The
San Bernardino Mountains are a
mountain range northeast of
Los Angeles, north of
San Bernadino, and south of
Apple Valley. They stretch from west to east, the westernmost portions ending in
Cajon Pass and the eastern end ending near the
Little San Bernardino Mountains and
Joshua Tree National Park. These mountains reach a height of over 11,000 feet on
Mt San Gorgonio, maing them the tallest mountain range in California south of the
Sierras. These mountains are headwaters for the
Santa Ana River and the
Mojave River, both of which are mainly sandy washes in the summer. These mountains are home to many vegetation types including
chaparral in the lower southern slopes,
jeffrey pine and black
oak along the crest, and
lodgepole pine and various firs near
mt san gorgonio. Right at the peak of this mountain there is a small area of
alpine vegetation, one of the southernmost such areas in the US. The mountains were formed by
geologic uplift; the
san andreas fault skirts their southern edge
The San Bernardinos are a popular resort area for residents wishing to escape LA, Riverside, or San Bernadino. Some of the resorts include Lake Arrowhead, Lake Gregory, Crestline, Running Springs, Green Valley Lake, Big Bear, and Fawnskin. In the summer, the area is home to hiking, camping, and boating in the nearby lakes. In the winter, these mountains get a fair amount of snow and are home to snowboarding and skiing areas which suck compared to the sierras but are a lot closer. In general, they are less than 2 hours from LA so they are a good place to go to escape the smog and traffic.