern end, and Mount San Jacinto
San Jacinto Peak
San Jacinto Peak, 10,834 feet , is the highest peak of the San Jacinto Mountains, and of Riverside County, California. It lies within Mount San Jacinto State Park...
is at the southern end. Mount San Jacinto has the fifth-largest rock wall in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The peak is only six miles south of Interstate 10. Today the San Gorgonio Pass is used by commuters from the Greater San Bernardino Area to travel through the mountains to Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
and the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
, and points further east, all the way to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.
Roads
Interstate 10 and State Route 60California State Route 60
State Route 60 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Interstate 10 near the Los Angeles River in Los Angeles east to I-10 in Riverside County, with overlaps at State Route 57 and Interstate 215.-Route description:...
(former U.S. Route 60) intersect at the western end of the pass in Beaumont
Beaumont, California
Beaumont is a city in Riverside County, California, United States in the Greater Los Angeles area.Now a growing, community planned city, the population was 36,877 at the 2010 census, and expected to be up to 125,000 projected by 2040, making Beaumont as California's next, newest fastest-growing...
and climbs through Banning
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
at its peak before reaching down the town of Cabazon
Cabazon, California
Cabazon is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 2,535 at the 2010 census, up from 2,229 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, where it begins to descend steeply towards the Coachella Valley. The eastern end of the pass is at the junction of Interstate 10 and State Route 111
California State Route 111
State Route 111 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It is the main north/south state highway and retail corridor through the Coachella Valley, a part of the Colorado Desert in the southeastern corner of the state and famous as a resort destination...
near Whitewater Canyon
Whitewater River (California)
The Whitewater River is a small permanent stream in western Riverside County, California, except for a small upstream portion in southwestern San Bernardino County. Its headwaters are in the San Bernardino Mountains and 'mouth'—terminus in the Colorado Desert...
. The Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(now the Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
) laid down tracks through the pass in 1875, and in 1952 an expressway was built through the pass, carrying U.S. Route 99 and U.S. Route 60. There are still portions of the old US 99 route between Whitewater Canyon and Cabazon. Main Street in Cabazon, Ramsey Street in Banning, 6th Street in Beaumont, and Roberts Road in Calimesa are all old sections of US 99.
The San Gorgonio Pass area tends to get snow at least once or twice during the winter months, although it rarely, if ever, sticks to hard surfaces, such as the freeway or city streets. The most famous sight on San Gorgonio Pass is the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
The San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm is a wind farm located on the eastern slope of the San Gorgonio Pass in Riverside County, just east of White Water, California, United States. Developed beginning in the 1980s, it is one of three major wind farms in California, along with those at Altamont and the...
on its eastern slope, as it marks the gateway into the Coachella Valley. The pass is one of the windiest places in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.