County San Diego County | ||
 | ||
Weather 12°C, Wind W at 3 km/h, 91% Humidity | ||
The Mountain Empire is a rural area in southeastern San Diego County, California. The Mountain Empire subregion consists of the backcountry communities in southeastern San Diego County. The area is also sometimes considered part of the East County region of San Diego County.
Contents
Geography
The Mountain Empire occupies the largely hilly, rugged terrain of the Laguna Mountains and foothills between Interstate 8 and the U.S.-Mexico border east of Otay Mountain and west of Imperial County. The Pacific Crest Trail has its southern terminus in Mountain Empire, along the international border just south of the town of Campo. Portions of the Mountain Empire are located in the Descanso Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest.
California State Route 94 and Interstate 8 are the primary highways through the region. Historic U.S. Route 80 also passes through the Mountain Empire, as does the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway.
Natural features in the region include Mount Laguna at 6,302 feet (1,921 m) in elevation, eastern Barrett Lake reservoir, Campo Creek, Carrizo Gorge, Cottonwood Creek, Miller Creek, and Pine Valley Creek
Communities
Federally recognized tribes and bands of the Kumeyaay people have Indian reservations with communities in the Mountain Empire region and southern Laguna Mountains. They include:
Education
The region is served by the Mountain Empire Unified School District, which consists of six elementary schools and Mountain Empire High School.
The Mountain Empire Unified School District is geographically the largest school district in California, occupying over 600 square miles (1,600 km2).
Media
The Mountain Empire is served by countywide publications such as the San Diego Union-Tribune and the San Diego Reader. Regionally, it is served by East County Magazine.