Geography

Copernicus Peak

Mount Hamilton is one summit along a mile-long ridge. Other than Hamilton, peaks along the ridge have astronomical names, such as Kepler. The highest peak on the ridge is Copernicus Peak, with elevation . Copernicus Peak is located to the northeast from Mount Hamilton, and is the highest point in Santa Clara County. Unlike Mount Hamilton's limited prominence, Copernicus Peak has a prominence of .

Thanksgiving consistently draws hundreds of cyclists and is frequently the final climb in the annual Low-Key Hillclimb Series

which attracts some of the region's best climbers.

The bicycle ride is just over from the Alum Rock Avenue junction. The upward trek is interrupted by two descents, first into Grant Ranch County Park, and again to cross Smith Creek. Quimby Road offers a shorter way from San Jose to Grant Ranch, but is considerably steeper. The main observatory building offers free 15-minute guided tours of the Great Lick refracting telescope.

Geology and hydrology

Much of the foothill slopes of Mount Hamilton is underlain by Miocene age sandstone of the Briones formation: this bedrock is locally soft and weathered in the upper few feet, but grades locally to very hard at depth. Depth to groundwater on these foothill areas of Mount Hamilton is approximately . The Babb Creek drainage comprises some of the watershed draining the slopes of Mount Hamilton. The Calaveras and Hayward active earthquake faults traverse the slopes of Mount Hamilton.

thumb|[[Tule elk roam the Diablo Range and are often seen on Coyote Ridge]]

Ecology and conservation

Several rare species can be seen on Mount Hamilton. The Mount Hamilton jewelflower (Streptanthus callistus) is endemic to the area. In June 2011, five juvenile California condors flew over Mt. Hamilton and landed on the Lick Observatory, the species' first sighting in the area in at least 30 years.

In 1978, California Department of Fish and Game warden Henry Coletto urged the department to choose the Mount Hamilton area as one of California's relocation sites under a new statewide effort to restore tule elk (Cervus canadensis ssp. nannodes).

thumb|[[Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton at night. Timed exposure taken from Grant Ranch Park.]]

The Nature Conservancy "Mount Hamilton Project" has acquired or put under conservation easement of land towards its goal for habitat conservation within a area encompassing much of eastern Santa Clara County.

The community

Mount Hamilton has its own zip code, 95140. It is generally open space with a population in 2000 of 35. Mount Hamilton Elementary was a small one classroom school that closed in 2006.

See also

  • List of summits of the San Francisco Bay Area
  • Grant Ranch Park

References

  • Silicon Valley Land Conservancy