Santa Lucia Highlands Map

broken image


  1. Essential Two-Day Itinerary for the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County. Travelers to Monterey joyfully reminisce about their experience of playful sea otters, graceful sharks, and colossal bluefin tuna while visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, as well as of the luxurious Pebble Beach and the breathtaking vistas along Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel-by-the-Sea, to Big Sur.
  2. The Santa Lucia Highlands encompasses 6,400 acres of vineyards in a strip approximately 18 miles long in the Santa Lucia Mountain range, in Monterey County, about two hours south of San Francisco.
  3. Sign up to receive occasional stories from the vineyard, news from our vintners, and events in your area.
original name
Winery

Some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the world grows in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, a narrow, 18-mile-long coastal region tucked along the western hills of Monterey's Salinas Valley. Vineyards here are planted on narrow, terraced benches on elevations ranging from 200 to 1,200 feet above sea level. Essential Two-Day Itinerary for the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County. Travelers to Monterey joyfully reminisce about their experience of playful sea otters, graceful sharks, and colossal bluefin tuna while visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, as well as of the luxurious Pebble Beach and the breathtaking vistas along Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel-by-the-Sea, to Big Sur.

: Santa Lucía
geographical location: Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, North America
geographical coordinates: 23° 33' 0' North, 100° 36' 0' West

detailed map of Santa Lucia and near places

Map

Welcome to the Santa Lucia google satellite map! This place is situated in Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, its geographical coordinates are 23° 33' 0' North, 100° 36' 0' West and its original name (with diacritics) is Santa Lucía. See Santa Lucia photos and images from satellite below, explore the aerial photographs of Santa Lucia in Mexico. Santa Lucia hotels map is available on the target page linked above.

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Santa Lucia hotel reservations

Book hotel in Santa Lucia online and save money

Santa Lucia hotels: low rates, no booking fees, no cancellation fees.

Maplandia.com in partnership with Booking.com offers highly competitive rates for all types of hotels in Santa Lucia, from affordable family hotels to the most luxurious ones. Booking.com, being established in 1996, is longtime Europe's leader in online hotel reservations.

At Maplandia.com you won't be charged any booking fees, cancellation fees, or administration fees – the reservation service is free of charge. The reservation system is secure and your personal information and credit card is encrypted.

We have put together also a carefully selected list of recommended hotels in Santa Lucia, only hotels with the highest level of guest satisfaction are included.

Santa Lucia hotels map

The location of each Santa Lucia hotel listed is shown on the detailed zoomable map. Moreover, Santa Lucia hotel map is available where all hotels in Santa Lucia are marked. You can easily choose your hotel by location.

Santa Lucia hotel reviews

Many photos and unbiased Santa Lucia hotel reviews written by real guests are provided to help you make your booking decision.

Santa Lucia hotel deals

Luxury hotels (including 5 star hotels and 4 star hotels) and cheap Santa Lucia hotels (with best discount rates and up-to-date hotel deals) are both available in separate lists. Always bear in mind that with Maplandia.com and Booking.com the best price is guaranteed!

Hotels nearest to the centre of Santa Lucia

  • Corral del Conde (in Catorce, distanced approximately 33 km)
  • Meson de la Abundancia (in Catorce, distanced approximately 33 km)
  • Meson del Refugio (in Catorce, distanced approximately 33 km)
  • Victoria Inn **** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)
  • Holiday Inn Express Ciudad Victoria ** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)
  • Ramada **** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)
  • Best Western Santorin **** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)

Santa Lucia car rental

Compare Santa Lucia car rental offers of 500+ suppliers

We search over 500 approved car hire suppliers to find you the very best Santa Lucia rental prices available. You can compare offers from leading car hire suppliers like Avis, Europcar, Sixt or Thrifty as well as budget rental deals from Holiday Autos, Budget, Economy, EasyCar, or 121 carhire. Choose Santa Lucia car hire supplier according to your preferences. The booking process is secured and is made as simple as possible. You don't have to browse through several websites and compare prices to find cheap car rental in Santa Lucia — we will do it for you!

Car hire Santa Lucia and neighbourhood

Car rental offices nearest to Santa Lucia the city centre. Compare Santa Lucia car rental offers by various suppliers.

