Fremont Peak State Park

About Fremont Peak State Park

Enjoy generous views of the bay and Monterey, and other views include the bay of Benito, the river San Luis Obispo and the mountains of Santa Cruz.

The park also has an astronomical observatory with a 30-inch telescope, which is open to the public on selected evenings. Pine and oak forests in the park are home to many birds and mammals, and there are camping and picnic facilities throughout the parks.

The park also offers two other views, one is a look at history, and the other is the role played by Captain John Charles Fremont in the drama of California's struggle for statehood. There is a reason for this: hikers enjoy breathtaking views of California, the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco Bay, California State Park and much more.

Fremont Peak Observatory is home to the largest telescope in California and one of the oldest in the United States. The park calls for astronomy programs during the spring, summer and early fall seasons.

Mexican military leaders urged the Americans to leave the area, and Captain Fremont and his men camped at the foot of the mountain for the rest of their trip to Mexico.

Fremont refused and built a small fort nearby, hoisting an American flag and a flagpole at the foot of the mountain on the highest peak in the area.

After a brief period as a military governor, Fremont eventually returned to California, and his illustrious career included stints in the US Army, the US Navy, and the California National Guard. The incident reflected the tensions of the years leading up to the Battle of Fort Bragg, a major battle in World War II. War nerves ensued when Fremont and some of his men eventually set off for the Pacific, where they were to be overrun by the enemy.

Fremont was known as Gabilan Peak (derived from the Spanish word for falcon), although he had forgotten to put his name on the mountain.

The summit was acquired by the State Parks Department in 1936, and the State Park System in 1937.

The northern slope of Fremont Peak is covered with Manzanita bushes and oaks, while the exposed southern slope is covered with high-grade grassland, which is bright green in spring. More than a hundred birds have been spotted in the park, most of them birds of prey such as owls, falcons, eagles, geese, peregrine falcons and other birds of prey.

Still, the above-mentioned magnificent views are reason enough to hike through the park for a day trip to Fremont Peak State Park or even a day trip.

How to get there : Take the signposted turn off on the outskirts of town and drive approximately one mile to Fremont Peak State Park. Combine a short walk on a beautiful day with a drive of a few miles to the main park entrance at the southern end of the parking lot.

How to get there : Take the signposted junction - on the outskirts of the city and drive about 1.5 km to the main parking entrance at the southern end of the parking lot.

You will see a road and a path that starts from the parking lot, follows the road for a short while and then follows the footpaths that surround the mountain. The trail, marked with a waymark, is about one kilometre long and does not lead to the summit, but plunges into a ravine before reaching an observatory in the park. When the trail climbs up the saddle and meets the short summit path that climbs to rocky Fremont Peak, you can enjoy views of Monterey Bay. The Peak Trail is marked on the right side of the road, about 1.5 km away.

The view after returning to the starting point can be returned to Fremont Peak through the road communication system and then back along the trail.

Arrive at Fremont Peak State Park at sunset with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay from the top of Stranger Peak.

Clouds and rain will disrupt the astronomy program, so please call the park for weather updates before and after sunset.

In general, astronomers will be happy to allow you to look through their telescopes and answer your questions. Do not touch any part of the telescope unless the owner instructs you in the correct method. In particular, you should not touch the glass surface or parts of your telescope without an owner teaching you the right methods.

A piece of red cellophane wrapped around the end of a flashlight and fixed with an elastic band works perfectly. Remember that using light from a telescope at night is highly disturbing, so make sure your child is monitoring the clock.

This event is reminiscent of the expedition that raised the US flag for the Mexican government in 1846. This annual event is an old-fashioned picnic sponsored by the National Park Service and the Fremont Peak State Park Foundation. The dates for this event in April vary, so call the park for information.