San Gorgonio Mountain
United States · Americas
About
San Gorgonio Mountain, also known locally as Mount San Gorgonio, or Old Greyback, San Gor and San G is the highest peak in Southern California and the Transverse Ranges at 11,503 feet (3,506 m).
It is in the San Bernardino Mountains, 27 miles (43 km) east of the city of San Bernardino and 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of San Gorgonio Pass. It lies within the San Gorgonio Wilderness, part of the Sand to Snow National Monument managed by the San Bernardino National Forest.
Spanish missionaries in the area during the early 17th century named the peak after Saint Gorgonius.
Since it is the highest point in a region which is separated from higher peaks (e.g. in the Sierra Nevada) by relatively low terrain, San Gorgonio Mountain is one of the most topographically prominent peaks in the United States. It is ranked 7th among peaks in the 48 contiguous states and 18th overall.
Like other high peaks in the Transverse Ranges, the mountain has a pyramid shape, with a steep north face and a slightly shallower south face. The mountain is large and broad; the summit plateau itself is one square-mile in area (2.6 km2).
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.