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69-761: The Hahamogna inhabited the Verdugo Mountains foothills and San Rafael Hills ; the Arroyo Seco in the westernmost San Gabriel Valley area around present day Pasadena and Altadena ; and the easternmost San Fernando Valley area north of the Los Angeles River around present day Glendale ; all in Los Angeles County, California . Two settlements named Hahamongna, California have been located. The Hahamogna band have also been called Pascual and Pascualite Indians , after which

138-511: A $ 45 million project to reconstruct the roadway, construct soldier pile retaining walls, repair drainage systems, install rockfall protection, and provide asphalt concrete overlay and traffic striping, should begin in fall 2010." In 2011, the planned repair of the road was abruptly terminated, due to concern of high future maintenance costs, and potential impact on the local bighorn sheep population. However, in October 2016, Caltrans announced it

207-483: A Pacific Electric car directly to the summit, but Henry E. Huntington did not approve of this scheme. The railway was to have four or five stations along the incline and a large visitor's center at the summit. Several months after the initial proposal, the route was altered to run up the west side of Verdugo Canyon from a hoped-for extension of the Pacific Electric up Verdugo Canyon to Montrose. Interest in

276-453: A fire frequency at a given site of no shorter than several decades, or perhaps longer, although there is variability in the tolerance of different species. Repeated shorter intervals between fires promote so-called "type conversion", in which the shrubby species are replaced by grasses, particularly non-native grasses, and other weedy species. The Verdugo Mountains have been subject to repeated wildfires in historical times. Major occurrences in

345-502: A hiker gets lost or stuck on a mountain ledge or may fall downhill. Some of the more extreme cases of emergency search-and-rescue efforts will often be given air time on Los Angeles television and radio newscasts. The Pacific Crest Trail passes along the mountain ridge. During the winter, many Southern California mountaineers climb a variety of snow routes and even some ice routes in the San Gabriel Mountains. Baldy Bowl

414-657: A nearly two-hour trip. Reopening Highway 39 would cut the drive-time to the Waterman Ski Area in half and shorten the trip east to Wrightwood. According to the Caltrans District Seven "Inside Seven" Newsletter, "Two projects that will address those issues and get the highway reopened are scheduled for construction soon. The first, building two retaining walls near the city of Azusa from Old San Gabriel Canyon Road to approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of SR-2, could begin in mid-2009. The second,

483-409: A particular fire regime , which is characterized by intensity and seasonality, but most importantly, by the frequency of fires. In the southern California chaparral, natural frequencies of 30 to 40 years are typical, with some areas going as long as 100 years without fires and others burning more frequently. It has been estimated the chaparral plant community can persist over the long term only with

552-790: A power line downed by high winds, burned from the northern edge of the range southward over to crest to consume homes in Glendale. A fire in November, 1980, also called the La Tuna Canyon Fire, burned 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) in the northern and western portions of the range. Since 2000, three major fires have occurred in the Verdugo Mountains. In September, 2002, the Mountain Fire burned over two days approximately 750 acres (300 ha) above Glendale, largely on

621-627: A steep, rugged and precipitous gorge. The two meet at San Gabriel Reservoir , and turn south, boring through the southern portion of the San Gabriels, emptying of the mountains near Azusa into the urban San Gabriel Valley , and eventually to the Pacific Ocean near Seal Beach . San Gabriel Mountains peaks within the Angeles National Forest include: The climate of the range varies with elevation from continental to

690-583: Is Mount Gleason, which at 6,502 feet (1,982 m), is the highest in this region of the San Gabriels. South of the gorge is the southern "foothills" of the mountains, which rise abruptly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above the Los Angeles Basin and give rise to the Arroyo Seco , a tributary of the Los Angeles River . Southeast of Big Tujunga Canyon, the southern front range of the San Gabriels gradually grows in elevation, culminating in notable peaks such as Mount Wilson at 5,710 feet (1,740 m). On

