Snow covered Mt. San Gorgonio, at 11,503', is the tallest mountain in
Southern California. Spanish missionaries in the area during the early 17th century
named the peak after Saint Gorgonius.
In contrast to its spectacular but lower neighbor, San Jacinto Peak, San Gorgonio
is not particularly craggy, and from a distance, it only appears to be an extremely
high hill, earning it the name of greyback. Despite not being particularly striking
in appearance during the summer, it is the only mountain in Southern California with
a summit a significant distance above the tree line. As such its bright white winter
snow cap, unobstructed by vegetation, makes the mountain noticeable from many miles away.
The mountain hosts the longest recorded line of sight in the contiguous United States;
it is plainly visible from the summit of Mount Whitney, 190 miles away.