Hilltops over 2,500 feet high offer scenic vistas of the lush San Joaquin Valley and spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Panoche Hills was once part of a vast inland sea. Fossils found include vertebrates such as mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and marine turtles. Visitor service improvements are now complete at the new day use facility, which features a parking area, a shade structure, picnic benches, a vault toilet, and a kiosk providing an interpretive panel, a map, and information about the area.
From Interstate-5, take the Mercy Hot Springs exit County Road J-1/Little Panoche Road. Continue west past the Little Panoche detention dam. In 8 miles, you will see a BLM sign on the left indicating the entrance to the Panoche Hills.
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