Cleveland National Forest
| Cleveland National Forest | |
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IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
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 Cleveland National Forest from Laguna Mountain |
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| Location | San Diego / Riverside / Orange counties, California, USA |
| Nearest city | Ramona, California |
| Coordinates | 33°18′00″N 116°48′00″W / 33.3°N 116.8°WCoordinates: 33°18′00″N 116°48′00″W / 33.3°N 116.8°W |
| Area | 720 square miles (1,900 km2) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
Cleveland National Forest encompasses 460,000 acres (720 sq mi (1,900 km2)), mostly of chaparral, with a few riparian areas. A warm dry mediterranean climate prevails over the Forest. It is the southernmost National forest of California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a government agency within the United States Department of Agriculture. It is divided into the Descanso, Palomar and Trabuco Ranger Districts and is located in the counties of San Diego, Riverside, and Orange.
Cleveland National Forest was created on July 1, 1908 with the consolidation of Trabuco Canyon National Reserve and San Jacinto National Reserve by President Theodore Roosevelt and named after former president Grover Cleveland. The Cleveland National Forest was the site of both of the largest wildfires in California history, the 2003 Cedar Fire, and the Santiago Fire (2007). Both fires widely consumed many sections of the area, and endangered many animal species as well.
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[edit] Districts
- Trabuco Ranger District (generally the northern area)
- Consists most of the Santa Ana Mountains and is bisected by the Ortega Highway, which runs from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore.
- Palomar Ranger District (near the cities of Escondido and Ramona)
- Includes the "Highway to the Stars" from State Route 76 to the top of Palomar Mountain.
- Descanso Ranger District (east of the city of El Cajon)
- Includes Sunrise Highway, a National Scenic Byway.
[edit] Use restrictions
A National Forest Adventure Pass is required for parking in the Cleveland National Forest as well as other National Forests in Southern California, and may be obtained from local merchants, visitor centers, or online.
Available on the Cleveland National Forest Official Site under Current Conditions are road, campground, picnic area, and trail closures.
"Law Enforcement Activities" are a common reason given for closures in the southern portion of the park. These closures are implemented to limit back road access in hopes of circumnavigating US Border Patrol checkpoints. Bear Valley Road coming up from Buckman Springs, Kitchen Creek Road and Thing Valley Road are among routes that are routinely restricted.[1]
[edit] Activities
Popular activities include picnic areas, hiking through the mountains on foot, exploring on horseback, camping overnight or driving on the Sunrise Scenic Highway. The Forest also includes Corral Canyon and Wildomar Off-Highway Vehicle Areas.
Besides climbers and wildlife advocates, the Forest Service must juggle demands from telecommunications companies, hunters, campers, utilities, off-road-vehicle enthusiasts, hikers, horse riders, neighbors and others. About 10 million people live within an hour’s drive of the three districts that make up the Cleveland National Forest.[2]
[edit] Camping
- Campgrounds
The Cleveland National Forest has campgrounds available on the Descanso, Palomar, and Trabuco Ranger District. Sites normally serve 6-8 persons and 2 vehicles. Some campsites are first come first serve while others require reservations. More information located on Cleveland National Forest Official Site under Recreational Activities.
- Group camping
Group campgrounds are located on all of their districts. Group campgrounds occupy larger groups of people ranging from 30 people to 100 people. They can be reserved by calling 1-877-444-6777 or online at Recreation.com. There is a 14 day limit.
- Remote camping
The Cleveland National Forest welcomes remote camping. By obtaining a visitor's permit (acccesible on Cleveland National Forest Official Site under Passes & Permits), you can camp outside the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area and outside developed campgrounds on the National Forest land.
[edit] Observatories
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland/conditions/
- ^ Lee, M. (2008, June 29). Forest Marks 100 Years. San Diego Union-Tribune , pp. 1-4.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cleveland National Forest |
- Cleveland National Forest Official Site
- In-depth article by the San Diego Historical Society
- Southern California Trails at Local Hikes
- The Nature Conservancy: Santa Ana Mountains
- Santa Ana Mountains Wild Heritage Project
- Center For Biological Diversity
- Santa Ana Mountains Natural History Association
