Santa Ynez Mountains, California, USA
(c) 2002 Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com, Inc. Photo taken 29 January 2002. (fair use policy)
State Route 33 begins in the wide flats of California's Central Valley, but its far southern end is a twisting, narrow roadway through the rugged Transverse Ranges. The Santa Ynez range is the last barrier before the road meets the Pacific coast. This is the high eastern end of the range that overlooks—and isolates—the city of Santa Barbara.
The view looks southwest into the watershed of Matilija Creek, which cuts through an uplifted ridge in a dramatic incised meander near Wheeler Springs, farther downstream. The hidden canyon in front of the high range marks the course of the Santa Ynez thrust fault. The ridge crest is its upthrown, southern side. All of the rocks in this view are strongly tilted as a result of compression between the Pacific and North American plates.
The Photo Tour of the Western Transverse Ranges includes this locality.
