San Gorgonio River facts for kids
The San Gorgonio River is a river in Southern California. It flows for about 26.8-mile (43.1 km) (that's about 43 kilometers!). Most of its journey is in Riverside County. A small part of the river starts in San Bernardino County.
Where the River Starts and Flows
The San Gorgonio River begins high up in the San Bernardino Mountains. This starting point is called its headwaters. It's found southwest of San Gorgonio Mountain and near Galena Peak. This area is part of the beautiful Sand to Snow National Monument.
The river's exact starting spot is at coordinates 34°02′28″N 116°51′06″W / 34.04111°N 116.85167°W. Here, two smaller streams, Burnt Canyon and Sawmill Canyon, join together. This happens at a high elevation of about 5,600 feet (1,700 meters).
The River's Path
From its mountain source, the river first flows southwest through a place called Banning Canyon. Then, it turns southeast and goes through the town of Banning, California.
After Banning, the river heads east. It eventually meets another river, the Whitewater River. This meeting point is called a confluence. It happens in the western part of the Coachella Valley.
The confluence is located at 33°54′12″N 116°37′41″W / 33.90333°N 116.62806°W. Here, the river is at a lower elevation of about 1,096 feet (334 meters). The San Gorgonio River helps drain the land to the east of the San Gorgonio Pass. Another river, the South Fork of the Santa Ana River, drains the land to the west.
Is the River Always Flowing?
The San Gorgonio River is what we call an intermittent river. This means it doesn't always have water flowing in it all year long. You'll mostly see significant water flow after big winter storms. It also flows well when snow from the mountains melts in the spring.