759-542: Is by far the most popular route, getting hundreds of climbers per season. There are many other routes, offering a variety of choices. Rock climbing is not as common in the San Gabriel Range as it is in neighboring areas, as this range is famous for loose rock. Various faults crisscross the range, making it one of the steepest and fastest-growing ranges in the world. Plate tectonic activity breaks up most rock, making it unsuitable for rock climbing. Williamson Rock

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828-622: Is much better, and it is open much of the winter. State Route 39 connected the city of Azusa with the Angeles Crest Highway until it was seriously damaged by landslides, first in 1978, and again in 2005. The highway was opened to emergency crews in February 2003. People heading to Mount Waterman must now travel west to Pasadena and then travel on the Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) in La Cañada Flintridge,

897-705: Is now applied to Hahamongna Watershed Park, an archeological site of one of the Hahamongna, California settlements, a recreational area, and an open space nature preserve-park in the upper Arroyo Seco in Pasadena. Other family groups of the Tongva could be found elsewhere in the San Gabriel Valley and San Fernando Valley. With the founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in 1771 and Mission San Fernando Rey de España in 1797, these Tongva groups gathered at

966-645: Is now the Verdugo Hills Golf Course. The Verdugo Mountains were named for Jose Maria Verdugo , holder of the Rancho San Rafael land grant , which covered the mountains during California's Spanish and Mexican periods . On October 20, 1784 Pedro Fages , the military governor of Alta California , granted Jose Maria Verdugo permission to use the rancho, known officially by the name San Rafael but informally called "La Zanja" by Verdugo. The rancho's boundaries were primarily defined by

1035-495: The City of Los Angeles neighborhood of Sunland-Tujunga . Surrounded entirely by urban development, the Verdugo Mountains represent an isolated wildlife island and are in large part under public ownership in the form of undeveloped parkland. The mountains are used primarily for recreation in the form of hiking and mountain biking, and as the site of communications installations on the highest peaks. The mountains arise directly from

1104-797: The Crescenta Valley lying between the two. The southern front of the range forms part of the northeastern boundary of the San Fernando Valley ; at their southeastern end the Verdugo Mountains are separated from the San Rafael Hills by the Verdugo Wash . The highest summit is the informally named Verdugo Peak (3,126 feet (953 m)), located near the center of the range and rising to approximately 2,200 feet (670 m) above its southern base. Other peaks include Tongva Peak (2,656 feet ), recently named in honor of

1173-584: The Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert , with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east. The range lies in, and is surrounded by, the Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, with the San Andreas Fault as its northern border. The highest peak in the range is Mount San Antonio , commonly referred to as Mt. Baldy. Mount Wilson is another notable peak, known for

1242-690: The Los Angeles County Fire Department began a county-wide program of building fire breaks (or more properly, fuel breaks ) to slow the spread of fire, and by 1923 the initial breaks had been constructed in the Verdugos. In 1934, the City of Glendale built a 60-foot lookout tower on Verdugo Peak, which was staffed with an observer until it closed in the mid-1950s. In order to conduct the work necessary to build fire breaks and roads, temporary construction camps were located throughout

1311-854: The Miocene and has since been dissected by numerous rivers and washes. The highest elevation, Mount San Antonio (Mount Baldy) at 10,069 feet (3,069 m), rises towards the eastern extremity of the range which extends from the Cajon Pass (Interstate 15) on the east, where the San Gabriel Mountain Range meets the San Bernardino Mountain Range , westward to meet the Santa Susana Mountains at Newhall Pass (Interstate 5). South and east of Santa Clarita and north of San Fernando ,

1380-608: The Mount Wilson Observatory and the antenna farm that houses many of the transmitters for local media. The observatory may be visited by the public. On October 10, 2014, Barack Obama designated the area the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument . The Trust for Public Land has protected more than 3,800 acres (1,500 ha) of land in the San Gabriel Mountains, its foothills, and the Angeles National Forest. Much of

