The Cuyamaca Mountains ( Kumeyaay: ''‘Ekwiiyemak''), locally the Cuyamacas, are a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

of the Peninsular Ranges System, in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

, southern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The mountain range runs roughly northwest to southeast. The

Laguna Mountains The Laguna Mountains are a mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System in eastern San Diego County, southern California. The mountains run in a northwest/southeast alignment for approximately . The mountains have long been inhabited by the i ...

are directly adjacent to the east, with

Palomar Mountain Palomar Mountain ( ; es, Monte Palomar ) 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. His ...

and

Hot Springs Mountain Hot Springs Mountain is a peak located in the Peninsular Ranges in California. The mountain rises to an elevation of and is the highest point in San Diego County. Some snow falls on the mountain peak during winter. It is located in a remote regio ...

more distant to the north. Most of the range consists of extensive oak forest and chaparral, part of the

California montane chaparral and woodlands The California montane chaparral and woodlands is an ecoregion defined by the World Wildlife Fund, spanning of mountains in the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Coast Ranges of southern and central California. The ecoregion is part of ...

ecoregion, interspersed with pine forests and lush riparian zones, featuring year round creeks and waterfalls. The

San Diego River 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 ...

and Sweetwater River both have their headwaters in these mountains, which flow over 50 miles to the ocean. The pine forests were extensively burned by the 2003

Cedar Fire The Cedar Fire was a massive, highly-destructive wildfire, which burned of land in San Diego County, California, San Diego County, California, during October and November 2003. The fire's rapid growth was driven by the Santa Ana wind, causing ...

, along with many large areas of chaparral and oak woodland, which has since experienced slow and steady regrowth. The high elevation results in snowfall throughout the winter months.

Cuyamaca Peak Cuyamaca Peak is a mountain peak of the Cuyamaca Mountains range, in San Diego County, Southern California. Geography At , its summit is the second highest point in San Diego County. Cuyamaca Peak is located roughly from the Pacific Ocean, wi ...

, at , is San Diego County's second highest, after

Geography

The range's highest peaks are

at , North Peak at , Middle Peak at , and Stonewall Peak at . The

and the Sweetwater River both have headwaters in the Cuyamacas. The Cuyamaca Reservoir lies adjacent to the east side of the range. Mountains are primarily protected within the

Cleveland National Forest Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres (), mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the forest. It is the southernmost U.S. National Forest of California. It is administered by ...

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is a state park in Southern California, United States, located east of San Diego in the Cuyamaca and Laguna Mountains of the Peninsular Ranges. The park's feature pine, fir, and oak forests, with meadows and streams ...

, with

California oak woodland California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico. Oak woodland is widespread at lower elevations in coastal ...

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, is located in the range. The former mining town of Julian is in the northern section, and the towns of

Descanso Descanso may refer to: * Descanso (roadside memorial) * ''Descanso'' (spider), a genus of jumping spider * Descanso, California, an unincorporated community in the United States * Descanso, Santa Catarina, a town and municipality in Brazil * Des ...

, Pine Valley and Guatay is in the southern.

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

, a more populated town with some dense residential development, lies directly to the west of the range, bordering the Lakeside and El Cajon areas.

Interstate 8 Interstate 8 (I-8) is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in San Diego, California, almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with I-10, ...

passes through the southern part of the Cuyamaca Mountains.

California State Route 79 State Route 79 (SR 79) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. The route begins at Interstate 8 (I-8) in San Diego County, continuing north through the town of Cuyamaca into Julian. After passing through Warner Springs, the rou ...

, known as the Cuyamaca Highway, runs north–south along the eastern part of the mountains.''Borrego Valley, California,'' 30x60 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1982''El Cajon, California,'' 30x60 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1979

Gold rush

Gold was discovered in the Cuyamacas in 1870 and the mountains were subject to a gold rush. Towns and encampments of

Coleman City Coleman City, also called Emily City, is a ghost town in San Diego County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3601 feet. It is located on State Highway 78 where it crosses Coleman Creek, about four miles west of Julian. History Coleman City ...

, Branson City,

Eastwood Eastwood may refer to: Places ;in Australia *Eastwood, New South Wales **Eastwood railway station **Electoral district of Eastwood *Eastwood, South Australia ;in Canada * Eastwood, Ontario *Eastwood, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhood ;in the Ph ...

, Julian, and

Banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Als ...

sprang up to support the miners. First there was a mining camp called Stonewall (1873–1876), then the company town of Stratton (1887–1888), renamed Cuyamaca City (1888–1906), had a peak population of 500 and served the Stonewall Mine. The town was abandoned after mining operations ceased, and few traces of it exist. The site of the town now lies within Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Other gold mines were supported by the town of Julian, which celebrates its mining history with an annual festival called Gold Rush Days. The Eagle-High Peak Mine, no longer productive, is now a museum and gives daily tours.

Attractions

A variety of recreational activities are available in the Cuyamaca Mountains.

Lake Cuyamaca Lake Cuyamaca, also called Cuyamaca Reservoir, is a reservoir and a recreation area in the eastern Cuyamaca Mountains, located in eastern San Diego County, California. Geography California State Route 79 wraps around three shores, and provides ...

offers camping grounds for tents as well as areas to park

motorhome A motorhome (or motor coach) is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which offers mobile living accommodation. Features Motorhomes usually have sleeping spaces for two to eight people. Each sleeping space is either fixed or conv ...

s. The lake itself offers fishing and boating. There are also trails throughout the range that support hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The town of Julian is on the north end of the range, and it offers its share of events and 19th century history. Nearby Julian is California Wolf Center, which is a conservation, education, and research center dedicated to wolf recovery in the wild.

References

External links

{{Authority control Peninsular Ranges Mountain ranges of San Diego County, California Cleveland National Forest East County (San Diego County) Mountain Empire (San Diego County) Kumeyaay Mountain ranges of Southern California

Geography

Gold rush

Attractions

See also

References

External links