The San Jacinto Wilderness is a rugged and diverse mountainous area in Southern California, known for its towering peaks, lush forests, and stunning views.
Mount San Jacinto Peak is the highest peak in the San Jacinto Wilderness, standing at 10,834 feet. It offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding area and is a popular destination for hikers and climbers. The peak can be reached via several different trails, each offering a unique perspective of the wilderness.
The Marion Mountain Trail is a challenging hike that leads to the summit of Mount San Jacinto Peak. The trail is known for its steep inclines and rocky terrain, making it a favorite among experienced hikers looking for a challenge. Along the way, hikers will pass through dense forests and alpine meadows, providing plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a popular attraction that takes visitors from the desert floor to the top of Mount San Jacinto in just a few minutes. The tram offers breathtaking views of the surrounding area and provides access to a network of hiking trails in the wilderness. The tram is a great way to experience the beauty of the San Jacinto Wilderness without having to hike to the summit.
The Tahquitz Peak Fire Lookout is a historic structure located near the summit of Tahquitz Peak. The lookout offers stunning views of the wilderness and is a popular destination for hikers looking for a more leisurely trek. The lookout is still in use today during fire season, providing an important vantage point for spotting wildfires in the area.
Description: Graphical representation of fire lines useful in forest fires, San Bernardino National Forest. The width of the lines varies from 30 to 60 feet.
Image by US Forest Service – Public domain – Wikimedia
Description: Fueled by hot, dry winds, the Lake fire has been spreading through California’s San Bernardino National Forest. The blaze, located about 130 kilometers (80 miles) east of Los Angeles, was first reported on June 17, 2015, and grew quickly on June 18. By the afternoon of June 22, the fire had burned 70 square kilometers (17,305 acres) and was 21 percent contained. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this false-color (short-wave infrared) view of the fire on June 20, 2015. Hot areas of active fires glow bright orange-red; relatively cooler areas of recently burned land glow dark red. When this image was acquired on June 20, the fire had burned about 60 square kilometers (15,000 acres) and was 10 percent contained. Westerly winds blew smoke away from Los Angeles, but caused smoke advisories to be issued in the Yucca and Morongo valleys to the east and the Lucerne Valley to the north. According to a June 22 news report, the fire was the largest to burn in a California national forest so far in 2015, and fire fighting costs were around $5 million. InciWeb reported that the fire was threatening about 500 structures, and evacuations were in place for all areas east of Angelus Oaks. Download full resolution and read more at <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=86092&src=flickr" rel="noreferrer nofollow">earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=86092&src=...</a> earthrightnow
Image by NASA Earth Observatory – CC BY 2.0 – Wikimedia
Description: Pine trees in the en:San Bernardino Mountains, CA, USA.
Image by Scottthezombie (talk) (Transferred by JaumeBG/Originally uploaded by Scottthezombie) – CC BY-SA 3.0 – Wikimedia
Description: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Carlsbad Office biologist, Clark Winchell, leads University of California San Diego student interns, Stella Yuan and Celeste Medina-Ontiveros as they survey flying squirrel territory. Photo by Joshua Allen Ray/USFWS.
Image by Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US – Public domain – Wikimedia