1449-472: The Tongva (Gabrielino) people, the original inhabitants of much of the Los Angeles Basin , Santa Monica Mountains , and San Gabriel Valley areas. Other informally named peaks are Mount La Tuna on the north end and Mount Thom on the south end of the range. With the exception of Mount La Tuna, all these summits, as well as several others, are occupied by communications towers. The Verdugo Mountains lie within

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1518-546: The Verdugo Hills or simply The Verdugos , are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system in Los Angeles County, California . Located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains , the Verdugo Mountains region incorporates the cities of Burbank , Glendale , Pasadena , and La Cañada Flintridge ; the unincorporated communities of Altadena and La Crescenta-Montrose ; as well as

1587-651: The Victor Valley and the western Cajon Valley. Past its junction with Angeles Forest Highway, traveling east, Angeles Crest Highway features blind curves, various bumps, and potholes. This section of the "Crest" is closed during the winter due to rockfall and avalanche hazards. State Route 2, just past Mountain High , is called the Big Pines Highway to the Route 138 junction. Another key county route through,

1656-744: The chaparral plant community, as defined by Munz and later authors, including Sawyer et al. This dense, shrub-dominated community of the California chaparral and woodlands is more highly developed on the north-facing slopes than on the drier, hotter south-facing slopes. Among the shrub species that characterize this community, prominent in the Verdugos are laurel sumac ( Malosma laurina ), toyon ( Heteromeles arbutifolia ), poison oak ( Toxicodendron diversilobum ), chamise ( Adenostoma fasciculatum ) and two species of California-lilac ( Ceanothus crassifolius and Ceanothus oliganthus ). Native trees are restricted to protected canyons, especially on

1725-460: The 1843 Mexican land grant Rancho San Pascual , that included their part of the Arroyo Seco, was named. Most correctly Hahamog'na is the name of this tribe's chief, and the tribe's name and the place in which they live also take this name. Other derivatives have been shown in an adjectival style thus referring to them as the "Hahamovic Indians." Hahamog'na was met by Gaspar de Portolà of

1794-595: The 1955 La Tuna Canyon fire, however, indicates that at least some of these roads were in place by that date. The Verdugo Mountains are being considered as part of the proposed Rim of the Valley Corridor National Park . Other than the Foothill Freeway (I-210) and the nearly parallel La Tuna Canyon Road, both of which traverse only the northwestern tip of the range, the Verdugo Mountains are crossed by no paved roads. By contrast,

1863-621: The Los Angeles basin. Uplift along the Verdugo fault may total approximately 2.5 km (1.6 mi), at a minimum rate of 1.1 km (0.68 mi) per million years since 2.3 million years ago, moving the crystalline rocks of the Verdugo Mountains up and over younger Tertiary and Quaternary sediments to the south. The Verdugo Mountains are, therefore, young and rapidly rising, reflected in their steep topography and rapid rates of erosion. The Verdugo Mountains lie almost entirely within

1932-665: The Mediterranean, with mostly dry summers (except for scattered summer thunderstorms) and cold, wet winters. Snow can fall above 4,000 ft (1,200 m) elevation during frontal passages between November and April, but is most common in December through March. Annual precipitation totals are mostly in excess of 25 in (640 mm) on the coastal (southern) slopes above 3,000 ft (900 m) elevation, with up to 45 in (1,100 mm) falling in some areas above 5,000 ft (1,500 m). The coastal (south) side of

2001-616: The North American west coast. Like nearly all of the other mountains in the Transverse Ranges , the San Gabriels are a series of fault blocks that were uplifted in the Cenozoic . Tectonic uplift rates and erosion rates systematically increase as topography steepens eastward in the San Gabriel Mountains, where the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults meet. Current rates of erosion in the eastern San Gabriel mountains are among

2070-622: The San Andreas Fault produces numerous springs, sag ponds, and wetland areas that are critical habitats for a variety of native species. Larger animals include California mule deer , California black bear , San Pedro Martir coyote and the rarely seen mountain lion or cougar. Smaller mammals include raccoons, opossum, skunk, and bobcats. Golden and bald eagles are found rarely, but hawks are common. Rattlesnakes are common and often encountered on trails by hikers. Critically endangered yellow-legged frogs have declined or vanished from

