Santa Cruz Mountains
| Santa Cruz Mountains | |
|---|---|
Skyline Blvd runs through the Santa Cruz Mountains, here in Portola Valley.
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Loma Prieta Peak |
| Elevation | 3,786 ft (1,154 m) |
| Coordinates | 37°6′N 121°50′W / 37.100°N 121.833°W |
| Geography | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Range coordinates | 37°06′39″N 121°50′41″W / 37.1108°N 121.8447°WCoordinates: 37°06′39″N 121°50′41″W / 37.1108°N 121.8447°W |
| Parent range | Pacific Coast Ranges |
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central and northern California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south to the central coast, bordering Monterey Bay and ending at the Salinas Valley. The range passes through San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, with the Pajaro River forming the southern boundary.
The northernmost portion of the Santa Cruz Mountains is known as Montara Mountain, north of Half Moon Bay Road (California State Route 92); the middle portion is known as the Sierra Morena, which includes a summit called Sierra Morena, and extends south to a gap at Lexington Reservoir; south of the gap the mountain range is known as the Sierra Azul.
The highest point in the range is Loma Prieta Peak 3,786 feet (1,154 m), near which is the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Other major peaks include Mount Umunhum 3,486 feet (1,063 m), Mount Bielawski 3,231 feet (985 m), El Sombroso 2,999 feet (914 m), Eagle Rock 2,488 feet (758 m), Black Mountain 2,800 feet (850 m), and Sierra Morena 2,417 feet (737 m). The San Andreas Fault runs along or near the ridge line throughout the range. The east side of the mountains drops abruptly towards this fault line especially near Woodside and Saratoga.
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Wikipedia