Although the Reserve is just a couple hundred feet from the state beach, the real view is in the opposite direction, facing the Saddleback Mountain range. It shows off the entire length of the mountains, rather than just bits and pieces, providing a panorama of the sunrise. As the sun starts peeking out behind the mountains, the scene mimics a volcano eruption, minus the smoke. The bright colors against the dark mountains are definitely worth the early wake up call.