2139-578: The San Gabriel Mountains crest abruptly up to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Pacoima and Big Tujunga Canyons cut through the range just east of San Fernando, carrying runoff into the San Fernando Valley . Little Tujunga Canyon Road bridges the range in this area, connecting the San Fernando Valley to the Santa Clara River valley in the north. Towering over Big Tujunga Canyon north of Big Tujunga Reservoir , and south of Acton,

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2208-478: The Verdugo Mountains, the Arroyo Seco and the Los Angeles River , with the boundary following north along the east bank of the river and wrapping westerly around Griffith Park to a point near the Travel Town Museum in the park. One of the earliest attempts to access and develop the interior of the Verdugo Mountains was the 1912 proposal by Colonel Lewis Ginger to build a cable incline railroad to

2277-547: The beginning of the Pliocene has been estimated to be on the order of 7 kilometers (4.3 mi). The Verdugo fault and Sierra Madre thrust are part of a complex system of faults that accommodate some of this shortening and generally become younger to the south, with the Verdugo Fault possibly being the youngest member of this system and forming the current boundary between this portion of the western Transverse Ranges and

2346-483: The cable railway continued for about a year, but the project was abandoned before a company could be formed, largely as the result of the Pacific Electric's decision not to build the Montrose extension. Fire is a natural component of the chaparral ecosystem, and the plants that comprise it are largely adapted to survive fire or to reproduce after it. More specifically, the members of this plant community are adapted to

2415-428: The corporate boundaries of the cities of Glendale , Burbank , and Los Angeles . The neighborhood of La Crescenta , most of which lies within Glendale, is adjacent to the range's northern end, as are the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Tujunga, Sunland , Shadow Hills , and Sun Valley (the last of which includes La Tuna Canyon). The Verdugo Mountains consist of an east-west-trending antiformal fault block , bounded on

2484-480: The crest. Annual rainfall totals are highly variable from year to year, with the higher totals usually in El Nino years. Most of the rain falls between November and March during periodic frontal passages. The mountains were part of the indigenous Tongva people 's homelands for over 7,000 years, with villages at some springs in the canyons. The village of Wikangna was located in the area, possibly located at what

2553-536: The crystalline basement rocks exposed to the north in that portion of the San Gabriel Mountains south of the San Gabriel Fault. These consist of gneiss , and gneissic diorite and quartz diorite , intruded by irregular bodies of equigranular granitic rocks, predominantly quartz diorite and granodiorite , with accompanying pegmatite and aplite . Exposed rocks in the Shadow Hills neighborhood at

2622-519: The eastern floor of the San Fernando Valley , exaggerating their height from some vantages. Beginning with foothills, they rapidly rise to rugged sections, with the highest peaks topping 3,000'. The northwest-trending range is approximately 8 miles (13 km) long by 3.25 miles (5.23 km) wide, and roughly parallels the southern front of the San Gabriel Mountains at a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km) to 2 miles (3.2 km), with

2691-976: The extreme eastern San Gabriels. The range terminates at Cajon Pass, through which runs Interstate 15 , and beyond which rise the even higher San Bernardino Mountains . The Range is bounded on the north by the Antelope Valley and the Mojave Desert and to the south by the communities of Greater Los Angeles . The south side of the range is almost continuously urbanized and includes the Los Angeles city communities of Sylmar , Pacoima , and Sunland-Tujunga , as well as cities and unincorporated areas of San Fernando , La Crescenta , La Cañada Flintridge , Altadena , Pasadena , Sierra Madre , Arcadia , Monrovia , Bradbury , Duarte , Azusa , Glendora , San Dimas , La Verne , Claremont , Upland , Rancho Cucamonga , Fontana , and Rialto . The north side of

