Mount Rubidoux | |
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,331 ft (406 m) NAVD 88[1] |
Prominence | 484 ft (148 m)[1] |
Coordinates | 33°59′02″N 117°23′35″W / 33.9839038°N 117.3931011°W[2] |
Geography | |
Riverside, California, United States | |
Parent range | San Bernardino Mountains |
Topo map | USGS Riverside West |
Mount Rubidoux is a mountain just west of downtown in the city of Riverside, California, United States, that has been designated a city park and landmark. The mountain was once a popular Southern California tourist destination and is still the site of the oldest outdoor non-denominational Easter Sunrise service in the United States. Many historic markers and memorials have been placed on the mountain, the most prominent being the cross at the summit dedicated to Father Junípero Serra. A majority of Mt. Rubidoux is owned by the City of Riverside, while 0.43 acres at the peak is owned by Rivers & Lands Conservancy after the cross attracted a potential lawsuit and the city decided to sell it at auction it to a private organization (see Legal battle below).[3]
The Santa Ana River flows at the base of the mountain, marking the boundary between the city of Riverside and the Rubidoux neighborhood of the City of Jurupa Valley.
The mountain was named for Louis Rubidoux, who established Rancho Rubidoux in 1847, after purchasing a portion of the Rancho Jurupa from Benjamin Davis Wilson, the second elected mayor of Los Angeles.[4]