Mount Hamilton, a prominent peak in California’s Diablo Range east of San Jose, is best known as the site of Lick Observatory, regarded as the world’s first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory. Named in 1861 during the first California Geological Survey after Laurentine Hamilton, it had earlier Spanish and local names that surveyors did not know. The mountain and its ridge include other astronomically named summits, while the winding Mount Hamilton Road, built in 1875 and 1876, made the observatory possible. Despite its proximity to a major city, the mountain has a distinct snowy climate and supports important wildlife, endemic plants, and extensive protected open space.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain