Composed of boulders and slabs of the Matilija Sandstone amid groves of pine trees, it is the highest summit in proximity to the city.

East Camino Cielo (originally known as Ridge Route) was constructed between October 1930 and June 1931 as a single lane road that extended 18 miles (29 kilometres) from San Marcos Pass to the summit of La Cumbre Peak.

The intermittently curvaceous road was opened to the public, built with frequent turnouts and a set maximum speed limit of 15 mi (24 km) per hour.

[4] In 1946, "La Cumbre Peak Lookout" was built to replace a California Region 5 Plan 4AR cabin that was mounted on a 10 ft (3.0 m) open timber tower.

Utilizing an "innovative experimental design" that employed relatively high walls and sloped glass, the newer structure was considered to be expensive for its time (at a cost of $6,500) and was therefore the only model of its type to be constructed.