Over a century ago, conservationist Aldo Leopold and forester Robert Marshall helped prompt the Forest Service to treat wilderness preservation as a worthy goal, arguing that wilderness was as important a resource as timber, water, or minerals. Through the efforts of these champions and others, places like the pristine high country of San Jacinto became permanently protected. Mount San Jacinto State Park is one of the oldest and largest wilderness areas in California's state parks, with ninety percent of its land permanently set aside as wilderness. This designation protects pristine conditions and preserves for visitors experiences of rugged beauty and solitude in a quiet sanctuary where nature endures on its own terms.