San Rafael Hills

Mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in California, United States

For the mountains in Santa Barbara County, see San Rafael Mountains.

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San Rafael Hills

San Rafael Hills

location of San Rafael Hills in California[1]

Highest point
Elevation| 1,890 ft (580 m)
Geography
Country| United States
State| California
County| Los Angeles County
Municipality| San Marino and South Pasadena
Range coordinates| 34°10′47.022″N 118°12′38.265″W﻿ / ﻿34.17972833°N 118.21062917°W﻿ / 34.17972833; -118.21062917
Parent range| Transverse Ranges
Topo map| USGS Pasadena

The San Rafael Hills are a mountain range in Los Angeles County, California.[1] They are one of the lower Transverse Ranges, and are parallel to and below the San Gabriel Mountains, adjacent to the San Gabriel Valley overlooking the Los Angeles Basin.

## Geography

[edit]

To the west, the Verdugo Wash separates the San Rafael Hills from the Verdugo Mountains, and to the east, the Arroyo Seco separates them from the San Gabriel Valley and the Repetto Hills. At their southwestern margin, the Glendale Narrows section of the Los Angeles River separates them from the eastern tip of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The San Rafael Hills contain all or parts of the communities of City Terrace, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, El Sereno, Monterey Hills, Montecito Heights, Cypress Park, Mount Washington, Glassell Park and foothills surrounding Eagle Rock, east of the Glendale Freeway including Rancho San Rafael and Chevy Chase Canyon in Glendale. They define the valley area of Pasadena and San Marino, and retain a large aquifer on the hills' north side, from the San Gabriel Valley.

## History

[edit]

They were the homeland, with settlements, of the Tongva Native American people for over 8,000 years before the Spanish invasion and colonization of the late 18th century. They are named after the Rancho San Rafael, a 1784 Spanish land grant beyond the hills to the west.

## Landmarks

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The hillside campus of Art Center College of Design, a Pasadena historic resource, is located in the San Rafael Hills.

Ernest E. Debs Regional Park is a large nature preserve and regional park in the western section of the hills, with walking and bicycle trails.

Descanso Gardens, a botanical garden in La Cañada Flintridge, California is located on the northern edge of the hills.

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, a private all-girls Catholic high school, sits atop the crest of the San Rafael Hills.

## See also

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* Verdugo Mountains
* Chino Hills
* Puente Hills
* San Gabriel Mountains
* Casa Adobe De San Rafael

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "San Rafael Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2009-05-04.