2760-464: The extreme northwestern end of the Verdugos are typically marine sedimentary rocks of Miocene age, predominantly sandstone and shale . The Verdugo Mountains are part of the western Transverse Ranges , which have risen in the last 7 million years as the result of contractional deformation resulting from transpressional motion and rotation of crustal blocks in the "Big Bend" region of the San Andreas Fault . The amount of crustal shortening since

2829-527: The fastest in the continental United States and have accelerated in response to the increased frequency of wildfires over the 1900s. Over future centuries, it remains unclear whether soil and brush ecosystems in the San Gabriel mountains will continue to re-establish soil and vegetation after increasing fire and soil-erosion frequencies, or if increasing fire frequencies and erosion will strip soils and permanently alter soil cover and vegetation types across

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2898-492: The fire roads and, most notably, in the Fire Warden's Grove, established in the wake of a wildfire in 1927. Except for a tenuous link to the large wild area in the San Gabriel Mountains through Big Tujunga Wash at their northwestern end, the Verdugo Mountains are an urban wildlife island completely surrounded by development. Among the large mammals, coyote ( Canis latrans ) and mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) are

2967-401: The fire-prone areas of the county. In the Verdugo Mountains, Construction Camp #2 was located in the lower reaches of Deer Canyon, at the end of present-day Beaudry Blvd, for a period during the late 1930s and early 1940s. It is difficult to determine from published sources the dates of construction for the fire roads so important to present-day recreational use of the mountains. The report of

3036-430: The highest peak in the range at 10,068 feet (3,069 m). On the north slopes of the San Gabriel crest, the northern ranks of mountains drop down incrementally to the floor of the Mojave Desert in a much more gradual manner than the sheer southern flank. The Angeles Crest Highway , one of the main routes across the San Gabriels, runs through this area from west to east. Little Rock, Big Rock, and Sheep Creeks drain off

3105-630: The missions and were taught European skills of farming, raising cattle and producing leather, tallow, and soap. Once converted to Christianity, the neophytes were generally not permitted to return to village life. Collectively these groups were referred to as Gabrieleños and Fernandeños by the Spanish. Other Tongva names that are recognizable about the Southland: Cahueg-na (Cahuenga), Topag-na (Topanga), and Azuksag-na (Azusa). Verdugo Mountains The Verdugo Mountains , also known as

3174-496: The most common; mountain lions ( Puma concolor ) and black bears ( Ursus americanus ) have occasionally been reported. The many rodent species support a population of western rattlesnakes ( Crotalus viridis ). Of the numerous bird species present, the most characteristic of the chaparral here, and throughout California, is the small, seldom seen but often heard wrentit ( Chamaea fasciata ). With its call of three or four chirps followed by an accelerating trill, often likened to

3243-495: The mountain ecosystem. There are both areas of conifer as well as broadleaf forestation, including the presence of some endemic taxa. Conifer (pine, fir, cedar) and oak forests are most widespread above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) where the precipitation is above 30 inches (760 mm) (the central and eastern high San Gabriels). In the wetter areas, madrone and bay laurel trees also occur in places, and ferns are common. Trees like willow, alder, and cottonwood are also found throughout

3312-566: The mountains during big storms often produces flooding in adjacent foothill communities (especially in areas denuded by wildfires). The range is mostly smog-free above 5,000 ft (1,500 m) elevation, above the inversion layer. The large telescope installation at Mt. Wilson is a testimony to the clear atmospheric conditions that prevail, although light pollution from the L.A. basin below has hindered telescope activities in recent decades. The San Gabriel Mountains see wildfires frequently. The fires are often driven by dry Santa Ana wind events in

3381-425: The mountains is Angeles Forest Highway . Angeles Forest Highway begins 11 miles northeast of La Cañada Flintridge at its Angeles Crest Highway junction. Ending near Acton , it allows easy access to the central Forest and the fast-growing Antelope Valley . Because the "Forest" and the 11-mile (18 km) "Crest" portion leading to La Cañada Flintridge is well-traveled by Antelope Valley commuters, its road maintenance

