Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Southern California. Exploring Mountains, Seashore, and Desert онлайн

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Lord’s candle yucca ranges from the coast to the desert rim.

The Laguna, Cuyamaca, Palomar, and Santa Ana Mountains

East and north of San Diego, the Peninsular Ranges consist of a number of parallel ranges—primarily the Laguna, Cuyamaca, and Palomar Ranges—each attaining heights of a little more than 6,000 feet. Chaparral blankets the slopes of these mountains, while the typical yellow-pine assemblage of oak, pine, cedar, and fir dominates the higher elevations. Farther north and west, bordering the rapidly expanding urban zones of southwestern Riverside and southern Orange County, lie the Santa Ana Mountains. They are the northernmost coastal expressions of the Peninsular Ranges.

Oak woodland shelters Cole Creek, Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve (ssss1).

Suburban sprawl has crept into the foothills of these far-southern ranges, and in some cases threatens to degrade the higher elevations as well. Fortunately, large parts of this mountainous region lie within the jurisdiction of Cleveland National Forest and various state parks.