Seeing San Gorgonio Mountain from a plane
At 11,503 ft the highest point in Southern California, above San Gorgonio Pass and its wind farms. Look for a broad bare summit, often snowy in winter, north of the I-10 corridor to Palm Springs.
23 of our routes pass it. California · rated 7 of 10
The easy pick
San Diego to Denver: sit on the left, 16 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to Los Angeles | Right | 152 min after takeoff |
| Boston to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 300 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 201 min after takeoff |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Los Angeles | Right | 149 min after takeoff |
| Denver to Los Angeles | Left | 104 min after takeoff |
| Honolulu to Las Vegas | Right | 285 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Los Angeles | Right | 163 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 25 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Denver | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 16 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Chicago | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 16 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Atlanta | Left | 17 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | 18 min after takeoff |
| Miami to Los Angeles | Right | 256 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 175 min after takeoff |
| New York to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 291 min after takeoff |
| Newark to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 306 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 276 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Los Angeles | Right | 38 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Orange County | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Salt Lake City to Los Angeles | Left | 70 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Denver | Left | 16 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Chicago | Left | 16 min after takeoff |
| Washington to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 265 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see San Gorgonio Mountain from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (14 of 23). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see San Gorgonio Mountain from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Big Bear Lake San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm San Jacinto Peak Lake Arrowhead Mount San Antonio Austin (AUS) Los Angeles (LAX) Boston (BOS) Chicago (ORD) All routes