3450-596: The north the range is abruptly dissected by the canyon of the West Fork San Gabriel River. Even further north the range slopes up into the towering main crest of the San Gabriels, a sweeping arc-shaped massif 30 miles (48 km) in length that includes most of the highest peaks in the range: Waterman Mountain , at 8,038 feet (2,450 m); Mount Islip , at 8,250 feet (2,510 m), Mount Baden-Powell , at 9,399 feet (2,865 m), Pine Mountain , at 9,648 feet (2,941 m), and Mount San Antonio ,

3519-455: The northern part of the mountains, forming large alluvial fans as they descend into the Mojave. To the east, the San Andreas Fault cuts across the range, forming a series of long, straight, and narrow depressions, including Swarthout Valley and Lone Pine Canyon. South of Mount San Antonio, San Antonio Creek drains the mountains, cutting the deep San Antonio Canyon. East of San Antonio Canyon,

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3588-721: The overland Mexican Expedition in 1770. The Spanish began a proselytizing campaign of religious conversion and servitude, the Indian Reductions . Upon his conversion, Hahamog-na was given the Christian name "Pascual" and his tribe became known as the Pascualite Indians, in the Indian Reductions of Mission Indians . This name preceded the naming of Rancho San Pascual, part of present-day Pasadena, San Marino , and South Pasadena . The name Hahamongna

3657-493: The range along with the stream courses (riparian habitat), even at lower elevations. Chaparral (dense shrub, brush, and small tree) vegetation is widespread where there is no continuous tall tree cover, especially at lower elevations. Chaparral is highly adapted to fire and replaces trees for decades after fires. There is a subspecies of the Leather Oak which is found only within the San Gabriel Mountains. The Rift Zone along

3726-411: The range contains more than 25 miles (40 km) of graded and well maintained fire roads that are used extensively by hikers and mountain bike riders. Several abandoned and overgrown fire roads and ridge-top fire breaks are used recreationally as well. Trails, in the sense of engineered and maintained footpaths, are few, the most notable being the 2.2 mile (3.5 km)-long La Tuna Canyon Trail, which

3795-614: The range features rolling peaks. The range lacks craggy features, but contains a large number of canyons and is generally very rugged and difficult to traverse. The San Gabriel Mountains are composed of a large fault block between the San Andreas Fault Zone to the north, and the San Gabriel Fault and the Sierra Madre and Cucamonga Fault Zones to the south. This tectonic block was uplifted during

3864-482: The range gradually loses elevation, and the highest peaks in this section of the mountain range are in the south, rising dramatically above the cities of Claremont , Upland and Rancho Cucamonga . However, there are still several notable peaks in this region, including Telegraph Peak , at 8,985 feet (2,739 m), Cucamonga Peak , at 8,859 feet (2,700 m), and Ontario Peak , rising 8,693 feet (2,650 m). Lytle Creek , flowing generally southeast, drains most of

3933-437: The range is less densely populated and includes the city of Palmdale as well as the small unincorporated towns of Acton , Littlerock , Pearblossom , Valyermo , Llano , Piñon Hills , and Phelan . At the west end of the range lies the city of Santa Clarita . Within the mountains themselves are the small unincorporated communities of Mount Baldy , Wrightwood , Big Pines and Lytle Creek . Melting snow and rain runoff on

4002-417: The range receives more precipitation than the desert (northern) side. The highest precipitation is found in the central and eastern parts of the range (Mt. Wilson to Mt. San Antonio). Annual precipitation totals are highly variable from year to year, and can be extremely high during wet El Nino years (sometimes over 70 in (1,800 mm), with single storm totals over 10 in (250 mm)). Runoff from