  • San Luis Potosi - Airport car rental (distanced approximately 160 km)
  • Torreon Coahuila car rental (distanced approximately 160 km)
  • Durango car rental (distanced approximately 160 km)
  • Playa Del Carmen - Calica International Pier car rental (distanced approximately 200 km)
  • San Jose Del Cabo - Hotel Melia car rental (distanced approximately 200 km)

Flights from airports close to Santa Lucia

Search and compare flights

Compare prices on flights to and from the closest airports to Santa Lucia. We search through offers of more than 600 airlines and travel agents. When you find a deal you want, we provide link to the airline or travel agent to make your booking directly with them. No middlemen. No added fees. You always get the lowest price.

Airports in Santa Lucia and in the neighbourhood

Airports nearest to Santa Lucia are sorted by the distance to the airport from the city centre. Follow relate airport hotel guides for accommodation booking.

  • San Luis Potosi Airport (distanced approximately 150 km) – airport hotels
  • Ciudad Victoria Airport (distanced approximately 170 km) – airport hotels
  • Ciudad Mante Airport (distanced approximately 190 km) – airport hotels
  • Guadalupe/zacate Airport (distanced approximately 210 km) – airport hotels
  • Saltillo Airport (distanced approximately 220 km) – airport hotels

Santa Lucia 3D map in Google Earth

3D map of Santa Lucia in Mexico

You can also dive right into Santa Lucia on unique 3D satellite map provided by Google Earth. With new GoogLe Earth plugin you can enjoy the interactive Santa Lucia 3D map within your web browser.

See the 3D map of Santa Lucia, Mexico in Google Earth »

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Santa Lucia Range
November 2005 view from summit of Cone Peak, the highest coastal mountain in the lower 48 US states.
Highest point
PeakJunipero Serra Peak
Elevation5,857 ft (1,785 m)
Geography
location of Santa Lucia Range in California[1]
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionMonterey County
San Luis Obispo County
Range coordinates36°3′3.861″N121°28′8.769″W / 36.05107250°N 121.46910250°WCoordinates: 36°3′3.861″N121°28′8.769″W / 36.05107250°N 121.46910250°W
Topo mapUSGS Cone Peak
Santa Lucias in the clouds, near Santa Margarita
Hearst Castle was built atop Cuesta Ridge, the first ridgeline in from the ocean in that part of the Santa Lucia range.
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center was built in the heart of the Santa Lucia range, in Monterey County.

The Santa Lucia Mountains or Santa Lucia Range is a rugged mountain range in coastal central California, running from Carmel southeast for 140 miles (230 km) to the Cuyama River in San Luis Obispo County. The range is never more than 11 miles (18 km) from the coast.[2]:11 The range forms the steepest coastal slope in the contiguous United States.[2]Cone Peak at 5,158 feet (1,572 m) tall and three miles (5 km) from the coast, is the highest peak in proximity to the ocean in the lower 48 United States.[3] The range was a barrier to exploring the coast of central California for early Spanish explorers.

Geography[edit]

The Santa Lucia Mountains are part of the Outer South California Coast Ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges System. The coastal side of the range rises directly from the shoreline, with oceanfront ridges rising directly 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 m) to the crest of the coastal range. The crest of the range is never more than 11 miles (18 km) from the coast.[2]:11 Cone Peak is the steepest coastal elevation in the contiguous United States,[3] rising nearly a mile (1,609 m) above sea level, only three miles (5 km) from the Pacific Ocean.

The range's northern section runs parallel to the southern section of the Diablo Range, part of the Inner South Coast Ranges, which lies to the east across the Salinas Valley. The range's highest summit is Junipero Serra Peak, 1,784 metres (5,853 ft) in Monterey County and the Los Padres National Forest.[4]

Major peaks[edit]

  • Junipero Serra Peak, 5,857 feet (1,785 m).[5]
  • Cone Peak, 5,158 feet (1,572 m).[6]
  • Ventana Double Cone, 4,856 feet (1,480 m).[7]
  • Mount Carmel, 4,420 feet (1,347 m).[8]

History and toponymy[edit]

The first European to document the Santa Lucias was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542 while sailing northward along the coast on a Spanish naval expedition. Cabrillo originally named the southern portion of the range the Sierras de San Martín, as he was passing the area on November 11, the feast day for Saint Martin. He named the northern part Sierras Nevadas because there was snow on it.[9]

The present name for the range was documented in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno, who had been tasked by the Spanish to complete a detailed chart of the coast. Passing by the range around December 14, he named the range Sierra de Santa Lucia in honor of Saint Lucy of Syracuse, for whom many Christians celebrate a feast day on December 13.[9]

