San Felipe Valley, California facts for kids
The San Felipe Valley is a beautiful valley located in the eastern part of San Diego County, California. It's a special place because it's an "inland valley," meaning it's away from the coast, nestled within the Peninsular Ranges mountains. A big part of this valley is protected as the San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area, which helps keep its nature safe.
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Geography of San Felipe Valley
The San Felipe Valley is surrounded by mountains. On its eastern side, you'll find the San Felipe Hills. To the west, the Volcan Mountains stand tall.
This valley starts near a place called Earthquake Valley and stretches northward. It's located northeast of Anza Borrego Desert State Park, which is a famous desert area, and east of the historic town of Julian.
Two important roads go through the San Felipe Valley: California State Route 78, which runs east and west, and County Road S-2, which goes north and south.
The San Felipe Fire
On May 23, 2013, a fire called the San Felipe Fire happened here. It started when the CALFIRE was doing a "controlled burn." This is when firefighters carefully set small fires to remove dry plants and prevent bigger, uncontrolled wildfires. However, this particular controlled burn got out of hand and became a larger fire.
History of San Felipe Valley
The San Felipe Valley has a long and interesting history.
Early People and Roads
Long ago, Native American people lived in the San Felipe Valley. In the 1800s, there was a village site near a place called Scissors Crossing. In 1828, a land route opened up, connecting Sonora, Mexico with Alta California (which is now California). This route, known as the Sonora Road, went through the valley and up to Warner's Pass on its way to Los Angeles.
Rancho Valle de San Felipe
In 1846, a large piece of land covering much of the valley was given as a "rancho" (a large ranch) to Felipe Castillo by Governor Pío Pico. This rancho was called Rancho Valle de San Felipe.
Gold Rush and Stagecoaches
The Sonora Road later became a very important path for travelers. After the Gold Rush started in 1849, many people, called "Forty-niners," used this route to get to California. It was also used by other immigrants moving to the state. This path became known as the Southern Immigrant Trail.
From 1857, stagecoaches used this route as a place to stop for water and rest. First, the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line used it, and then, starting in 1858, the famous Butterfield Overland Mail used it. The Overland Mail had a major stop called San Felipe Station in the valley. This station was very important; it was the main office for the Mail Agent who managed twelve other stagecoach stops between Warner's Ranch and Fort Yuma.
Civil War Outpost
During the American Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, the stage station was empty for a while. The Union Army then used it as a military outpost, calling it Camp San Filipe. It served as a rest stop for soldiers traveling between California and Fort Yuma, and on to the Arizona and New Mexico Territories.
After the war ended, other stagecoach lines used the station from 1867 to 1877. However, when the railroad reached Fort Yuma, stagecoach travel became less common, and the route was no longer needed.
San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area
The San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area is a special place that protects most of the valley's natural environment. It's a "nature preserve," which means it's set aside to protect plants, animals, and their habitats.
The main parts of this preserve used to be two large ranches: the Rutherford Volcan Mountain Ranch (in the northern part, about 6,690 acres) and the Rancho de Valle San Felipe (in the southern part, about 7,485 acres).
Next to the Wildlife Area are other protected lands. To the west, you'll find the Volcan Mountains Wilderness Preserve Park. To the northwest, there's the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel Reservation. These areas all work together to protect the beautiful nature of the region.
