Santa Ana Mountains History, Habitat and Hikes

The majestic Santa Ana Mountains cover one thousand square miles and much of the Cleveland National Forest in Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties. Unlike other designated wild lands close to huge population centers, the rugged Santa Anas remain largely primordial. Dominated by Old Saddleback and its twin peaks of Modjeska and Santiago, this beautiful range, visible from much of the Los Angeles Basin, remains the last intact coastal ecosystem in Southern California. Home to Native Americans, Spanish missionaries, vaqueros, sheep barons, bandits and suburban developers, the Santa Anas were traversed by mountain man Jedediah Smith, explorer John C. Fremont, lawman Wyatt Earp and other historic figures. Join author Patrick Mitchell for this first comprehensive volume on the natural and cultural histories of the great Santa Anas.