Peering over the edge, can you see the reddish hue that gives Red Rose Quarry its name? The Red Rose Quarry is a mine in San Diego County. It sits at N32.81727 W116.85391 at an elevation of 1548 feet. That is according to the NAD83 datum.
The Red Rose Quarry is located about three-fourths of one mile northeast of La Cresta. In 1958, A. Carlsen owned it. He lived at 625 La Cresta Heights Road in El Cajon.
Small amounts of stone from this quarry were sold as rubble. It was marketed as Red Rose Quartzite in the San Diego area. This stone was used in walls and as facing.
The Red Rose Quarry deposit is red. Iron-oxide stains the quartzite. This quartzite exists as a pendant in granitic rocks. The rock is solid. It has steeply dipping joint planes. Workers blasted the blocks. They pried them loose. Then they split them with plugs and feathers.
In 1958, the quarry face was about 250 feet long. It was 30 feet high at its highest point. The quarry floor was 100 feet wide at its widest point. The Red Rose Quarry is visible on the USGS 1:24K topographic map Alpine, CA.
Other places near Red Rose Quarry include La Cresta and Cornelius Ranch. Nancy Jane County Park is nearby. So is Oak Ridge Quarry. Crest and Suncrest are also close. The Cornelius Ranch Truck Trail isn’t far either. Crest Branch San Diego and South Lane Park are nearby. Harbison Canyon and Old Ironsides County Park are other places nearby. Valleyview Truck Trail is also located in that area.
Red Rose Quarry stands as a testament to San Diego’s diverse geology. It shows how local materials contributed to the region’s aesthetic.