Mount Hamilton (California)

Mount Hamilton
Sierra de Santa Isabel[1]
Lick Observatory is visible atop Mount Hamilton; hillsides show typical summer golden (dry) vegetation
Highest point
Elevation	4,265 ft (1,300 m) NAVD 88[2]
Prominence	16 m (52 ft)[3]
Coordinates	37°20′30.2″N 121°38′34.2″W / 37.341722°N 121.642833°W / 37.341722; -121.642833[2]
Geography
Mount Hamilton
Location	Santa Clara County, California, U.S.
Parent range	Diablo Range
Topo map	USGS Lick Observatory
Geology
Age of rock	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^[4] observatory.^[5] 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,^[6] the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey Bay, the Monterey Peninsula, and even Yosemite National Park are visible from the summit of the mountain.^[7][8][9]