The San Bernardino National Forest is a

United States National Forest In the United States, national forest is a classification of protected area, protected and managed federal lands. National forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned collectively by the American people through the Federal government of ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

encompassing of which are federal. The forest is made up of two main divisions, the eastern portion of the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...

and the

San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in Southern California in the United States. Situated north and northeast of San Bernardino and spanning two California counties, the range tops out at at San Gorgonio Mountain � ...

on the easternmost of the

Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa B ...

, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the

Peninsular Ranges The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges, which ...

. Elevations range from 2,000 to 11,499 feet (600 to 3505 m). The forest includes seven wilderness areas: San Gorgonio,

Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga ( ) is a city located just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County, California, United States. About east of Downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga is the 28th ...

, San Jacinto, South Fork,

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

, Cahuilla Mountain and Bighorn Mountain. Forest headquarters are located in the city of

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...

. There are district offices in Lytle Creek, Idyllwild, and

Fawnskin Fawnskin is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Its altitude is 6,827 feet (2,081 m). The community has a post office, which was established on May 18, 1918. History The small township was ...

. This site was the filming location for ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' in 1936; part of the 1969 musical film '' Paint Your Wagon'' was shot here. Free camping is available at 47 different 'Yellow Post' campsites located throughout the forest.

Geography

According to

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

maps of the forest, it consists of two large areas or tracts: a northern and southern portion. The west border of the forest adjoins

Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the United States Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and Sierra Pelona Mountains, primarily within Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County in southern Calif ...

and runs north-south about ten miles west of

Interstate 15 Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border i ...

. At its widest parts, the northern portion of the forest runs about on an east–west dimension. It runs about on a north–south dimension. This portion of the forest encompasses the

. The area extends west of Mount San Antonio and

Wrightwood Wrightwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California. It sits at an elevation of . The population was 4,525 at the 2010 census, up from the population of 3,837 at the 2000 census. Wrightwood is located northeast of Lo ...

San Bernardino County San Bernardino County (), officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 2,181, ...

. The eastern portion of the forest extends about ten miles east of

Big Bear City Big Bear City is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, United States along the east shore of Big Bear Lake and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. It is northeast of the city of San Bernardino, and imme ...

and includes the

San Gorgonio Wilderness The San Gorgonio Wilderness is located in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County and into northern Riverside County, Southern California. It begins north of San Gorgonio Pass, approximately west of Morongo Valley and no ...

. The southernmost portion is bisected by the

Riverside County Riverside County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the Unit ...

line and borders the

Morongo Indian Reservation The Morongo Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe in California, United States. The main tribal groups are Cahuilla and Serrano. Tribal members also include Cupeño, Luiseño, and Chemehuevi Indians. Although many tribes in ...

north of

Cabazon Cabazon (Spanish: ''Cabazón'') is a unincorporated community in Riverside County, California, United States. Cabazon is on the Pacific Crest Trail. In the 21st century, the area has become a tourist stop, due to the Morongo Casino, Resort & S ...

. At its widest point, the southern portion is about on a north-south dimension and about on an east-west dimension.

Toro Peak Toro Peak, in Southern California, is the highest mountain in the Santa Rosa Mountain Range. It is located south of Palm Springs, west of the Salton Sea, and east of Temecula, in the County of Riverside, California. Part of the mountain is u ...

and the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation are near the south extent. At the north is Snow Creek Village and the

. Mount San Jacinto State Wilderness is carved out of the southern portion. The community of Idyllwild is surrounded by national forest lands. While most National Forests include lumber resources, these two areas also include: * Residential communities and resorts * Indian resources such as historically important caves and

pictograph A pictogram, also called a pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto, and in computer usage an icon, is a graphic symbol that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and gr ...

s * The

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...

-owned

James Reserve The James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve, a unit of the University of California Natural Reserve System, is a ecological reserve and biological field station located at an altitude of in a wilderness area of the San Jacinto Mountains near Lake F ...

research stationAnthony, Craig E., Unit Chief, Riverside Unit Fire Management Plan 2005, (

Perris, California Perris is an old railway city in Riverside County, California, United States, located east-southeast of Los Angeles and north of San Diego. It is known for Lake Perris, an artificial lake, skydiving, and its sunny dry climate. Perris is wit ...

: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Riverside Unit, 2005.) The two tallest waterfalls in Southern California, Big Falls and Bonita Falls, are located in the San Bernardino National Forest.

Wilderness areas

There are seven official

wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...

s lying within San Bernardino National Forest that are part of the

National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

. One extends into neighboring

and three into land that is managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

(as indicated). *

Bighorn Mountain Wilderness The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of sheep native to North America. It is named for its large horns. A pair of horns might weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates three distinct subspec ...

(mostly BLM) * Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness *

Cucamonga Wilderness The Cucamonga Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The wilderness is managed by the United States Forest Service in Angeles National Fo ...

