San Pasqual Valley, San Diego facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San Pasqual Valley
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| San Pasqual Valley | |
 San Pasqual Valley
Location in San Diego County, California
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  San Diego |
| City |  San Diego |
San Pasqual Valley is a community in the northern part of San Diego, California. Its name, originally spelled San Pascual, comes from Spanish and means "Saint Paschal". The valley is named after a Kumeyaay village that used to be there.
The valley is surrounded by different areas: Escondido to the north, San Diego County's undeveloped land to the east and west, and Poway and Rancho Bernardo to the south. A famous place in the valley is the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
State Highway 78 goes through the valley, connecting Escondido and Ramona. The valley is also part of the Santa Ysabel Creek watershed, which flows into the San Dieguito River.
Contents
History of San Pasqual Valley
For many centuries before Europeans arrived, the Kumeyaay people lived in the San Pasqual Valley. After the Mexican government closed the missions in 1833, the Kumeyaay returned to the valley. They established the village of San Pasqual on November 16, 1835. This village had to defend itself from attacks by the Quechan (or Yuman) people in the mid-1800s.
A wagon road that connected Warner's Ranch to San Diego passed through the San Pasqual Valley. In 1846, during the Mexican–American War, this road became the site of the Battle of San Pasqual. This important battle happened near the Kumeyaay village. On December 6 and 7, 1846, a group of Californios (Californians of Spanish or Mexican descent) led by General Don Andrés Pico fought against 140 U.S. Army troops. The U.S. troops were led by Stephen W. Kearny and were on their way from Warner's Ranch to San Diego. This road later became a key route into San Diego County from the Southern Emigrant Trail.
From 1857 to 1860, this same wagon road was part of the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line. This was a 125-mile stagecoach route. The San Pasqual village served as a stop on this route. It was about 28 miles from Santa Ysabel and 16 miles from Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos.
Sadly, in 1878, the Kumeyaay people of San Pasqual were forced off their land and out of their homes by San Diego County officials. They are now known as the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians.
In 1972, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park opened in the valley. It was first called the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
Climate in San Pasqual Valley
The San Pasqual Valley has a mix of a semi-arid climate and a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The temperature changes a lot between day and night throughout the year. The difference is usually around 30 °F (17 °C) every month.
Winter nights in San Pasqual Valley are much colder than in other parts of San Diego. Temperatures often drop well below freezing during most winters.
| Climate data for San Pasqual Valley, California (San Pasqual Animal Park) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1979–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 95 (35) |
96 (36) |
100 (38) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
110 (43) |
114 (46) |
112 (44) |
111 (44) |
105 (41) |
100 (38) |
92 (33) |
114 (46) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 86.0 (30.0) |
85.9 (29.9) |
87.5 (30.8) |
92.1 (33.4) |
93.3 (34.1) |
96.4 (35.8) |
100.4 (38.0) |
102.8 (39.3) |
103.7 (39.8) |
98.6 (37.0) |
91.1 (32.8) |
83.7 (28.7) |
106.8 (41.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 72.5 (22.5) |
72.3 (22.4) |
74.5 (23.6) |
77.3 (25.2) |
79.2 (26.2) |
84.4 (29.1) |
89.7 (32.1) |
92.8 (33.8) |
91.1 (32.8) |
83.9 (28.8) |
78.0 (25.6) |
71.2 (21.8) |
80.6 (27.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 56.0 (13.3) |
57.2 (14.0) |
59.7 (15.4) |
62.9 (17.2) |
66.1 (18.9) |
70.3 (21.3) |
74.6 (23.7) |
76.5 (24.7) |
74.4 (23.6) |
67.6 (19.8) |
60.8 (16.0) |
54.4 (12.4) |
65.0 (18.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39.4 (4.1) |
42.0 (5.6) |
44.9 (7.2) |
48.5 (9.2) |
52.9 (11.6) |
56.3 (13.5) |
59.5 (15.3) |
60.3 (15.7) |
57.7 (14.3) |
51.3 (10.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
