The Mountain Empire occupies the largely hilly, rugged terrain of the
Laguna Mountains and foothills between
Interstate 8 and the
Mexico–United States border east of
Otay Mountain and west of
Imperial County. Communities located just north of Interstate 8, such as
Descanso,
Guatay and
Pine Valley, are generally included within the region, while those further north, such as
Julian, are not. The
Pacific Crest Trail has its southern terminus on the Mexican border near
Campo. Portions of the Mountain Empire are located in the Descanso Ranger District of the
Cleveland National Forest.
California State Route 94 and
Interstate 8 are the primary highways through the region.
Historic U.S. Route 80 also passes through the Mountain Empire, as does the now disused
San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. Natural features in the region include Mount Laguna at in elevation, eastern
Barrett Lake reservoir, Campo Creek,
Carrizo Gorge, Cottonwood Creek, Miller Creek, and Pine Valley Creek. ==Communities==