(partly in Angeles NF) *

(partly BLM) * San Jacinto Wilderness * Santa Rosa Wilderness (mostly BLM) * South Fork San Jacinto Wilderness

Esperanza Fire

The five-member crew (Mark Loutzenhiser, Jess McLean, Jason McKay, Daniel Hoover-Najera and Pablo Cerda) of the San Bernardino National Forest Alandale Fire Station's Engine 57 was fatally burned by a sudden, intense fire run up a steep drainage below their location during the

Esperanza Fire The Esperanza Fire was a large, wind-driven, arson-caused wildfire that started on October 26, 2006, in a river wash near Cabazon, California, west of Palm Springs, California. By October 29, 2006, it had burned over (or ) and was 85% contained ...

at approximately 7:15 a.m. on October 26, 2006. All five firefighters were overrun by the fire at Twin Pines, located in the San Jacinto Mountains approximately four miles southwest of the City of Cabazon, California. The fire was located near

Beaumont, California Beaumont is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located at the summit of the San Gorgonio Pass, between the San Bernardino Mountains and Mount San Gorgonio to the north, and the San Jacinto Mountains and San Jacinto Peak to th ...

. Alandale station is located near the community of Idyllwild.

Firefighting aircraft operations

As of 2001, eight Air Tactical Group Supervisors (ATGSs) work out of the Forest Supervisor's Office in San Bernardino. This position requires completion of an 80-hour CDF/Forest Service attack management course. A Helicopter Coordinator (J-374) course is recommended. San Bernardino National Forest After Fire in 2016

San Bernardino National Forest After Fire in 2016

Vegetation

There are many different species of trees, many

conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...

ous, that grow in the mountains. Pines, such as

ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

Jeffrey pine ''Pinus jeffreyi'', also known as Jeffrey pine, Jeffrey's pine, yellow pine and black pine, is a North American pine tree. It is mainly found in California, but also in the westernmost part of Nevada, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja Califo ...

sugar pine ''Pinus lambertiana'' (commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine) is the tallest and most massive pine tree, and has the longest cones of any conifer. The species name ''lambertiana'' was given by the Scottish botanist David Douglas, ...

Coulter pine The Coulter pine or big-cone pine, ''Pinus coulteri'', is a native of the coastal mountains of Southern California in the United States and northern Baja California in Mexico. Isolated groves are found as far north as Clearlake, California on the ...

lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpine, ...

single-leaf pinyon ''Pinus monophylla'', the single-leaf pinyon, (alternatively spelled piñon) is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to North America. The range is in southernmost Idaho, western Utah, Arizona, southwest New Mexico, Nevada, eastern and southe ...

, and

knobcone pine The knobcone pine, ''Pinus attenuata'' (also called ''Pinus tuberculata''), is a tree that grows in mild climates on poor soils. It ranges from the mountains of southern Oregon to Baja California with the greatest concentration in northern Calif ...

all thrive here. Other coniferous trees, such as

white fir ''Abies concolor'', the white fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Cascade Range and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain range ...

, bigcone Douglas-fir (''

Pseudotsuga macrocarpa ''Pseudotsuga macrocarpa'', commonly called the bigcone spruce or bigcone Douglas-fir, is an evergreen conifer native to the mountains of southern California. It is notable for having the largest (by far) cones in the genus ''Pseudotsuga'', henc ...

''),

incense cedar ''Calocedrus'', the incense cedar (alternatively spelled incense-cedar), is a genus of coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae first described as a genus in 1873. It is native to eastern Asia and western North America. The generi ...

, and

western juniper ''Juniperus occidentalis'', known as the western juniper, is a shrub or tree native to the Western United States, growing in mountains at altitudes of and rarely down to . It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because it is a widesp ...

also thrive here.

Canyon live oak ''Quercus chrysolepis'', commonly termed canyon live oak, canyon oak, golden cup oak or maul oak, is a North American species of evergreen oak that is found in Mexico and in the western United States, notably in the California Coast Ranges. This ...

California black oak ''Quercus kelloggii'', the California black oak, also known as Kellogg oak, is an oak in the red oak section (genus ''Quercus'', section ''Lobatae'', series ''Agrifoliae''), native to western North America. Although genetically separated from the ...

, and

Pacific dogwood ''Cornus nuttallii'', the Pacific dogwood, western dogwood, or mountain dogwood, is a species of dogwood tree native to western North America. Description It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, reaching tall, often with a canopy spre ...

are other trees that also grow here. The forest contains an estimated of

old growth An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance (ecology), disturbance, and thereby exhibits un ...

. The most common old-growth forest types are Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests,

(''Abies concolor'') forests,

(''Pinus jeffreyi'') forests, and

(''Pinus contorta'') forests.

Climbing

Gavin Escobar, a former

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

player, and a girl died around noon on September 28, 2022, while

rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

near

Tahquitz Rock Tahquitz Peak (pronounced , sometimes ) is a granite, rock formation located on the high western slope of the San Jacinto mountain range in Riverside County, Southern California, United States, above the mountain town of Idyllwild. Tahquitz ha ...

References

Yellow Post Camp Site Info Dated Feb 2014 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow_camp_site_info_big_bear.pdf

External links

Official San Bernardino National Forest websiteLocal Hikes.com: Southern California Trails in the San Bernardino National Forest

Off-Road Trails in the San Bernardino National Forest
{{Authority control National Forests of California . San Jacinto Mountains Protected areas of Riverside County, California Protected areas of San Bernardino County, California Parks in Southern California Protected areas established in 1907 1907 establishments in California Protected areas of Southern California Tourist attractions in San Bernardino County, California

Geography

Wilderness areas

Esperanza Fire

Firefighting aircraft operations

Vegetation

Climbing

See also

References

External links