The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition, camped on the coast near Ragged Point in present-day San Luis Obispo County on September 13, 1769. The expedition was forced to bypass the inaccessible coast and travel inland through the San Antonio Valley. The rough trail required much improvement by the scouts, and it was September 24 before the party emerged from the mountains at the San Antonio River near today's settlement of Jolon.[10] They traveled north through the Salinas Valley before arriving at Monterey Bay, where they founded Monterey and named it their capital.[11]

Natural history[edit]

Climate[edit]

Like other Pacific Coast Ranges, the mountains' close proximity to the Pacific Ocean cause moisture to be deposited on the west-facing slopes, creating a suitable environment for conifers. This creates a rain shadow over Salinas Valley to the east, which is considerably drier. The higher peaks receive some snowfall during the winter.

The climate is classified as dry summer subtropical, or Mediterranean. Rainfall varies from 16 to 60 inches (41 to 152 cm) throughout the range. Most of the precipitation falls during the winter on the higher mountains in the north. During the summer, fog and low clouds are frequent along the coast up to an elevation of 2–3,000 feet. Surface runoff from rainfall is rapid, and many streams dry up entirely in the summer, except for some perennial streams in the wetter areas in the north.[12]

Flora[edit]

The western slopes of the range facing the Pacific Ocean are moist with healthy forest growth; including coast redwood, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, Pacific madrone and the local endemicsSanta Lucia fir(Abies bracteata) and Gowen cypress(Cupressus goveniana var. goveniana). The east side is drier, with chaparral and open woods of pine (including Coulter pine and gray pine) and oak woodlands of several Quercus species.

These mountains are home to the southernmost native stands of coast redwood trees, since the climate gets drier towards the south. This range is the only known habitat of the Vortriede's spineflower.

Geology[edit]

The rock of the Santa Lucias is dominated by granitic basement of the Salinian Block, between the San Andreas Fault and Sur-Nacimiento Fault. The core of the Salinian block formed as part of the same batholith which forms the core of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Peninsular Ranges of Baja California. It was separated from the North American Plate and transported north by the action of the San Andreas Fault from an original position. It is predominantly Mesozoic granitic and pre-Cretaceousmetamorphic rocks. There is some Cretaceous sedimentary rock of the Great Valley Sequence, considerable Miocene marine sediments, and some other Cenozoic sediments. Units west of the Sur-Nacimiento Fault are dominated by rocks of the Franciscan Assemblage.

Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Map

The basement rocks of the Santa Lucia Range contain Mesozoic Franciscan and Salinian Block rocks.[13] The Franciscan complex is composed of greywacke sandstone and greenstone, with serpentinite bodies and other Ultramafic rocks present. Small areas of marble and limestone lenses form resistant outcrops that are prominent landscape features, often white to light gray in color. The Salinian block is made up of highly fractured, and deeply weathered meta-sediments, especially biotite schist and gneiss, intruded by plutonic (granitic) rocks such as quartz diorite and granodiorite. Both formations have been disrupted and tectonically slivered by motion on the San Andreas and associated fault systems. The Palo Colorado and Church Creek faults are prominent features influencing the linear northwest–southeast alignment of primary drainages.[13]

The Palo Colorado-San Gregorio fault system transitions onshore at Doud Creek, about 7 miles (11 km) south of Point Lobos,[14] exposing the western edge of the Salinian block. Stream canyons frequently follow the north-westerly trending fault lines, rather than descending directly to the coast. The Salinian block is immediately south of the Monterey Submarine Canyon, one of the largest submarine canyon systems in the world, which is believed to have been an ancient outlet for the Colorado River.[14]:14

The region is also traversed by the Sur-Hill fault, which is noticeable at Pfeiffer Falls in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The 40 feet (12 m) waterfall were formed when the stream flowed over the hard gneiss of the Salinian block and encountered the softer Santa Margarita Sandstone. The falls were formed when the softer sandstone was worn away.[15]:325 The interior canyons are typically deep and narrow, and even in the summer sunshine only reaches many of the canyon bottoms for a few hours. The land is mostly steep, rocky, semi-arid except for the narrow canyons, and inaccessible. The Little Sur River canyon is characteristic of the Ventana Wilderness region: steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges separating valleys.[16] At the mouth of the Little Sur river are some of the largest sand dunes on the Big Sur coast.[15]:355

