Palomar Mountain

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Mountain in San Diego County, California, United States

title: "Palomar Mountain" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["palomar-mountains", "mountains-of-san-diego-county,-california", "cleveland-national-forest", "north-county-(san-diego-county)", "peninsular-ranges", "mountains-of-southern-california"] description: "Mountain in San Diego County, California, United States" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palomar_Mountain" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Mountain in San Diego County, California, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]

FieldValue
namePalomar
other_namees
photoPalomar Observatory 2.jpg
photo_captionView of Palomar Observatory located near the High Point summit of the Palomar Mountain range.
elevation_ft6142
elevation_ref
prominence_ft2856
prominence_ref
listingSan Diego peak list
locationSan Diego County, California
mapUSA California San Diego County
map_size200
map_captionnone
rangePeninsular Ranges
coordinates
coordinates_ref
topoUSGS Palomar Observatory
easiest_routeRoad
::

| name = Palomar | other_name = es | photo = Palomar Observatory 2.jpg | photo_caption = View of Palomar Observatory located near the High Point summit of the Palomar Mountain range. | elevation_ft = 6142 | elevation_ref = | prominence_ft = 2856 | prominence_ref = | listing = San Diego peak list | location = San Diego County, California | map = USA California San Diego County | map_size = 200 | map_caption = none | range = Peninsular Ranges | coordinates = | coordinates_ref = | topo = USGS Palomar Observatory | type = | age = | first_ascent = | easiest_route = Road

Palomar Mountain ( ; ) is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County, California. It is known as the location of Palomar Observatory and the Hale Telescope, and known for Palomar Mountain State Park.

History

The Luiseño name for Palomar Mountain was Paauw and High Point was called Wikyo. | url = http://www.peterbrueggeman.com/palomarhistory/sparkman_luiseno.pdf | title = The Culture of the Luiseño Indians | last = Sparkman | first = Philip Stedman | publisher = University of California Press | year = 1908 | location = Berkeley | access-date = 2009-09-27 }} The Spanish name Palomar, meaning "pigeon roost" or "place of the pigeons", comes from the Spanish colonial era in Alta California when Palomar Mountain was known as the home of band-tailed pigeons. | url = http://www.peterbrueggeman.com/palomarhistory/wood.pdf | title = Palomar from teepee to telescope | last = Wood | first = Catherine M. | publisher = Frye & Smith | location = San Diego | year = 1937 | access-date = 2009-10-31 }} The peak was once called Mount Joseph Smith but reverted to its Spanish name, Palomar, in 1901.

During the 1890s, the population was sufficient to support three public schools, and it was a popular summer resort for Southern California, with three hotels in operation part of the time, and a tent city in Doane Valley each summer.

Nathan Harrison, the first African American homesteader in San Diego area, purchased several acres on the western slope of the mountain in the 1880s and graded a road that became a popular tourist route that is now called Nate Harrison grade. According to an article by Daniel Weiss, "Harrison was briefly married twice, both times to Luiseño Indian women who were part of a community that lived on the mountain," and he was baptized into the Catholic faith "by a Luiseño chief in Rincon who had converted to Catholicism." Harrison's tall tales of the mountain's fauna, including his overcoming of countless grizzlies and aggressive mountain lions, and his blithesome, joking disposition, made him locally famous among the county's travelers.

Palomar Observatory

Palomar Mountain is most famous as the home of Palomar Observatory, which includes the Hale Telescope. The 200 in telescope was the world's largest telescope from 1949 until 1975, and remained the most important until 1992. The observatory currently has four large telescopes, the most recent one being a 40 in robotic infrared one operational since 2021.

Palomar Mountain State Park

Palomar Mountain is the location of Palomar Mountain State Park, a California State Park. There are campgrounds for vacationers, and a campground for local school children until San Diego Unified School District was forced to close it due to state budget cuts. The park averages 70,000 visitors annually. The campgrounds in the park were temporarily closed on October 2, 2011, due to state budget cuts. The park was among 70 California State Parks threatened by budget cuts in fiscal years 2011–2012 and 2012–2013, but the park and the campgrounds remain open. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Doane_Valley_Palomar_Mountain.jpg" caption="Doane Valley in Palomar Mountain State Park"] ::

Palomar Mountain, especially in the state park area, is densely wooded with abundant oak and conifer tree species (pine, cedar, fir). Ferns are abundant everywhere in the shady forest. The forest is supported by annual precipitation totals in excess of 30 in.

