| Santa Cruz Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Skyline Boulevard runs through the Santa Cruz Mountains, here in Portola Valley. | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Loma Prieta Peak |
| Elevation | 3,786 ft (1,154 m) |
| Coordinates | 37°06′40″N121°50′39″W / 37.111011844°N 121.844161333°W /37.111011844; -121.844161333 |
| Geography | |
  Santa Cruz Mountains Location of the Santa Cruz Mountains in California, United States[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Range coordinates | 37°7′N121°51′W / 37.117°N 121.850°W /37.117; -121.850 |
| Parent range | Pacific Coast Ranges |
TheSanta Cruz Mountains (Mutsun Ohlone: Mak-sah-re-jah, "Sharp Ridged Mountain of the Eagle" or "People of the Eagle Mountain") are amountain range incentral andNorthern California,United States, constituting a part of thePacific Coast Ranges. They form aridge down theSan Francisco Peninsula, south ofSan Francisco. They separate thePacific Ocean from theSan Francisco Bay and theSanta Clara Valley, and continue south to theCentral Coast, borderingMonterey Bay and ending at theSalinas Valley. The range passes through the counties ofSan Mateo,Santa Clara, andSanta Cruz, with thePajaro River forming the southern boundary.[2]
The northernmost portion of the Santa Cruz Mountains, north of Half Moon Bay Road (SR 92), is known asMontara Mountain; the middle portion is the Sierra Morena, which includes a summit called Sierra Morena,[3] and extends south to a gap atLexington Reservoir; south of the gap, the mountain range is known as theSierra Azul.[4][5]
The highest point in the range isLoma Prieta, 11 miles (18 km) west ofMorgan Hill, with a height of 3,786 feet (1,154 m), near theepicenter of the1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Other major peaks includeMount Umunhum at 3,486 feet (1,063 m),Mount Thayer at 3,479 feet (1,060 m),Mount Bielawski at 3,231 feet (985 m),El Sombroso at 2,999 feet (914 m), Eagle Rock at 2,488 feet (758 m),Black Mountain at 2,812 feet (857 m), and Sierra Morena at 2,417 feet (737 m). TheSan Andreas Fault runs along or near the ridge line throughout the range. The interior east side of the mountains drops abruptly towards this fault line, especially near the towns ofWoodside andSaratoga.[citation needed]
For much of the San Francisco Peninsula,State Route 35 (SR 35) runs along the ridge, and is known as "Skyline Boulevard", whileInterstate 280 runs east of the ridges. The major routes across the mountains are (from north to south):SR 92 fromHalf Moon Bay toSan Mateo,SR 84 fromSan Gregorio toRedwood City,SR 9 fromSanta Cruz toSaratoga,SR 17 fromSanta Cruz toLos Gatos,SR 152 fromWatsonville toGilroy,SR 129 from Watsonville toSan Juan Bautista, andUS Highway 101 fromSalinas to Gilroy. Meanwhile,SR 1 runs parallel to the mountains fromDaly City toCastroville whileSR 85 runs parallel fromCupertino toSan Jose.[citation needed]
There are over 30 wineries located in this region and the Santa Cruz Mountains have been a legally definedAmerican Viticultural Area (AVA) since 1981. Wine has been produced here since at least the 1840s. TheSanta Cruz Mountain AVA emerged as a premier producer of top wines as recognized in the historicJudgment of Paris wine competition on May 24, 1976.[6]
The Santa Cruz Mountains are largely the result of compressive uplift caused by a leftward bend of theSan Andreas Fault. TheSalinian Block basement rocks are overlain byMiocene rock strata of theLompico Sandstone, theVaqueros Sandstone and theSanta Margarita Formation.[7]
The Santa Cruz Mountains are a region of great biological diversity, encompassing cool, moist coastal ecosystems as well as warm, drychaparral. Much of the area in the Santa Cruz mountains istemperate rainforest. In valleys and moist ocean-facing slopes some of the southernmostcoast redwoods grow, along withcoast Douglas-fir.[8]Coast live oak,Pacific madrone,Pacific wax myrtle,big leaf maple,California bay laurel, andCalifornia black oak also occur in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There do exist several small and isolated stands ofold-growth forest, most notably atHenry Cowell Redwoods andPortola Redwoods State Parks and one sizeable old-growth redwood forest atBig Basin. At higher elevations and on sunny south slopes a more drought-resistantchaparral vegetation dominates:manzanita,California scrub oak,chamise, andchaparral pea. The raresandhills habitat supports disjunct populations ofPonderosa pine and several endemic species of plants, includingSanta Cruz cypress,silverleaf manzanita, andSanta Cruz wallflower. Spring wildflowers are also widespread throughout the range.[citation needed]
