Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

The natural spring fed desert oasis found here is one of the 10 largest Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and Willow (Salix lasiolepis) riparian habitats in California.

[5] The last people to inhabit the canyon before the arrival of white settlers were the Morongos, a powerful clan of Serrano Indians.

The preserve was the site of a large (more than 10 acre) historic "Maringa" (Morongo) Native American Serrano permanent settlement.

The valuable biotic resource assemblage that the water attracted, provided for ample food and manufacturing materials to support the view of it being a permanent Maringa Serrano residence for a long span of time.

Present on the site are bedrock mortars, several types of ceramic wares, lithic tool stone debitage and numerous late period projectile points.

More than 570 acres of the preserve was once planned as a possible site for an oil pipeline pumping station but was later donated by ARCO to the Nature Conservancy in 1989.

Today, the preserve is managed by the County of San Bernardino with the assistance of the Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve to protect rare and endangered wildlife, to promote the growth and restoration of a wide variety of plants, and to offer educational opportunities for students and nature lovers of all ages.

[11] While the preserve is most well known amongst bird watchers, many animals also make their home within the preserve including the cougar, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, raccoon, mule deer, bighorn sheep, deer mouse, ground squirrel, cottontail rabbit, and various amphibians and reptiles, such as the Mohave rattlesnake and rosy boa.

[12] The preserve houses some of the oldest exposed rocks in California, dated at almost two billion years.

Bicycles, skateboards, skates, or unauthorized vehicles of any kind are not permitted beyond the preserve's parking lot.

[15] Certain trails are built to meet and exceed Americans with Disabilities Act standards for wheelchair accessibility.

The discharge of firearms is prohibited within the main body of the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve; however, hunting is allowed further south in the undeveloped region of the ACEC.