Mount Rubidoux is a hill within the city of Riverside, California, United States, that has been designated a city park and landmark. The hill was once a popular Southern California tourist destination, and is still the site of the oldest outdoor non-demoninational Easter Sunrise service in the United States. Many historic markers and memorials have been placed on the hill, the most prominent being
the cross at the summit dedicated to father Junipero Serra. Covering 161 acres (0.65 km2; 0.252 sq mi) the park has 3.5 miles of paved roads, and numerous dirt hiking trails. The Santa Ana River flows at the base of the hill, marking the boundary between the city and the census-designated place of Rubidoux. The hill was named for Louis Rubidoux, who established Rancho Rubidoux in 1847, after purchasing a portion of the Rancho Jurupa from Benjamin Davis Wilson, the second elected mayor of Los Angeles. History
Tom Patterson, as well as most local Riverside historians, have concluded that the original name of Mount Rubidoux was Pachappa. They speculate that one of the early owners of Rancho Jurupa reassigned the name Pachappa to another smaller hill, in order to expand the property of the Rancho. Since Pachappa hill was designated as the southeast marker of the Jurupa Rancho, which was granted by the Mexican government to Juan Bandini in 1838, reassigning the name to the current Pachappa hill would have expanded the Rancho Jurupa significantly, incorporating all of the area covered by today's downtown Riverside. It is also possible the United States government renamed the hills in order to satisfy acreage requirements of the original Mexican land Grant. Rubidoux continues to be a popular destination for outdoor lovers, hikers, rock climbers, mountain bikers, Riversiders and visiting tourists from around the world. The Mount is enjoyed by people of all ages from the very young to young at heart. It's a place of majestic beauty, virtually unchanged over the centuries. A peaceful and scenic retreat just above the hustle and bustle of the city below. A special place of solitude, wonderment, and enlightenment.
