The Santa Margarita Mountains 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 ...

, part of the larger

Santa Ana Mountains The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside c ...

in the Peninsular Ranges System. They are located in the coastal

North County North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second-most populous region in the county (after San Diego), with an estimated population of 869,322. North County is well known for its affluence, especial ...

region of

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 ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. They are bounded on the northwest by San Mateo Creek, on the northeast by Teneja Canyon Creek, on the east by De Luz Creek and on the south by Las Pulgas Canyon. On the southwest they descend into the coastal foothills in the

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

. The range's highest summit is Margarita Peak, at an elevation of 3136 feet. GNIS Feature Detail Report for: Margarita Peak
/ref> Margarita Lookout lies in the northern part of the subrange.

References

Santa Margarita Mountains Santa Margarita Mountains North County (San Diego County) Santa Ana Mountains {{SanDiegoCountyCA-geo-stub