Mountains and overall movement between the North American plate and the Pacific plate. Geography Climate The San Gorgonio Pass area tends to get snow at least once or twice during the winter months, although it rarely sticks to hard surfaces, such as the freeway or city streets. Topography The San Gorgonio River runs through the pass, west to east, and joins the Whitewater River near the community of Whitewater at the northwest end of Coachella Valley. Transportation The Southern Pacific Railroad (now the Union Pacific) laid down tracks through the pass in 1875. Amtrak's Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle intercity passenger trains continue to run on the line in addition to several freight trains. Additionally, the Riverside County Transportation Commission is studying the establishment of daily passenger service from Los Angeles to the Coachella Valley, including at least one station in the San Gorgonio Pass area. The summit of the pass is in Beaumont, just east of the junction of Interstate 10 and State Route 79, at an elevation of about . However, the heart of the pass is generally considered to be further east near Cabazon, where the passageway between the two mountain ranges is narrowest. Eastward from here, the route descends steeply towards the Coachella Valley, with the eastern end of the pass taken to be at the junction of Interstate 10 and State Route 111 near Whitewater Canyon. In 1952 an expressway was built through the pass, carrying U.S. Route 99, U.S. Route 70 and U.S. Route 60. There are still portions of the old U.S. 99 route between Whitewater Canyon and Cabazon. Main Street in Cabazon, Ramsey Street in Banning, 6th Street in Beaumont, and Roberts Road in Calimesa are all old sections of U.S. 99. The Banning Municipal Airport, located in the pass, is a small public airport operated by the city of Banning. Places in the San Gorgonio Pass Populated places Banning Bonnie Bell Beaumont Cabazon Calimesa Cherry Valley Highland Springs Morongo Reservation Places of interest AC Dysart Equestrian Center Bogart Regional Park Cabazon Dinosaurs Desert Hills Premium Outlets Edward-Dean Museum & Gardens Gilman Ranch Highland Springs Resort/Ranch & Inn Malki Museum Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa Museum of Pinball Pacific Crest Trail San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm Other notable facilities Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital References Bibliography Gunther, Jane Davies. Riverside County, California, Place Names; Their Origins and Their