Santa Lucia Highlands Map

About 50 streams flow out of the mountains into the sea. A few of them, including the Big Sur and Little Sur Rivers, Big Creek, Garrapata Creek, and Salmon Creek, are large enough to support anadromous and resident fish.[17]:5

Highlands

Some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the world grows in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, a narrow, 18-mile-long coastal region tucked along the western hills of Monterey's Salinas Valley. Vineyards here are planted on narrow, terraced benches on elevations ranging from 200 to 1,200 feet above sea level. Essential Two-Day Itinerary for the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County. Travelers to Monterey joyfully reminisce about their experience of playful sea otters, graceful sharks, and colossal bluefin tuna while visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, as well as of the luxurious Pebble Beach and the breathtaking vistas along Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel-by-the-Sea, to Big Sur.

: Santa Lucía
geographical location: Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, North America
geographical coordinates: 23° 33' 0' North, 100° 36' 0' West

detailed map of Santa Lucia and near places

Welcome to the Santa Lucia google satellite map! This place is situated in Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, its geographical coordinates are 23° 33' 0' North, 100° 36' 0' West and its original name (with diacritics) is Santa Lucía. See Santa Lucia photos and images from satellite below, explore the aerial photographs of Santa Lucia in Mexico. Santa Lucia hotels map is available on the target page linked above.

Do you like this map? Link to it or recommend it!

Change file extensions in bulk. Register at Santa Lucia or add new placemark for Santa Lucia.
Get your personal map homepage and much more for free.

Santa Lucia hotel reservations

Book hotel in Santa Lucia online and save money

Santa Lucia hotels: low rates, no booking fees, no cancellation fees.

Maplandia.com in partnership with Booking.com offers highly competitive rates for all types of hotels in Santa Lucia, from affordable family hotels to the most luxurious ones. Booking.com, being established in 1996, is longtime Europe's leader in online hotel reservations.

At Maplandia.com you won't be charged any booking fees, cancellation fees, or administration fees – the reservation service is free of charge. The reservation system is secure and your personal information and credit card is encrypted.

We have put together also a carefully selected list of recommended hotels in Santa Lucia, only hotels with the highest level of guest satisfaction are included.

Santa Lucia hotels map

The location of each Santa Lucia hotel listed is shown on the detailed zoomable map. Moreover, Santa Lucia hotel map is available where all hotels in Santa Lucia are marked. You can easily choose your hotel by location.

Santa Lucia hotel reviews

Many photos and unbiased Santa Lucia hotel reviews written by real guests are provided to help you make your booking decision.

Santa Lucia hotel deals

Luxury hotels (including 5 star hotels and 4 star hotels) and cheap Santa Lucia hotels (with best discount rates and up-to-date hotel deals) are both available in separate lists. Always bear in mind that with Maplandia.com and Booking.com the best price is guaranteed!

Hotels nearest to the centre of Santa Lucia

  • Corral del Conde (in Catorce, distanced approximately 33 km)
  • Meson de la Abundancia (in Catorce, distanced approximately 33 km)
  • Meson del Refugio (in Catorce, distanced approximately 33 km)
  • Victoria Inn **** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)
  • Holiday Inn Express Ciudad Victoria ** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)
  • Ramada **** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)
  • Best Western Santorin **** (in Ciudad Victoria, distanced approximately 150 km)

Santa Lucia car rental

Compare Santa Lucia car rental offers of 500+ suppliers

We search over 500 approved car hire suppliers to find you the very best Santa Lucia rental prices available. You can compare offers from leading car hire suppliers like Avis, Europcar, Sixt or Thrifty as well as budget rental deals from Holiday Autos, Budget, Economy, EasyCar, or 121 carhire. Choose Santa Lucia car hire supplier according to your preferences. The booking process is secured and is made as simple as possible. You don't have to browse through several websites and compare prices to find cheap car rental in Santa Lucia — we will do it for you!

Car hire Santa Lucia and neighbourhood

Car rental offices nearest to Santa Lucia the city centre. Compare Santa Lucia car rental offers by various suppliers.

  • San Luis Potosi - Airport car rental (distanced approximately 160 km)
  • Torreon Coahuila car rental (distanced approximately 160 km)
  • Durango car rental (distanced approximately 160 km)
  • Playa Del Carmen - Calica International Pier car rental (distanced approximately 200 km)
  • San Jose Del Cabo - Hotel Melia car rental (distanced approximately 200 km)

Flights from airports close to Santa Lucia

Search and compare flights

Compare prices on flights to and from the closest airports to Santa Lucia. We search through offers of more than 600 airlines and travel agents. When you find a deal you want, we provide link to the airline or travel agent to make your booking directly with them. No middlemen. No added fees. You always get the lowest price.

