Saddleback (Orange County, California)

Saddleback, sometimes called Old Saddleback or Saddleback Mountain,[1] is a natural landmark formed by the two highest peaks of the Santa Ana Mountains in the U.S. state of California, and the gap between them.

Resembling a saddle as viewed from most of Orange County, California, this landform dominates the county's eastern skyline.

On the clearest days, Saddleback is visible from most of the Greater Los Angeles area.

The two peaks form part of the border between Orange and Riverside counties.

The presence of volcanic rocks in Silverado Canyon indicates that Saddleback Mountain was formed prior to the development of the San Andreas Fault, back when a subduction zone occurred where the Pacific Plate went under California.

An aerial view of Santiago and Modjeska peaks of Saddleback from the west, looking eastward toward the San Jacinto Mountains and beyond