37.6 (3.1) |
49.5 (9.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 28.7 (−1.8) |
33.1 (0.6) |
35.3 (1.8) |
38.1 (3.4) |
43.7 (6.5) |
47.8 (8.8) |
51.1 (10.6) |
52.3 (11.3) |
48.3 (9.1) |
39.9 (4.4) |
32.5 (0.3) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 21 (−6) |
25 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
39 (4) |
41 (5) |
38 (3) |
46 (8) |
39 (4) |
35 (2) |
26 (−3) |
20 (−7) |
20 (−7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.69 (68) |
2.99 (76) |
1.96 (50) |
0.91 (23) |
0.42 (11) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.26 (6.6) |
0.03 (0.76) |
0.14 (3.6) |
0.54 (14) |
1.21 (31) |
1.90 (48) |
13.11 (333) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.1 | 8.1 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 6.1 | 41.0 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Fun Places to Visit in San Pasqual Valley
A large part of the valley is protected as the San Pasqual Valley Agricultural Preserve. Here you can find farms growing citrus fruits, avocados, and dairy farms. It's also home to the San Pasqual Valley AVA, which is a special area recognized for its wine grapes. The valley has very hot days but cool nights thanks to the ocean air.
- Rancho Guejito is a huge 13,299-acre (54 km2) piece of land that was given as a grant by the Mexican government. It's about seven miles east of Escondido. The ranch has grown to 22,359 acres (90 km2) by buying nearby land. It's one of the last original Mexican land grants that is still one single property.
- The San Diego Zoo Safari Park covers 1,800 acres (7 km2) of the valley. It was first known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
- The San Pasqual and Clevenger Canyon Open Space Park is located at the eastern end of the valley. It's a great place for outdoor activities.
- San Pasqual Academy is a unique school designed for foster youth aged 12-17, and young adults up to 19. It's the first residential education campus of its kind in the nation.
- The residential area in the mountains near the agricultural preserve is called Rancho San Pasqual. Locals often call it "Eagle Crest" because of the 18-hole golf course that surrounds the homes.
San Pasqual Valley Wine Region
The San Pasqual Valley AVA is a special wine-growing area in northern San Diego County, California. AVA stands for "American Viticultural Area." It is located within the San Pasqual Valley, which is part of the Peninsular Ranges in Southern California.
San Pasqual Valley was one of the first wine regions in California to be given AVA status in 1981. Even though cities like San Diego, Poway, and Escondido are growing nearby, making land expensive, the valley still has some great places for growing grapes.
The warm, dry climate here is perfect for growing certain types of grapes. These include traditional Rhône grape varieties like Syrah, Mourvedre, and Viognier. Other grapes like Merlot, and some Italian and Spanish varieties also do well here.
Location and Climate for Grapes
This wine region is about 30 miles north of the city of San Diego. The valley is tucked between two mountain ranges and gets a good influence from the Pacific Ocean. This ocean influence creates a Mediterranean climate. This means it has cool, foggy mornings and warm, sunny afternoons, which is very good for growing many different kinds of wine grapes. The valley also has a long growing season and different types of soil.
Wine Production in the Valley
Wineries in this area make wines from grape varieties that grow well in this climate. Some of these include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Sangiovese.
Vineyards in San Pasqual Valley
Many different types of Vitis vinifera (wine grapes) are planted here. Some of the most common are Grenache, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Viognier. The AVA area generally includes both sides of the San Dieguito River on the east side of I-15, between San Diego and Escondido, up to an elevation of 500 feet.
Some of the vineyards and wineries in the area include:
- Rancho Guijito Vineyard
- Forgotten Barrel Winery
- San Pasqual Winery
- Orfila Winery
- Hungry Hawk Vineyard
- Speckle Rock Vineyards
- Espinosa Vineyards and Winery
- Wicked Snakes Winery
- Domain Artefact Vineyard & Winery
- ZXQ Vineyards and Winery
- Cordiano Winery
See also
In Spanish: San Pasqual Valley para niños
