Waterman Mountain, at , is a prominent peak in the

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

Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

, within the

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

and

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which encompasses parts of the Angeles National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest in California. On October 10, 2014, ...

. The summit of Waterman Mountain marks the northern boundary of the

San Gabriel Wilderness The San Gabriel Wilderness is a wilderness area created in 1968 of more than 36,118 acres (150 km2) within the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The area lies on the southern slopes of the San Gabriel Mou ...

and it is the highest point in the wilderness.

Ecology

During winter and early spring this mountain is packed with snow. Snow may even be found in September lying on Waterman mountain. Spring brings a lot of rain and makes Waterman covered in wildflowers. Summers are hot and dry. The climate here is Highlands/Mediterranean. Partly due to this climate, mixed conifer forests are found on Waterman Mountain, Fauna is greatly influenced because of this climate.

Recreation

Several small ski areas are located on its north side:

Mount Waterman Mount Waterman is a ski area on Waterman Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. The area is located on California State Route 2, the Angeles Crest Highway, and reaches a height of ...

Kratka Ridge Kratka Ridge or Snowcrest is a skiable area on Waterman Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, California. Located 36 miles northeast of La Cañada and Pasadena along the Angeles Crest Highway, it reaches a height of 7,515 ...

, and

Buckhorn Ski Club Buckhorn Ski and Snowboard Club is located roughly north of Los Angeles in the Angeles National Forest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture owns the land and the United States Forest Service administers the area. It is a cooperative club with n ...

. The Buckhorn and Cooper Campgrounds are below the peak on the

Angeles Crest Highway The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane (one lane of travel in each direction) highway over the San Gabriel Mountains, in Los Angeles County, California. Its route is to/through the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Angeles Nation ...

History

Robert B. Waterman was a pioneer mountain man and a ranger in the San Gabriel Forest Reserve. He, with his wife Liz and their friend Perry Switzer, completed a three-week journey from La Cañada to the

Antelope Valley The Antelope Valley is located in northern Los Angeles County, California, and the southeast portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert. It is situated between the Tehachapi, Sierra Pelona, and ...

and back in May 1889. With this accomplishment, Liz became the first non-indigenous woman known to have crossed the San Gabriel Mountains. It is said that she placed a cairn on this summit and so it was named Lady Waterman's Peak. However, with prevailing attitudes toward the "weaker sex" the name was not accepted and it became known as simply Waterman Mountain. The area was severely impacted by the Station fire in 2009.

References

San Gabriel Mountains Mountains of Los Angeles County, California Angeles National Forest Mountains of Southern California {{LosAngelesCountyCA-geo-stub