The area welcomes a tremendous number of species ofbirds. (see:bird list). Black-tailed deer, a subspecies ofmule deer are common, as arewestern gray squirrels,chipmunks andraccoons. Periodic sightings ofblack bears indicate they frequent the mountains or wander north fromBig Sur, where black bears are established[citation needed].Foxes,coyotes,bobcats,cougars and human-introducedVirginia opossums also inhabit the region but are rarely seen.Rattlesnakes are also inhabitants, mostly in the high, dry chaparral.
There are two potential critical wildlife linkages which could enable species such aspuma (Puma concolor) andtule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) to move from and to the Santa Cruz Mountains by connecting to their counterparts in theDiablo Range to the east, as well as in theGabilan Range to the south.[9] The first isCoyote Valley, which at its northern end, is only 0.4 miles (0.64 km) wide, a narrow gap between the Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Mountains'Tulare Hill foothill in southSan Jose, California.[10][11] The second critical wildlife passage lies between the southern Santa Cruz Mountains and the northern Gabilan Range, and runs from lands betweenMount Pajaro[12] andRancho Juristac, in southernSanta Cruz andSanta Clara counties respectively, south acrossCalifornia State Route 129 andU.S. Highway 101 to lands betweenPinecate Peak[13] andSan Juan Bautista in San Benito County.[9] TheLand Trust of Santa Cruz County has protected the Santa Cruz Mountains-Gabilan Range Wildlife Corridor with the 2,640 acres (4.13 sq mi) Rocks Ranch inAromas at the border of San Benito and Monterey counties.[14] Both critical wildlife linkages will require installation of wildlife crossings to enable passage across U.S. Highway 101.[11] The land trust monitored the new wildlife crossing in 2023 for activity at Laurel Curve on Route 17.[15]
The Santa Cruz Mountains have a Mediterranean type climate typical of most of California, with the majority of the annual precipitation falling between November and April. According to theNational Weather Service, this totals more than 50 inches (127 cm) annually. Heavy summer fogs frequently cover the western ocean-facing slopes and valleys, resulting in drizzle andfog drip caused by condensation on the redwoods, pines, and other trees, which sustains the moisture-loving redwood forests. Due to arain shadow effect, precipitation on the eastern side of the range is significantly less, about 25 inches (64 cm) a year. Snow falls a few times a year on the highest ridges, and more rarely the higher valleys receive light dustings.[citation needed]
TheNational Weather Service's cooperative weather stations in the mountains have includedBlack Mountain 2WSW – average annual rainfall 36.65 inches (931 mm), maximum annual rainfall 80.66 inches (2,049 mm), average annual snowfall 0.7-inch (18 mm), maximum annual snowfall 8.0 inches (200 mm);Los Gatos 5SW – average annual rainfall 26.45 inches (672 mm), maximum annual rainfall 103.23 inches (2,622 mm), average snowfall 2.7 inches (69 mm), maximum annual snowfall 9.0 inches (230 mm); andWrights – average annual rainfall 46.09 inches (1,171 mm), maximum annual rainfall 87.65 inches (2,226 mm), average annual snowfall 1.2-inch (30 mm), maximum annual snowfall 10.6 inches (270 mm). No temperature records were kept at these stations.[16]
The Santa Cruz Mountains are subject to sharpdiurnal temperature fluctuations. The highs and low within a 24-hour period are ~20–30 °F apart on average[17] but can be as much as 50 °F apart during heat waves depending on location. There is also considerable variation in temperature from day to day in both summer and winter with shifting wind directions, and fluctuations in the degree or marine influence.[citation needed]
Average winter highs range from the low 60s °F (~16–18 °C)[17] in the coastal valleys to the upper 50's °F (~14–15 °C) in the valleys further inland.[18] Average Winter overnight lows are a function of topography and can vary significantly, from an average low of 37 °F (3 °C)[17] in the valleys to ~42–44 °F (~6–7 °C)[19] in the thermal belts above the inversion layer where cold air can readily drain off the slopes.