4071-541: The shadier north slope of the range, where soil moisture levels are higher. Coast live oak ( Quercus agrifolia ), California bay laurel ( Umbellularia californica ), California sycamore ( Platanus racemosa ), California walnut ( Juglans californica ), and several species of willow ( Salix spp.) are the most common native trees. Non-native trees, particularly pines ( Pinus spp.), cypress ( Cupressus spp.), locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia ), and Australian eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus spp.) have been planted locally along

4140-417: The sound of a dropped ping-pong ball, the wrentit provides the most characteristic sound of the chaparral. The Verdugo Mountains have warm, dry summers and cool wet winters. Snow infrequently falls along the crest during the coldest winter storms, but melts rapidly. Annual average precipitation increases with elevation (due to the orographic lift effect), from 17-21 inches at the base to about 24–28 inches at

4209-602: The south by the Verdugo Fault, a north-dipping reverse fault , and on the north by the Sierra Madre thrust fault near the front of the San Gabriel Mountains, thus including the sediment-covered Crescenta Valley within the Verdugo Mountains Block. The Verdugo Fault lies slightly south of the topographic range front and is completely covered by sediments. The rocks within the Verdugo Mountains block are almost entirely igneous and metamorphic similar to

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4278-564: The south side of the San Gabriels' highest mountains give rise to its largest river, the San Gabriel River . Just to the west of Mount Hawkins , a north-south divide separates water running down the two main forks of the river and their tributaries. The West Fork, beginning at Red Box Saddle, runs 14 miles (23 km) eastward, and the East Fork, starting north of Mount San Antonio, flows 18 miles (29 km) south and west through

4347-535: The southern side of the range. The Harvard Fire started on September 29, 2005, and consumed 1,024 acres (414 ha) both north and south sides of the range north of Burbank during a six-day period. In September, 2017, the La Tuna fire started north of the Verdugos, jumping Interstate 210 forcing the closure of it, burning both the north and south face of the ranges. The fire ultimately destroyed four homes and 7,003 acres (2,834 ha) of land. Beginning in 1921,

4416-477: The streams due to the loss of suitable habitat. The introduction of invasive predators like trout, which feed on tadpoles, decimated their population. The main road that runs through the San Gabriel Mountains is the Angeles Crest Highway , State Route 2 . It starts in the southwest at the city of La Cañada Flintridge and ends at its junction with State Route 138 , just past Wrightwood , near

4485-544: The summer and fall. Notable wildfires in the San Gabriel Mountains have included the 2009 Station Fire , 2020 Bobcat Fire , and the 2024 Bridge Fire . Granitic and metasedimentary rocks are the primary constituent of the San Gabriel Mountains. Metasedimentary rocks were attached to the North American craton in the Precambrian eon, and granitic rocks formed throughout the Mesozoic as oceanic plates subducted underneath

4554-432: The summit of Mount Verdugo, now known as Mount Thom. The proposed Glendale & Verdugo Mountain Railway was to run in a straight line from the Pacific Electric's Casa Verdugo station at the top of Brand Boulevard to the summit of Mount Verdugo, employing cars with stepped seating similar to those of Angels Flight on Bunker Hill in Los Angeles. Initially, Colonel Ginger had proposed that his cable railway would lift

4623-443: The twentieth century include the December, 1927 Burbank Canyon Fire, which started in Haines Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains and burned south into the range, consuming approximately 100 homes in Burbank's Sunset Canyon. The La Tuna Canyon Fire of November, 1955 burned over almost the entire western portion of the range, ultimately destroying approximately 4,500 acres (1,800 ha). The Whiting Woods Fire of March, 1964, started by

4692-453: Was again considering plans to re-open the road, after pressure from local communities. In the winter, snowboarding and skiing are quite popular in the San Gabriels, at Mountain High and Mt. Baldy . The two other resorts, Mount Waterman and Kratka Ridge , are rarely open due to insufficient snow. In the summer, canyoneering , hiking, backpacking, picnicking, and camping are some of the activities popular with visitors. From time to time,

4761-433: Was constructed in 1989 by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps with funds provided by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains ( Spanish : Sierra de San Gabriel ) comprise 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 between

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