Airports in Santa Lucia and in the neighbourhood

Airports nearest to Santa Lucia are sorted by the distance to the airport from the city centre. Follow relate airport hotel guides for accommodation booking.

  • San Luis Potosi Airport (distanced approximately 150 km) – airport hotels
  • Ciudad Victoria Airport (distanced approximately 170 km) – airport hotels
  • Ciudad Mante Airport (distanced approximately 190 km) – airport hotels
  • Guadalupe/zacate Airport (distanced approximately 210 km) – airport hotels
  • Saltillo Airport (distanced approximately 220 km) – airport hotels

Santa Lucia 3D map in Google Earth

3D map of Santa Lucia in Mexico

You can also dive right into Santa Lucia on unique 3D satellite map provided by Google Earth. With new GoogLe Earth plugin you can enjoy the interactive Santa Lucia 3D map within your web browser.

See the 3D map of Santa Lucia, Mexico in Google Earth »

Get more out of Santa Lucia map

Add placemark to Santa Lucia

No placemark has been added to this place yet. You can add the first.

users registered in this area

No users is registered to this place. You can be the first.

recommend this page

If you would like to recommend this Santa Lucia map page to a friend, or if you just want to send yourself a reminder, here is the easy way to do it. Simply fill in the e-mail address and name of the person you wish to tell about Maplandia.com, your name and e-mail address (so they can reply to you with gracious thanks), and click the recommend button. The URL of this site will be included automatically. You may also enter an additional message that will be also included in the e-mail.

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Santa Lucia Range
November 2005 view from summit of Cone Peak, the highest coastal mountain in the lower 48 US states.
Highest point
PeakJunipero Serra Peak
Elevation5,857 ft (1,785 m)
Geography
location of Santa Lucia Range in California[1]
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionMonterey County
San Luis Obispo County
Range coordinates36°3′3.861″N121°28′8.769″W / 36.05107250°N 121.46910250°WCoordinates: 36°3′3.861″N121°28′8.769″W / 36.05107250°N 121.46910250°W
Topo mapUSGS Cone Peak
Santa Lucias in the clouds, near Santa Margarita
Hearst Castle was built atop Cuesta Ridge, the first ridgeline in from the ocean in that part of the Santa Lucia range.
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center was built in the heart of the Santa Lucia range, in Monterey County.

The Santa Lucia Mountains or Santa Lucia Range is a rugged mountain range in coastal central California, running from Carmel southeast for 140 miles (230 km) to the Cuyama River in San Luis Obispo County. The range is never more than 11 miles (18 km) from the coast.[2]:11 The range forms the steepest coastal slope in the contiguous United States.[2]Cone Peak at 5,158 feet (1,572 m) tall and three miles (5 km) from the coast, is the highest peak in proximity to the ocean in the lower 48 United States.[3] The range was a barrier to exploring the coast of central California for early Spanish explorers.

Geography[edit]

The Santa Lucia Mountains are part of the Outer South California Coast Ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges System. The coastal side of the range rises directly from the shoreline, with oceanfront ridges rising directly 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 m) to the crest of the coastal range. The crest of the range is never more than 11 miles (18 km) from the coast.[2]:11 Cone Peak is the steepest coastal elevation in the contiguous United States,[3] rising nearly a mile (1,609 m) above sea level, only three miles (5 km) from the Pacific Ocean.

The range's northern section runs parallel to the southern section of the Diablo Range, part of the Inner South Coast Ranges, which lies to the east across the Salinas Valley. The range's highest summit is Junipero Serra Peak, 1,784 metres (5,853 ft) in Monterey County and the Los Padres National Forest.[4]

Major peaks[edit]

  • Junipero Serra Peak, 5,857 feet (1,785 m).[5]
  • Cone Peak, 5,158 feet (1,572 m).[6]
  • Ventana Double Cone, 4,856 feet (1,480 m).[7]
  • Mount Carmel, 4,420 feet (1,347 m).[8]

History and toponymy[edit]