Thermal inversions occur primarily during the Winter when cool air sinks and gets trapped in the valleys at night, often leading to frost and occasional freezes. Higher elevations above the inversion layer usually stay mild with frost being a rare occurrence. TheUSDA has recently[when?] re-classified the hardiness zones for the higher elevations as USDA 10a to 10b to reflect the lack of frost at those locations.[20] However, while the higher elevations are less prone to frost, they are also more likely to experience occasional snow accumulations. The valleys in contrast are rated USDA 9b with some locations as cold as 9a due to the lack of cold air drainage.[citation needed]
Summer temperatures regularly reach highs in the 80s °F (~28–30 °C)[17] with nighttime usually in the upper 40s to lower 60s °F (~9–18 °C) depending on elevation, distance from the ocean and degree of marine inversion present. Summer weather is dominated by a persistentmarine layer that can vary in depth. When the inversion layer drops below 300–500 feet, the higher elevations are deprived of marine influence and will often be subject to intense heat waves with daytime temperatures in the 95–105 °F (35–41 °C) range and extreme low humidity with elevated overnight lows that offer little relief from the heat. Such conditions can lead to fires that can occur even before the official State of California fire season starts. Examples of such fires include the 2016Loma Fire, the 2009Lockheed Fire and theSummit Fire in 2008.[citation needed]
The Santa Cruz Mountains are home to an abundance of parks and protected open spaces, notable among them is California's oldest state park:Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Other state parks includeCastle Rock State Park,Portola Redwoods State Park,Butano State Park,The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park,McNee Ranch State Park andHenry Cowell Redwoods State Park with its famousRedwood Grove walking trail. Additional land is protected by theMidpeninsula Regional Open Space District, thePeninsula Open Space Trust (POST), theSempervirens Fund and local county parks districts. Hiking, horse-riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and backpacking are popular activities. There is one long-distance trail in the range, theBay Area Ridge Trail, which, while still disjointed, here roughly parallels Skyline Boulevard along the spine of the range. TheSkyline-to-the-Sea Trail, which stretched 38 miles (61 km) from Castle Rock State Park through Big Basin to the Pacific Ocean was also a popular destination for backpackers, until it was closed due to severe damage by theCZU Lightning Complex Fires in 2020. Very few portions of the trail have reopened, and as of 2024, there have not been significant efforts to rebuild the trail. There also exist several backcountry campsites in many of the state parks that enable long distance multi-day outings. Castle Rock State Park has open rock faces suitable for rock climbing and bouldering.[citation needed]
The previous historicOld Almaden Winery was located on the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was the first commercial winery in California, planting high quality European (French) varietal vines.[21]
Film directorAlfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma had their primary residence, the Cornwall Ranch, nearScotts Valley, purchased in September 1940.[22]
In 1965, science fiction authorRobert A. Heinlein constructed a home inBonny Doon, and lived there until shortly before his death in 1988.[23][24][25]
From 1970 to 2014, singer-songwriterNeil Young lived at Broken Arrow Ranch near Woodside with his family. Many of his songs from this time were recorded at the ranch.[26]
sierra morena san mateo county.
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