Mount Hamilton (California)
| Mount Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Sierra de Santa Isabel | |
Lick Observatory is visible atop Mount Hamilton; hillsides show typical early-autumn golden (dry) vegetation | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,265 ft (1,300 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Coordinates | 37°20′30.2″N 121°38′34.2″W / 37.341722°N 121.642833°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Santa Clara County, California, U.S. |
| Parent range | Diablo Range |
| Topo map | USGS Lick Observatory |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Upper Cretaceous |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1861 |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Mount Hamilton is a mountain in the Diablo Range in Santa Clara County, California. The mountain's peak, at 4,265 feet (1,300 m), overlooks the heavily urbanized Santa Clara Valley and is the site of Lick Observatory, the world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory. The asteroid 452 Hamiltonia, discovered in 1899, is named after the mountain. Golden eagle nesting sites are found on the slopes of Mount Hamilton. On clear days, Mount Tamalpais, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey Bay, the Monterey Peninsula, and even Yosemite National Park are visible from the summit of the mountain.