The first European to document the Santa Lucias was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542 while sailing northward along the coast on a Spanish naval expedition. Cabrillo originally named the southern portion of the range the Sierras de San Martín, as he was passing the area on November 11, the feast day for Saint Martin. He named the northern part Sierras Nevadas because there was snow on it.[9]

The present name for the range was documented in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno, who had been tasked by the Spanish to complete a detailed chart of the coast. Passing by the range around December 14, he named the range Sierra de Santa Lucia in honor of Saint Lucy of Syracuse, for whom many Christians celebrate a feast day on December 13.[9]

The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition, camped on the coast near Ragged Point in present-day San Luis Obispo County on September 13, 1769. The expedition was forced to bypass the inaccessible coast and travel inland through the San Antonio Valley. The rough trail required much improvement by the scouts, and it was September 24 before the party emerged from the mountains at the San Antonio River near today's settlement of Jolon.[10] They traveled north through the Salinas Valley before arriving at Monterey Bay, where they founded Monterey and named it their capital.[11]

Natural history[edit]

Climate[edit]

Like other Pacific Coast Ranges, the mountains' close proximity to the Pacific Ocean cause moisture to be deposited on the west-facing slopes, creating a suitable environment for conifers. This creates a rain shadow over Salinas Valley to the east, which is considerably drier. The higher peaks receive some snowfall during the winter.

The climate is classified as dry summer subtropical, or Mediterranean. Rainfall varies from 16 to 60 inches (41 to 152 cm) throughout the range. Most of the precipitation falls during the winter on the higher mountains in the north. During the summer, fog and low clouds are frequent along the coast up to an elevation of 2–3,000 feet. Surface runoff from rainfall is rapid, and many streams dry up entirely in the summer, except for some perennial streams in the wetter areas in the north.[12]

Flora[edit]

The western slopes of the range facing the Pacific Ocean are moist with healthy forest growth; including coast redwood, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, Pacific madrone and the local endemicsSanta Lucia fir(Abies bracteata) and Gowen cypress(Cupressus goveniana var. goveniana). The east side is drier, with chaparral and open woods of pine (including Coulter pine and gray pine) and oak woodlands of several Quercus species.

These mountains are home to the southernmost native stands of coast redwood trees, since the climate gets drier towards the south. This range is the only known habitat of the Vortriede's spineflower.

Geology[edit]

The rock of the Santa Lucias is dominated by granitic basement of the Salinian Block, between the San Andreas Fault and Sur-Nacimiento Fault. The core of the Salinian block formed as part of the same batholith which forms the core of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Peninsular Ranges of Baja California. It was separated from the North American Plate and transported north by the action of the San Andreas Fault from an original position. It is predominantly Mesozoic granitic and pre-Cretaceousmetamorphic rocks. There is some Cretaceous sedimentary rock of the Great Valley Sequence, considerable Miocene marine sediments, and some other Cenozoic sediments. Units west of the Sur-Nacimiento Fault are dominated by rocks of the Franciscan Assemblage.

Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Map

The basement rocks of the Santa Lucia Range contain Mesozoic Franciscan and Salinian Block rocks.[13] The Franciscan complex is composed of greywacke sandstone and greenstone, with serpentinite bodies and other Ultramafic rocks present. Small areas of marble and limestone lenses form resistant outcrops that are prominent landscape features, often white to light gray in color. The Salinian block is made up of highly fractured, and deeply weathered meta-sediments, especially biotite schist and gneiss, intruded by plutonic (granitic) rocks such as quartz diorite and granodiorite. Both formations have been disrupted and tectonically slivered by motion on the San Andreas and associated fault systems. The Palo Colorado and Church Creek faults are prominent features influencing the linear northwest–southeast alignment of primary drainages.[13]

The Palo Colorado-San Gregorio fault system transitions onshore at Doud Creek, about 7 miles (11 km) south of Point Lobos,[14] exposing the western edge of the Salinian block. Stream canyons frequently follow the north-westerly trending fault lines, rather than descending directly to the coast. The Salinian block is immediately south of the Monterey Submarine Canyon, one of the largest submarine canyon systems in the world, which is believed to have been an ancient outlet for the Colorado River.[14]:14

