San Bernardino Mountains

Mountain chain at the junction of the Coast and Transverse ranges of southern California. The San Bernardino Mountains lie north and east of the city of San Bernardino, and extend for around 90 km/55 mi southeast from the Cajon Pass to the San Gorgonio Pass. The southeastern end of the range is the site of the highest point in southern California, Mount San Gorgonio (3,506 m/11,502 ft).

The San Bernardino Mountains lie mainly within a division of the San Bernardino National Forest (area 3,317 sq km/1,281 sq mi). The winding, 72-km/45-mi ‘Rim of the World Drive’ gives easy recreational access to the mountains and leads to the resorts at Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake. The lower Little San Bernardino Mountains (height 1,220-1,675 m/4,000-5,500 ft) are a southeastern extension of the main range, running for some 64 km/40 mi along the eastern side of the Coachella Valley, and partly within the Joshua Tree National Monument.