San Joaquin Hills
| San Joaquin Hills | |
|---|---|
State Route 73 climbs into the San Joaquin Hills, as seen looking southward from University Hills, Irvine
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Temple Hill (California) |
| Elevation | 1,050 ft (320 m) |
| Geography | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Peninsular Ranges |
| District | Orange County |
| Range coordinates | 33°36′42″N 117°48′33″W / 33.6117°N 117.8092°WCoordinates: 33°36′42″N 117°48′33″W / 33.6117°N 117.8092°W |
| Borders on | Santa Ana Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Laguna Beach |
The San Joaquin Hills are a low mountain range of the Peninsular Ranges System, located in coastal Orange County, California.
They extend in a northwest-southeast direction, starting in the northwest in Newport Beach at the southern edge of the Los Angeles Basin, and extending southeast to San Juan Capistrano.
Named summits in the San Joaquin Hills include (from north to south) French Hill in Turtle Rock, Irvine; Signal Peak and Pelican Hill, both of which are near the Newport Coast neighborhood of Newport Beach; Temple Hill in Laguna Beach, more commonly known as "Top of the World" after the neighborhood situated on its peak; and Niguel Hill in Laguna Niguel.
A fault line, the San Joaquin Hills blind thrust, lies eight miles below the hills. Scientists have suggested that the San Joaquin Hills have been formed by uplift from this fault.
The main ridge of the San Joaquin Hills runs southeast from the Upper Newport Bay area, attaining its maximum height of roughly 1,000 feet (300 m) near Laguna Beach. Many of the high ridges exceed 600 to 800 feet (180 to 240 m) in height. The hills stretch over a distance of about 16 miles (26 km) and can be up to 3 to 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 km) broad. In many places, the San Joaquin Hills drop directly into the Pacific Ocean, creating the steep sea cliffs that characterize the region. Streams that originate on the west slope of the range include Buck Gully, Los Trancos Creek, Muddy Creek, El Moro Creek, Emerald Creek, Prima Deshecha Cañada, Segunda Deshecha Cañada, and Christianitos Canyon. The east side is drained by Bonita Creek, Sand Canyon Wash, San Joaquin Wash, and La Cañada Wash. Cities bordering the range include Newport Beach, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente.
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Wikipedia