Mesa Peak Cameron Nature Preserve

Much of the Mesa Cameron Nature Preserve Trail goes through coastal sage scrub—a habitat that has grown increasingly rare due to development, especially on mountain tops. Coastal sage scrub plants, like white sage, are slow-growing and suffer tremendous losses from illegal harvesting. Some hikers might encounter a Blainville's Horned Lizard, a California Species of Special Concern because of urban encroachment to their habitats in flat sandy spaces, and on mountain tops. At 2.5 - 4.5 inches, horned lizards resemble tiny dinosaurs, and can date back to the Miocene era.