The Motte Rimrock Reserve lies on a broad, rockyplateau at the western edge of Perris Valley. It contains rich archaeological resources, including some of the best-preserved pictographs in Southern California. Coastal and desert influences intermingle at the site, creating an unusual mix of habitats. An inland type of coastal sage scrub covers most of the reserve, with other areas supporting chaparral, coastal-desert transitional grassland, and riparian thickets. Six seasonal springs add to the diversity of the landscape. The reserve protects critical habitat for a variety of animals, including two federally listed species: the endangered Stephens' kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi) and the threatened California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica), plus ten more rare animal species.

The Motte Rimrock Reserve lies on a rocky plateau lifted above Perris Valley and the press of modern development. The Reserve protects important archaeological sites, including an unexcavated ceremonial site and well-preserved pictographs. The Reserve contains mostly interior coastal sage scrub, riparian grassland, chaparral and six seasonal springs. The intermittent and perennial seeps and springs increase the diversity of the biota here.

The Pacific Ocean lies 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of the Reserve; an equal distance to the east lies the Colorado Desert. Here at Motte, both coastal and desert conditions intermingle in an unusual combination of dry and moist habitats.

The Motte Rimrock Reserve protects critical habitat for a variety of animals, including invertebrates (e.g, butterflies), amphibians (e.g., Western Toads and Western Spadefoot Toads), reptiles (e.g., red diamond rattlesnakes, gopher snake), birds (nearly 150 species identified since 1971), and mammals (e.g., Stephen's kangaroo rat, bobcats, coyotes).

Through the University of California, the Motte Rimrock Reserve provides a site for research and instruction on the region's natural history.

Early History

Both the Cahuilla and Luiseño Indians probably used the Motte Rimrock land in late prehistoric times. Six archaelogical sites were identified in a 1981 survey by D. F. McCarthy et al containing remnants of milling stations, rock shelters, and subsurface deposits. Three also include rock paintings.

One site offers a particularly rich assortment of cultural resources. Listed with the National Register of Historic Places, it is thought to have been a Luiseño religious center. Six boulders are covered with a variety of designs, including, most hantingly, the reddish-brown prints of small human hands. Some panels of pictographs at this site are considered to be among the best preserved in Southern California.

McCarthy et al suggest the site may have been used for various ceremonies, including the Luiseño girls' rites of passage. Upon puberty, these girls took part in a ritual revealing their place and purpose in life. Af the conclusion, boulders were painted with a variety of designs and marked with the handprint of each initiated girl.

The Motte Reserve has expanded threefold since 1981. Additional sites are likely to be discovered, all inviting more research.

Selected Research

Special Programs

Management and monitoring of Stephens’ kangaroo rat.

Active, long-term hummingbird migration monitoring site.

Public outreach: Orientation/training site for the NRS’s HOST program; site visited by high school science classes.

Field courses: Site visits by university courses in anthropology, plant taxonomy, field ecology, bird banding, archaeology, and other