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Alpine
The foothill region of Alpine features rugged, diverse, and often dramatic terrain. The elevation in this unincorporated area of the East County changes quickly and ranges from 1,500 to over 4,100 feet. Steep grades define the many 2-lane roads that wind through its small communities. Viejas Mountain, at 4,187 feet, rewards hikers with views of the Pacific on clear days and picturesque views of orchards, grasslands, and undeveloped chaparral forests on others.
During the mid to late 1800s Alpine was a simple but important crossroads. Ranchers in Descanso and beyond drove their cattle through what would become Alpine on their way to San Diego. Later, it became a stage stop when gold was discovered in Julian. What began as a dusty spot in the road along a Kumeyaay trail became an important waystation for travelers heading north and east, and back again. A hotel, a post office, and eventually a tavern were added to the barn and the general store serving weary miners. A spring helped attract settlers, who saw Alpine as a wonderful spot to start both a business and a family.
In the early years, many San Diegans came to Alpine to escape the persistent coastal fog. From the late 1890s through the 1940s, Alpine was home to several well-known resorts, such as The Willows and Wildwood Glen. Its reputation was boosted by a government report during WWI declaring it had "the best climate in the USA."
Today, Alpine is a bedroom community and a business, tourism, and transportation hub, thanks to the Viejas Casino and Outlet Center. Houses dot the sage-covered slopes that were once home to vineyards and fruit and avocado orchards, and where John Harbison's bee colonies helped make San Diego County the state leader in honey production.
The unincorporated area of Alpine remains a rural stretch of mostly undeveloped or agricultural land. Brush-covered hillsides are crisscrossed with horse trails and wildlife paths. Avocado groves are visible from Highway 8, which cuts through the region, and small ranches and farms dominate the landscape. The Cleveland National Forest accounts for much of the eastern part of the region, including Loveland Reservoir and Palo Verde Lake.
Alpine's 108 square miles are home to roughly 8,000 people in and around the town of Alpine and its outlying neighborhoods of Peutz Valley, Japatul Valley, Hidden Glen, Galloway Valley, and Dunbar Lane. Single-family homes represent the largest housing option, although Alpine also features a variety of affordable housing options ranging from trailers to townhomes. Homes in this part of the county have beautiful canyon views and generally sit on larger lots.
Alpine has distinguished itself from other communities throughout the nation with its dedication to open space and habitat preservation. In 1998, Alpine kickstarted the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Community Wildlife Habitat certification program when it asked the NWF to recognize its Sage and Songbirds program.
Sage and Songbirds encourages businesses and residents throughout Alpine to create inviting habitats for butterflies, hummingbirds, and songbirds by planting berries, sages, and other flowering plants. As a result, more than 100 Alpine gardens are registered Backyard Wildlife Habitats. Every May, the community holds its Sage and Songbirds festival, with garden tours and seminars.
Alpine is a gateway community, much as it was almost 150 years ago when it was first established. Located just east of El Cajon and south of Lakeside, the town of Alpine is the modern-day outpost of San Diego's backcountry: The last major population center before climbing into the Cuyamacas or dropping down to the desert floor.