WHERE IS THE PROPOSED MUTT KUPSHUW – ‘ÉEXIL KWÁAVICHUSH NATIONAL MONUMENT
The Mutt Kupshuw – ‘Éexil Kwáavichush National Monument is proposed for 480,000 acres of mountains and desert in eastern San Diego County, southern Riverside County, and southwestern Imperial County on six separate areas of the Cleveland National Forest and lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Palomar Mountain is a scenic recreation destination on the Cleveland National Forest in northern San Diego County and southern Riverside County. The proposed National Monument includes Palomar Mountain north of Highway 76 as well as Black Mountain and portions of the San Dieguito River Park south of Highway 76. Visitors to Palomar Mountain enjoy wildflower meadows, forests of cedar and oak trees, shady streams, and stunning ocean and mountain views. The area is popular among hikers and draws large numbers of visitors for seasonal snow play. The Palomar Mountain area includes the ancestral territories of the Cahuilla, Cupeño, and Luiseño people and borders the La Jolla, Mesa Grande, Pauma & Yuima, and Pechanga reservations.
The Beauty Mountain area is a subtly beautiful range of mountains on the Cleveland National Forest and on BLM land near the border of Riverside and San Diego counties. The area is popular for horseback riding, hunting, hiking, and camping. Beauty Mountain also provides a significant wildlife corridor between Palomar Mountain and other conserved lands in western San Diego County, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument in Riverside County. The Beauty Mountain area includes the ancestral territories of the Cahuilla, Cupeño, and Luiseño people and borders the Los Coyotes Reservation.
The Desert Vistas area is located on BLM land in the San Ysidro Mountains, San Felipe Hills, and on Volcan and Chariot mountains. This area provides important ecological connectivity with conserved lands in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cleveland National Forest, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, San Felipe Wildlife Area, San Dieguito River Park, and Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve. The Desert Vistas area is the ancestral territory of the Cahuilla, Cupeño, and Kumeyaay people and borders the Los Coyotes Reservation.
The Upper San Diego River area includes the stunning San Diego River Gorge and remote western slopes of the Cuyamaca Mountains on the Cleveland National Forest. The area is popular with hikers and hunters and includes three of San Diego County’s most popular hiking trails to Cedar Creek Falls, Eagle Peak, and Three Sisters Falls. Streamside forests of oak and cottonwood trees line the San Diego River and ecologically important tributaries are home to special animals like the Arroyo toad, California newt, and Western pond turtle. Cliffs in the area provide essential nesting habitat for Golden eagles. The Upper San Diego River area is the ancestral territory of the Kumeyaay people and borders the Barona, Capitan Grande, Inaja-Cosmit, and Viejas reservations.
The Laguna Mountains area is located on the Cleveland National Forest and nearby BLM land bordering Anza-Borrego Desert and Cuyamaca Rancho state parks. This is one of the most popular local outdoor recreation destinations in San Diego County for camping, hiking, hunting, mountain biking, horseback riding, snow play, and stargazing. The area provides habitat for mountain lions, bighorn sheep, bobcats, foxes, deer, and Golden eagles. Visitors enjoy trails through the Laguna Meadows and to Monument Peak and views of the desert from 4,000 ft cliffs along the Pacific Crest Trail and Sunrise Highway. The Laguna Mountains are in the traditional territory of the Kumeyaay people and border the Ewiiaapaayp, La Posta, and Manzanita reservations.
The Las Californias area encompasses a special chaparral and desert landscape on the Cleveland National Forest and nearby BLM lands in southeastern San Diego County and southwestern Imperial County near the communities of Boulevard, Campo, and Jacumba Hot Springs. Off-roading, hiking, camping, horseback riding, and hunting are popular here. And the area provides a significant wildlife corridor with the last connection for bighorn sheep and mountain lions between the United States and Baja California, Mexico. The Las Californias area is the ancestral territory of the Kumeyaay people and borders the Campo and La Posta reservations.