In-Ko-Pah Mountains
Encyclopedia
The In-Ko-Pah Mountains are one of the Peninsular Ranges
located near the U.S.
border with Mexico
in southern California
, west of the Jacumba Mountains
. The range is approximately 12 miles long. Mt. Tule, at 4,647 feet, and Sombrero Peak, at 4,229 feet above sea level, are the tallest mountains in the chain. The range, which lies in a north-south direction, is located just north of Interstate 8
, and east of the Manzanita Indian Reservation.
The mountains consist of faulted granitic intrusive bedrock, weathered into dramatic piles of residual boulders. The local granodiorite
is naturally a very light color, weathering over centuries into a reddish-orange desert varnish
. Visitors can view these landforms while driving Interstate 8 through Devil's Canyon[gorge]. Remnants of Highway 80
, the first North American transcontinental highway, can be seen on either side.
The boulders can be examined closer at the Desert View Tower, a privately-owned park which includes a boulder park and a number of massive Depression-era sculptures carved from local rock.
Camping among the rocks is available in the McCain Valley Recreational Area, located near Boulevard off Highway 80.
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
located near the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, west of the Jacumba Mountains
Jacumba Mountains
The Jacumba Mountains are located in southern California near the U.S. border with Mexico. The mountains lie in a northwest-southeasterly direction east of the In-Ko-Pah Mountains, and north of Interstate 8. The range is approximately long, and the mountains are located about four miles northeast...
. The range is approximately 12 miles long. Mt. Tule, at 4,647 feet, and Sombrero Peak, at 4,229 feet above sea level, are the tallest mountains in the chain. The range, which lies in a north-south direction, is located just north of Interstate 8
Interstate 8
Interstate 8 is an Interstate Highway in the southwestern United States. It runs from the southern edge of Mission Bay at Sunset Cliffs Blvd, in San Diego, California, almost at the Pacific Ocean, to the junction with Interstate 10, just southeast of Casa Grande, Arizona...
, and east of the Manzanita Indian Reservation.
The mountains consist of faulted granitic intrusive bedrock, weathered into dramatic piles of residual boulders. The local granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
is naturally a very light color, weathering over centuries into a reddish-orange desert varnish
Desert varnish
Desert varnish, or rock varnish is a orange-yellow to black coating found on exposed rock surfaces in arid environments. Desert varnish is usually around one micron thick and present nanometre-scale layering...
. Visitors can view these landforms while driving Interstate 8 through Devil's Canyon[gorge]. Remnants of Highway 80
U.S. Route 80
U.S. Route 80 is an east–west United States highway, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the route number indicates, it was originally a cross-country route, from the Atlantic to the Pacific...
, the first North American transcontinental highway, can be seen on either side.
The boulders can be examined closer at the Desert View Tower, a privately-owned park which includes a boulder park and a number of massive Depression-era sculptures carved from local rock.
Camping among the rocks is available in the McCain Valley Recreational Area, located near Boulevard off Highway 80.