Beginning in the 1920s, a fire lookout tower has been present on Boucher Hill on Palomar Mountain. The tower had been active until it was abandoned in 1983 and then was reactivated when the San Diego/Riverside County Chapter of the FFLA Forest Fire Lookout Association – San Diego/Riverside Chapter began manning it in 2012. Boucher Hill sees more than 11,000 visitors a season. The tower opens around May 1 in conjunction with the fire season and closes in early December. During this period, the tower is typically staffed 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm.

Doane Valley, located within the State Park, is home to the Camp Palomar Outdoor School for 6th-grade students in San Diego Unified School District.

Oak Knoll Campground

At the base of Palomar Mountain on County Route S6 is Oak Knoll Campground, formerly known as Palomar Gardens. In the 1950s and 1960s, Palomar Gardens was made famous by its owner and resident, UFO contactee George Adamski. Adamski had a self-built, wooden observatory at Palomar Gardens and photographed objects in the night sky that he claimed were UFOs. Adamski co-authored the bestselling Flying Saucers Have Landed in 1953, about his alleged alien encounter experiences, and in particular his meetings with a friendly "Space Brother" from Venus named Orthon. The 1977 film The Crater Lake Monster had many scenes filmed on Palomar Mountain, including scenes shot at the summit restaurant, but not the scenes of the monster in a lake.{{cite web | url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075888/ | title = The Crater Lake Monster | publisher = Crown International Pictures | access-date = 2009-09-23 }}

High Point

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/High_Point_Fire_Tower_on_Palomar_Mountain.jpg" caption="Fire Tower on Palomar Mountain"] ::

High Point, in the Palomar Mountain range, is one of the highest peaks in San Diego County. At an elevation of 6140 ft, it is surpassed by Cuyamaca Peak (at 6512 ft) and Hot Springs Mountain (the county's highest point, at 6533 ft). They are dwarfed by the higher 11500 ft San Bernardino Mountains a relatively short 52 mi to the north, in San Bernardino County and the 10000 ft San Jacinto Mountains 30 mi north in Riverside County. High Point is located approximately 2 mi east of the observatory; however, it is not accessible by the public from that direction, as the observatory itself and adjacent land are private property, and the road to High Point from the observatory is blocked by a permanently closed gate. It may be reached via Palomar Divide Truck Trail, a dirt road that starts off Highway 79 near Warner Springs. The trip is 13 mi one way, with 3000 ft of elevation gain via Palomar Divide Truck Trail. High Point can also be hiked on the Oak Grove Trail, the oldest established trail in the Palomar Ranger District. The hike is 13.5 mi roundtrip. There is an operational USFS fire lookout tower on High Point, built in 1964. It is 70 ft tall, making it the tallest USFS fire tower in California. It was brought back into service in 2009 and is staffed by the San Diego/Riverside County Chapter of the FFLA Forest Fire Lookout Association – San Diego/Riverside.

Other local peaks include Birch Hill (5710 ft) and Boucher Hill (5436 ft).

Access

South Grade Road, the stretch of San Diego County Route S6 going from State Route 76 to the summit, provides access with over 20 hairpin turns over a distance of less than 7 mi.{{cite news | title = Twists, turns, trouble | author = J. Harry Jones | work = The San Diego Union-Tribune | url = http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20050925-9999-2m25moto.html | date = September 25, 2005 | access-date = 2010-01-28 | archive-date = October 9, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111009125301/http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20050925-9999-2m25moto.html | url-status = dead

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Palomar Mountain has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. Annual precipitation on the mountain averages 30-35 in, mostly falling between October and April – although it has varied from 10.46 in in the "rain year" from July 2020 to June 2021, to 64.94 in between July 2022 and June 2023. Snow falls during cold winter storms, and averages 26.2 in annually, varying from 4.3 in between July 2013 and June 2014 to 120.0 in between July 1948 and June 1949. Summers are mostly dry, except for thunderstorms in July to early September. The humid climate supports a forest of oak, pine, fir, and cedar on large swaths of the mountain.

