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San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains are created by tectonic activity which is still going on today between the Mojave Desert and the Los Angeles Basin. The town of Wrightwood is located in the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains.
The San Gabriel Mountains are created by tectonic activity which is still going on today between the Mojave Desert and the Los Angeles Basin. The town of Wrightwood is located in the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains.
In 2011, a local Serrano high school senior, Garrett Calkins, and Serrano Geology teacher, Loren Schneider, spent over 400 hours designing and constructing a relief map of the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains. More can be learned about how this display was constructed in this August 2011 issue of the Big Pines Volunteer Newsletter. An even more detailed article with pictures was created describing this process in the document, “How Was This Mountain Model Made?” Unfortunately, the spectacular display is no longer with us. I think I heard a few years back that it was damaged in an attempt to transport it from Grassy Hollow to the Big Pines Visitor Center, but that may not be accurate.
In 2011, a local Serrano high school senior, Garrett Calkins, and Serrano Geology teacher, Loren Schneider, spent over 400 hours designing and constructing a relief map of the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains. More can be learned about how this display was constructed in this August 2011 issue of the Big Pines Volunteer Newsletter. An even more detailed article with pictures was created describing this process in the document, “How Was This Mountain Model Made?” Unfortunately, the spectacular display is no longer with us. I think I heard a few years back that it was damaged in an attempt to transport it from Grassy Hollow to the Big Pines Visitor Center, but that may not be accurate.
Fortunately, we still have a YouTube video that another Serrano senior, Wyatt Martin, put together in 2013 describing the model.
Fortunately, we still have a YouTube video that another Serrano senior, Wyatt Martin, put together in 2013 describing the model.
According to the presentation, the Easten San Gabrial Mountains contain two active faults, the San Andreas Fault and the Cucmonga Thrust fault. The San Andreas fault goes through the city of Wrightwood. The Cucamonga fault is in the Los Angeles Basin. They also contain two inactive faults, the Vincent Thrust Fault and the Punchbowl Fault. The Vincent Thrust Fault can be seen from Inspiration Pt. Go to the 6 minute mark of Serrano student, Wyatt Martin’s video from 2013 for a visual of how to spot this fault. The Punchbowl Fault is a strike slip fault that goes through the parking lot of Vincent Gap.
According to the presentation, the Easten San Gabrial Mountains contain two active faults, the San Andreas Fault and the Cucmonga Thrust fault. The San Andreas fault goes through the city of Wrightwood. The Cucamonga fault is in the Los Angeles Basin. They also contain two inactive faults, the Vincent Thrust Fault and the Punchbowl Fault. The Vincent Thrust Fault can be seen from Inspiration Pt. Go to the 6 minute mark of Serrano student, Wyatt Martin’s video from 2013 for a visual of how to spot this fault. The Punchbowl Fault is a strike slip fault that goes through the parking lot of Vincent Gap.
The video also identifies the mountain peaks visible from Inspiration Point, including Mt. Baden-Powell, Iron Mountain, Pine Mountain, and Mt. San Antonio (also known as Mt. Baldy). The East Fork of the San Gabriel River is also visible from this lookout. Wyatt Martin's presentation describes the rock cycle, the three different rock types (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and common rocks in the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains. The relief map is color coded, so as you watch the video, you can see the dominant rock types in each area. Granitic rocks are red, young wash deposits (sedimentary) are yellow, the Cajon Rock formation (Mormon rocks) are brown, gneiss is purple, schist is green, and marble is light blue.
The video also identifies the mountain peaks visible from Inspiration Point, including Mt. Baden-Powell, Iron Mountain, Pine Mountain, and Mt. San Antonio (also known as Mt. Baldy). The East Fork of the San Gabriel River is also visible from this lookout. Wyatt Martin's presentation describes the rock cycle, the three different rock types (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and common rocks in the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains. The relief map is color coded, so as you watch the video, you can see the dominant rock types in each area. Granitic rocks are red, young wash deposits (sedimentary) are yellow, the Cajon Rock formation (Mormon rocks) are brown, gneiss is purple, schist is green, and marble is light blue.
According to Wyatt Martin, “The uplift of the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains is a recent event” having occurred approximately 5 million years ago. “It is still occurring today. In a few million years, these mountains will rival the Alps, maybe even the Himalayas, in height.”
According to Wyatt Martin, “The uplift of the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains is a recent event” having occurred approximately 5 million years ago. “It is still occurring today. In a few million years, these mountains will rival the Alps, maybe even the Himalayas, in height.”
Much of the San Gabriel Mountains are protected as part of the San Gabriel Mountain National Monument which was created in 2014 and expanded in 2024 to include over 452,000 acres, primarily within the Angeles National Forest.
Much of the San Gabriel Mountains are protected as part of the San Gabriel Mountain National Monument which was created in 2014 and expanded in 2024 to include over 452,000 acres, primarily within the Angeles National Forest.
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