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The High Desert is an unofficial and vaguely defined geographic area of southern California located to the northeast of the [3][4] The High Desert may be defined as the area bounded by the San Gabriel Mountains and the Tehachapi Mountains, and extending varyingly into the Mojave Desert's Basin and Range Province to the east, depending upon the many different viewpoints on what constitutes the High Desert. The term is used most commonly to refer to the Antelope Valley and Victor Valley areas, as well as the Edwards Air Force Base region to the north, but also may encompass other areas, such as the northern portions of Joshua Tree National Park and the Twentynine Palms area and Morongo Basin. The term "High Desert" serves to differentiate it from southern California's Low Desert, which would be defined mostly by the differences in latitude, elevation, climate and vegetation native to the region. Palm Springs, California, is considered "Low Desert", at 100 feet above sea level. In contrast, Landers, California, is considered "High Desert", at 3,100 feet above sea level.
A biogeography-defined boundary would also include a southern portion of Inyo County north of San Bernardino and Kern Counties, as well as a northern portion of Riverside County south of San Bernardino County.
Depending on how the boundaries of the Mojave Desert and of the Colorado Desert region in the Sonoran Desert are defined, the High Desert either includes the entire California portion of the Mojave Desert (using a smaller geographic designation than the Mojave Desert ecoregion) or the northern portion of the California desert (using a larger geographic designation for the Mojave Desert that includes the ecotope area that is also a part of the Sonoran Desert).
The name of the region comes from its higher elevations and more northern latitude with associated climate and plant communities distinct from the Low Desert, which includes the Colorado Desert and the below sea level Salton Sea. The High Desert typically is windier than the Low Desert, and, in the winter, can be much colder.
The High Desert is often divided into the following regions:
The major metropolitan centers in the region are primarily centered on the cities of Lancaster and Victorville. Lancaster, the largest city in the High Desert, is located in the Antelope Valley, with Palmdale, and anchors the area's largest and most populous region with a metro area of just over 500,000. The Victor Valley area, which includes such areas as Victorville, Hesperia, Adelanto, Apple Valley, and Lucerne Valley, boasts a population around 335,000.[5] The Barstow area, to the north of Victor Valley, and the Morongo Basin near the Joshua Tree National Park each have populations of around 60,000.
Though very sparsely populated outside of the Antelope and Victor Valleys, many small communities dot the region, especially along Interstate 15, Interstate 40, and US Highway 395, with towns like Baker having an economy that exists almost entirely to provide services to highway travelers, especially those traveling between Las Vegas and Southern California's major population centers.
Films using High Desert as a subject of the narrative:
The western novel The Lonesome Gods by Louis L'Amour also uses features of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in its narrative.
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, Palmdale, California, California, Los Angeles Times
Lancaster, California, California, Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles, Pasadena, California
San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino, California, Palmdale, California, Corona, California, California
Utah, California, Nevada, Arizona, Sonoran desert
Lancaster, California, California, Palmdale, California, Edwards Air Force Base, Frank Zappa
Orange County, California, San Diego, Downtown Los Angeles, Riverside County, California, Ventura County, California
Census-designated place, List of cities and towns in California, San Bernardino, California, Redlands, California, Chino, California
Inland Empire (California), Yucca Valley, California, California, Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino, California