The most impressive natural feature in the Coachella Valley

Did you know – The most impressive natural feature in the Coachella Valley is the northeast face of San Jacinto Peak?

Steepest escarpment in the continental U.S.

No other mountain in the lower 48 states rises so high so fast, not even the Sierra Nevada or Grand Tetons.

In slightly less than seven horizontal miles the peak rises from 800 to 10,834 feet above sea level, creating the steepest escarpment in the continental U.S.

Although San Jacinto’s peak is the highest point in the province, it is not the only peak that exceeds 10,000 feet in elevation. Thirteen peaks within the San Jacinto Mountains rise above the 10,000-foot level, including Jean Peak (10,570 feet), Miller Peak (10,400 feet) and Marion Mountain (10,362 feet). The total land area exceeding 10,000 feet covers approximately 1.5 square miles.

The rock mass of the San Jacinto Mountains is classified as Mesozoic granite. It is a light-colored igneous rock that can be easily observed anywhere in the San Jacintos at intermediate to high elevations.

The San Jacinto Mountains are part of what geologists term the Peninsular Ranges Province, one of the largest geological units in North America. Beginning in Mexico at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, the province runs northwest for 900 miles and finally terminates with the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California. Only the province’s northernmost 120 miles extend into the United States.

The San Jacinto Mountains fall totally within the confines of Riverside County and are approximately 100 miles east of Los Angeles.