Click here to join the
Conservation effort!
Later Human History of Volcan Mountain
Following the Spanish conquests, Anglo-American adventurers,
trappers, miners and ranchers poured into the region. During the 1890's,
they began litigation to gain title to the lands and to evict the Indians.
The ensuing conflicts and uprisings brought in the United States Federal
Government which designated the surrounding 15,500 acres as the Santa Ysabel
Reservation in 1875. Of this, 8000 acres lies on the north western flank of Volcan Mountain. Descendants of the original bands carry on cattle ranching and, like many tribes across the country, have opened a casino.
During the early 20th century, Volcan was homesteaded, mined and logged, but to a lesser degree than other mountains in Southern California.
Several of the homes and commercial buildings in Julian were built from lumber harvested on Volcan. Today, there is no mining or timber harvesting done on Volcan. There are a few homes that are on private inholdings on the mountain.
In 1988, a Newport Beach-based philanthropic foundation proposed to build a housing development on Volcan's ridge. This prompted a group of concerned local citizens to rally together to save the mountain from development.
The Volcan Mountain Preserve Foundation was formed that year; the following year, the first 220 acres were purchased by San Diego County. The San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation's Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve was started. In later years, additional acres were added to the Preserve and the Five Oaks Trail was opened to the public in 2004.
Click here to invest in Volcan's conservation.