|location = Palomar Mountain Observatory, CA (1991–2020 normals) |single line = Y | Jan high F = 51.4 | Feb high F = 51.0 | Mar high F = 56.0 | Apr high F = 61.3 | May high F = 69.3 | Jun high F = 78.5 | Jul high F = 84.3 | Aug high F = 84.4 | Sep high F = 79.3 | Oct high F = 69.1 | Nov high F = 58.2 | Dec high F = 50.7 |year high F = 66.1 |Jan mean F = 44.2 |Feb mean F = 43.6 |Mar mean F = 47.3 |Apr mean F = 51.5 |May mean F = 58.8 |Jun mean F = 67.8 |Jul mean F = 74.1 |Aug mean F = 74.5 |Sep mean F = 69.4 |Oct mean F = 59.9 |Nov mean F = 50.3 |Dec mean F = 43.7 |year mean F = 57.1 | Jan low F = 37.1 | Feb low F = 36.1 | Mar low F = 38.7 | Apr low F = 41.8 | May low F = 48.4 | Jun low F = 57.0 | Jul low F = 63.9 | Aug low F = 64.5 | Sep low F = 59.5 | Oct low F = 50.8 | Nov low F = 42.5 | Dec low F = 36.6 |year low F = 48.1 |Jan record high F = |Feb record high F = |Mar record high F = |Apr record high F = |May record high F = |Jun record high F = |Jul record high F = |Aug record high F = |Sep record high F = |Oct record high F = |Nov record high F = |Dec record high F = |year record high F = |Jan record low F = |Feb record low F = |Mar record low F = |Apr record low F = |May record low F = |Jun record low F = |Jul record low F = |Aug record low F = |Sep record low F = |Oct record low F = |Nov record low F = |Dec record low F = |year record low F = |precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation inch = 5.93 | Feb precipitation inch = 7.34 | Mar precipitation inch = 4.61 | Apr precipitation inch = 2.00 | May precipitation inch = 0.89 | Jun precipitation inch = 0.17 | Jul precipitation inch = 0.29 | Aug precipitation inch = 0.68 | Sep precipitation inch = 0.48 | Oct precipitation inch = 1.21 | Nov precipitation inch = 2.25 | Dec precipitation inch = 4.56 |year precipitation inch = 30.41 | unit precipitation days = 0.01 in | Jan precipitation days = 6.8 | Feb precipitation days = 7.5 | Mar precipitation days = 6.1 | Apr precipitation days = 3.8 | May precipitation days = 2.1 | Jun precipitation days = 0.4 | Jul precipitation days = 1.1 | Aug precipitation days = 1.3 | Sep precipitation days = 1.3 | Oct precipitation days = 2.2 | Nov precipitation days = 3.4 | Dec precipitation days = 6.0 | year precipitation days = 42.0 |Jan snow inch = 6.2 |Feb snow inch = 10.6 |Mar snow inch = 3.1 |Apr snow inch = 3.5 |May snow inch = 0.0 |Jun snow inch = 0.0 |Jul snow inch = 0.0 |Aug snow inch = 0.0 |Sep snow inch = 0.0 |Oct snow inch = 0.0 |Nov snow inch = 0.4 |Dec snow inch = 2.4 |year snow inch = 26.2 |unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = 1.0 |Feb snow days = 2.1 |Mar snow days = 1.0 |Apr snow days = 1.0 |May snow days = 0.1 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.0 |Nov snow days = 0.3 |Dec snow days = 1.5 |year snow days = 7.0 |source 1 = NOAA{{cite web | url =https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=sgx | title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/normals-monthly/1991-2020/access/USC00046657.csv | title = Monthly Normals 1991-2020 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | accessdate = March 21, 2022

The upper elevations of the Palomar Mountain range have notably different habitats than its lower-elevation foothills. The lower regions are in the California montane chaparral and woodlands sub-ecoregion, adapted to the xeric/dry Mediterranean climate with chaparral and woodlands flora. The higher regions are in the California mixed evergreen forest sub-ecoregion, with California black oaks, closed-cone pines, firs, and other California oaks and conifers. Higher elevations receive considerably more moisture than the coastal and inland valley lower slopes, with 30 - of precipitation. They can also receive snow from winter storms.

References

Sources

References

  1. {{cite ngs
  2. {{cite peakbagger
  3. {{cite San Diego peaks list
  4. (March–April 2021). "https://www.archaeology.org/issues/414-2103/features/9443-california-nathan-harrison-pioneer". Archaeology.
  5. (March–April 2021). "https://www.archaeology.org/issues/414-2103/features/9443-california-nathan-harrison-pioneer". Archaeology.
  6. "Palomar Mountain State Park – chins up, powering on".
  7. "California State Park Closures Announced". Roughin.It.
  8. "Boucher Hill Lookout".
  9. "Camp Palomar Outdoor School – Directions". San Diego Unified School District.
  10. (Moseley, pp. 62–68)
  11. Leslie, Desmond. (1953). "Flying saucers have landed". British Book Centre.
  12. (Moseley, p. 60)
  13. "Cleveland National Forest: Oak Grove Trail".
  14. (2019-11-26). "Oak Grove Trail to High Point Hike (2019)".
  15. Salvadori, C.. (2000). "Motorcycle Journeys Through California". Whitehorse Press.
  16. "Bailey's Palomar Resort".
  17. "waynesword.palomar.edu".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

palomar-mountainsmountains-of-san-diego-county,-californiacleveland-national-forestnorth-county-(san-diego-county)peninsular-rangesmountains-of-southern-california