Mount Wilson
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Mount Wilson rises to 1,737 m in California. Waterman Mountain stands 2,433 m to the northeast, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is Mount Wilson Observatory Museum, a museum 0.2 miles away. Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway - Route 110 passes 7.3 miles off.
The story
Mount Wilson is at the peak of the San Gabriel Mountains, located within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. With only minor topographical prominence, the peak is not naturally noticeable from a distance, although it is easily identifiable due to the large number of antennas near its summit. It is a subsidiary peak of nearby San Gabriel Peak. Quartz diorite is the dominant bedrock. It is the location of the Mount Wilson Observatory, which is an important astronomical facility in Southern California with historic 60-inch (1,524 mm) and 100-inch (2,540 mm) aperture telescopes, and 60-foot (18.3 m) and 150-foot (45.7 m) tall solar towers. The newer CHARA array, run by Georgia State University, is also sited there and does important interferometric stellar research. The summit is at 5,710 feet (1,740 m). While not the tallest peak in its vicinity, it is high enough in elevation that snow can sometimes interrupt astronomical activities. All of the mountains south of the summit are far shorter leading to unobstructed views across the Los Angeles Basin, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and out to Ventura County, San Diego County and the Pacific Ocean. On most days, Santa Catalina Island, some 65 mi (105 km) south, is visible. On clear days, other Channel Islands visible include San Clemente Island at 95 mi (153 km), Santa Barbara Island at 76 mi (122 km), San Nicolas Island at 107 mi (172 km), Santa Cruz Island at 98 mi (158 km) and San Miguel Island at 133 mi (214 km). At an elevation of 5,710 ft (1,740 m), the horizon on the ocean extends 92 mi (148 km). Mount Wilson is also heavily utilized for relay broadcasting of radio and television for the Greater Los Angeles Area.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q3119066, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1737 m
How to reach it
- 7.3 mi off the Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway - Route 110, National
Overlooks nearby
- Point Grandview · 14 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Mount Wilson Observatory Museum: 0.2 mi
- Lizzies Trail Inn: 3.8 mi
- Richardson House: 3.8 mi
- Gilb Museum Of Arcadia Heritage: 6.4 mi
- JPL Building 186 (Theodore von Kármán Museum and Auditorium): 6.7 mi
- Mount Harvard: 0.7 mi
- Mount Yale: 1.3 mi
- Occidental Peak: 1.5 mi
- Lookout Point: 2.0 mi
- Mount Zion: 2.0 mi
- LA County Fire Open Space: 1.9 mi
- SMMC Open Space: 2.8 mi
- Henninger Flats: 2.9 mi
- Kinneloa Irrigation District Open Space: 3.0 mi
- Kinneloa Irrigation District Open Space: 3.2 mi
- Cabin ruins: 2.7 mi
- Ye Alpine Tavern: 2.8 mi
- Resevoir: 3.5 mi
- Echo Mountain House: 3.5 mi
- Mount Lowe Railway Historical Marker: 3.5 mi
- Bailey Canyon Park: 3.6 mi
- Robert M McCurdy Nature Center: 3.8 mi
- Mount Wilson Trail Park: 3.8 mi
- Mount Lowe Park: 4.2 mi
- Hamilton Park: 4.3 mi
- Wisteria Vine, Worlds Largest Blossoming Plant: 3.7 mi
- Walsh Home (Beverly Hills 90210): 3.9 mi
- Dilan's Home (Beverly Hills 90210): 3.9 mi
- Sierra Madre Memorial Cannon: 4.3 mi
- The "M": 5.3 mi
- Vinny's Mini-World: 4.2 mi
- Community Garden: 4.4 mi
- Australian Discovery Area: 5.3 mi
- Wedding Garden: 5.5 mi
- Madagascar Spiny Forest: 5.5 mi
- Unincorporated Mural: 5.9 mi
- Five Minimalist Poems: 6.4 mi
- Pan: 7.2 mi
- Hymenaios: 7.2 mi
- Bearded Figure: 7.2 mi
- Red Box Picnic Area: 3.4 mi
- Arcadia Wilderness Park: 4.1 mi
- Charlton Flats Picnic Area: 5.6 mi
- Switzer Picnic Area: 5.6 mi
- Paul Little: 6.9 mi
- Doe Spring: 6.3 mi
- Not Much of a Spring: 8.2 mi
- Silk Tassel Spring: 8.3 mi
- Baughman Spring: 9.5 mi
- Winston Spring: 10.6 mi
- Sturtevant Falls: 2.5 mi
- Eaton Canyon Waterfall: 3.0 mi
- Bailey Canyon Falls: 3.1 mi
- Leontine Falls: 3.2 mi
- Thalehaha Falls: 3.3 mi
- Upper Switzer Falls Grotto: 5.9 mi
- Spa Palace: 16.6 mi
- Llano Del Rio: 23.7 mi
- Mt. Baldy Wayside Picnic Site: 23.7 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 11.9 miles of Mount Wilson. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterman Mountain | NE 42° | 2,433 m | 10.5 mi |
| Twin Peaks | NE 50° | 2,365 m | 10.0 mi |
| Winston Peak | NE 38° | 2,277 m | 11.7 mi |
| Pacifico Mountain | N 8° | 2,165 m | 11.0 mi |
| Granite Mountain | N 357° | 1,998 m | 10.2 mi |
| Roundtop | N 357° | 1,908 m | 8.9 mi |
| Mount Hillyer | NNE 17° | 1,881 m | 9.0 mi |
| Strawberry Peak | NW 321° | 1,879 m | 5.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:57 | 18:31 | 19:04 |
| June solstice | 05:42 | 19:31 | 20:08 |
| September equinox | 06:41 | 18:17 | 18:51 |
| December solstice | 06:55 | 16:09 | 16:47 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 47 | 46 | 49 | 52 | 59 | 68 | 74 | 75 | 70 | 62 | 53 | 46 |
| Precip in | 7.7 | 8.3 | 5.1 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 4.0 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — MT Wilson CBS, under a mile away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidata- USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 251702 — Mount Wilson, Los Angeles County, California.
OpenStreetMap element node/358794822
Day trips start here
- Arcadia · 6 mi
- Monrovia · 6 mi
- Pasadena · 6 mi
- La Cañada Flintridge · 7 mi
- San Marino · 8 mi
- Angeles National Forest · 9 mi
Take the scenic way to Mount Wilson.
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