Puente Hills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puente Hills |
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View of the San Gabriel Mountains from the Puente Hills
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Workman Hill |
| Elevation | 424 m (1,391 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Location in California
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| District | Los Angeles County |
| Range coordinates | 33°59′59.044″N 117°55′3.226″W / 33.99973444°N 117.91756278°W |
| Topo map | USGS La Habra |
The Puente Hills are a group of hills in eastern Los Angeles County, California, in the United States. They are part of the larger Transverse Ranges system. The western part of these hills is often called the Whittier Hills by people living nearby.
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Geography: Where are the Puente Hills?
The Puente Hills are located south of the San Gabriel Valley and the Pomona Freeway (State Route 60). To their east, you'll find the cities of Diamond Bar and Chino Hills. The San Gabriel River Freeway (Interstate 605) is to their west. To the north are cities like Industry, Hacienda Heights, and Rowland Heights. South of the hills are Whittier, La Habra Heights, and Brea. The Brea-Olinda Oil Field, where oil has been found since 1880, is in the southern part of the hills near Brea.
Flora: Plants of the Puente Hills
The Puente Hills are part of a special natural area called the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion. This means the plants here are unique to California. You can find native California plants like chaparral and oak trees. There are also areas with native California grasses. A detailed study of the plants in the Whittier Hills was done in 2001.
Landmarks: Places to See
Many important places are found around the Puente Hills. Rio Hondo College is at the western edge of the hills. The Puente Hills Landfill, which used to be the country's largest landfill, is also nearby. Rose Hills Memorial Park covers parts of the northern area. The highest point in the western hills is Workman Hill, named after the Workman family who were pioneers in the area. The Puente Hills Mall is located north of the hills. Also, Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, which is one of the biggest Buddhist temples in the western part of the world, is located in the hills.
Parks: Exploring Nature
The Puente Hills offer several parks where you can enjoy nature and outdoor activities.
Puente Hills Native Habitat Preserve
This preserve protects the natural open spaces in the Puente Hills. It helps keep the different kinds of plants and animals safe. The preserve also offers chances for outdoor learning and gentle activities like hiking. You can even join scheduled hikes to explore the area.
Hellman Wilderness Park
Hellman Wilderness Park is in the western part of the Puente Hills, also known as the "Whittier Hills." It has trails that go through native coastal sage scrub areas. From these trails, you can see amazing views of the Los Angeles Basin. You can start your hike from trailheads in Whittier.
Schabarum Regional Park
Part of Schabarum Regional Park is in the eastern Puente Hills, in Rowland Heights. This park has trails for horseback riding and hiking in the hills.
Oil Drilling: A Look at the Past
There's a long history of finding and taking out oil in the Puente Hills. In 1897, oil was first found in a big way, leading to the creation of the Whittier Oil Field. By 1903, about 100 oil wells were working, and by 1924, there were 163 wells. Many companies drilled for oil here in the early 1900s. Oil drilling started to slow down in the Puente Hills in the 1940s.
History and Legends: Interesting Facts
The Puente Hills have a fascinating past with some unique events and stories.
- In the early 1930s, people tried an experiment using high-voltage electricity to try and make rain, but it didn't work.
- On April 16, 1952, a Robin Airlines passenger plane crashed in the Puente Hills. All 29 people on board died.
- In the 1953 movie The War of the Worlds, based on H. G. Wells' book, the Puente Hills were shown as the place where the first alien spacecraft landed. It was also where people tried to use a nuclear bomb against the aliens.
- From the 1950s to the late 1960s, the Puente Hills were home to Nike anti-aircraft missiles. These missiles were used to defend against enemy planes.
- In the famous 1985 movie Back to the Future, Doc Brown shows off the time-traveling Delorean car in the parking lot of the Puente Hills Mall.
- The 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake in October 1987 showed that there was a previously unknown fault line under the Puente Hills area.
- The Puente Hills were also the location of one of the largest landfills in the U.S. before it closed in 2013.
Nearby Hills and Mountains