The region is also traversed by the Sur-Hill fault, which is noticeable at Pfeiffer Falls in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The 40 feet (12 m) waterfall were formed when the stream flowed over the hard gneiss of the Salinian block and encountered the softer Santa Margarita Sandstone. The falls were formed when the softer sandstone was worn away.[15]:325 The interior canyons are typically deep and narrow, and even in the summer sunshine only reaches many of the canyon bottoms for a few hours. The land is mostly steep, rocky, semi-arid except for the narrow canyons, and inaccessible. The Little Sur River canyon is characteristic of the Ventana Wilderness region: steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges separating valleys.[16] At the mouth of the Little Sur river are some of the largest sand dunes on the Big Sur coast.[15]:355

About 50 streams flow out of the mountains into the sea. A few of them, including the Big Sur and Little Sur Rivers, Big Creek, Garrapata Creek, and Salmon Creek, are large enough to support anadromous and resident fish.[17]:5

Transportation[edit]

California State Route 1 runs along the Big Sur coast on the coastal slopes of the range, while U.S. Route 101 lies in the Salinas Valley to the East. The only road across the Santa Lucia Range is Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, connecting Lucia to Jolon.[18]

Contemporary history[edit]

Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 crashed in the mountains near Cayucos on December 7, 1987 after a gunman killed both pilots, causing the aircraft to crash. A total of 43 people were killed with no survivors.

Wine[edit]

The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, an American Viticultural Area and producer of California wine, is located on the southeastern slopes of the mountains, above the Salinas valley.[19]

Winds[edit]

Like well known cousin Santa Ana winds or Sundowner of Santa Barbara, Santa Lucia's Cuesta Grade on Highway 101 has potential to produce some powerful katabatic winds, in 3 hours temperatures have been recorded to jump 40 degrees F towards 110 F.

Santa Lucia Highlands California Map

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Santa Lucia Highlands Ava Map

  1. ^'Santa Lucia Range'. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  2. ^ abcBig Sur: Images of America, Jeff Norman, Big Sur Historical Society, Arcadia Publishing (2004), 128 pages, ISBN0-7385-2913-3
  3. ^ abMcKinney, John (1996), Walking California's Central Coast: A Day Hiker's Guide, HarperSanFrancisco, p. 128, ISBN9780062586360, Steepest coastal slope in the continental United States.
  4. ^'Junipero Serra Peak'. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  5. ^'Santa Lucia'. NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Retrieved 2014-03-04.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. ^'Cone Peak, California'. Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  7. ^'Ventana Double Cone, California'. Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  8. ^'Mount Carmel, California'. Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  9. ^ abGudde, Erwin G. (1949). California Place Names. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. p. 316. ASINB000FMOPP4.
  10. ^Bolton, Herbert E. (1927). Fray Juan Crespi: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774. HathiTrust Digital Library. pp. 190–194. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  11. ^Bolton, Herbert E. (1927). Fray Juan Crespi: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769–1774. HathiTrust Digital Library. (This book also contains a translation of Crespi's diary from the Fages 1772 expedition.)
  12. ^'Santa Lucia Range ecological subregion information'. U.S Forest Service. Archived from the original on 2005-03-15. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  13. ^ ab'DRAFT SOBERANES 2 BURNED AREA REPORT FS-2500-8'. USDA-FOREST SERVICE. October 20, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  14. ^ abLeech, Mary (April 21–22, 2006). 'Geology of the California Central Coast'(PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  15. ^ abHenson, Paul; Donald J. Usner (1993). 'The Natural History of Big Sur'(PDF). University Of California Press. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 17, 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  16. ^'Pico Blanco Scout Reservation'(PDF). Monterey Bay Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. Archived(PDF) from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  17. ^'Big Sur Coast Land Use Plan'. Big Sur LCP. Monterey County Planning Department. 2015-04-04. Archived from the original on 2017-12-30. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  18. ^Bisbort, Alan; Puterbaugh, Parke (2009), Moon California Beaches: The Best Places to Swim, Play, Eat, and Stay (4th ed.), Avalon Travel, p. 305, ISBN978-1-56691-614-1; Schulte-Peevers, Andrea (2003), California (3rd ed.), Lonely Planet, p. 665, ISBN978-1-86450-331-9.
  19. ^Fish, Tim (November 2, 2011), 'Navigating the Santa Lucia Highlands: California's mountainous Central Coast region is known for its distinctive Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays', Wine Spectator

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Santa Lucia Mountains (California).
  • Los Padres National Forest — official Monterey Ranger District website — recreation maps, locations, and info.
  • Ventana Wilderness Alliance — dedicated to the protection, preservation, enhancement, and restoration of the wilderness qualities and biodiversity of the public lands within California's northern Santa Lucia Mountains.
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