Established by an act of Congress on October 24, 2000, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is a region of cultural, recreational, and scientific significance. Located in Palm Springs, the preserved mountain range juts from the flat desert landscape to a maximum elevation of 10,834 feet at the peak of Mount San Jacinto and includes one of the steepest mountain slopes in the United States. The Mount San Jacinto escarpment rises quickly from 1,200 feet to nearly 11,000 feet, and the mountain’s rapidly fluctuating elevations contain an incredibly diverse ecosystem. While flora such as cacti and creosote flourish below 3,000 feet, visitors will find pine and fir trees at elevations above 7,000 feet. The biologically varied landscape is also home to several rare animal species, including the southern yellow bat and the least Bell’s vireo, a migrating songbird. Other Santa Rosa and San Jacinto residents include the kangaroo rat, roadrunner, rosy boa, and Costa’s hummingbird, as well as the endangered peninsular bighorn sheep.
Encompassing approximately 280,000 acres, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument provides a stunning backdrop to several popular resort and retirement communities throughout the Coachella Valley and makes up more than 60,000 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest. Valuable for more than just its scenery, the region is also home to numerous artifacts of the Cahuilla Indians, who created many of the national monument’s current trails. Guests may find grinding slicks, pottery shards, and arrowheads but should take care to leave such items undisturbed.
Encompassing approximately 280,000 acres, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument provides a stunning backdrop to several popular resort and retirement communities throughout the Coachella Valley and makes up more than 60,000 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest. Valuable for more than just its scenery, the region is also home to numerous artifacts of the Cahuilla Indians, who created many of the national monument’s current trails. Guests may find grinding slicks, pottery shards, and arrowheads but should take care to leave such items undisturbed.