California · United States
Mount Hamilton Road
CA 130San Jose to Mount Hamilton
Endless switchbacks from San Jose up to Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton.
California State Route 130, Mount Hamilton Road, twists up from the edge of San Jose to Lick Observatory, perched at around 4,200 feet on Mount Hamilton in the Diablo Range overlooking the Santa Clara Valley. It is a famously serpentine climb, deliberately graded gently for the wagons that once hauled the telescope parts up in the 1880s, so the corners are near continuous but the gradient is mild. Pavement is narrow and patchy in places and there are no services at the top. Mind cyclists on the climb, narrow blind corners with little room to pass, and fog or ice near the summit.
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Where it runs19.1 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 18Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%47.4 – 1,244.2 mFrom the road
Points of interest2 stops
- Ptolemy PeakViewpoint19 mi in
- Huyghens PeakViewpoint19 mi in
Hazards
- Cyclists on the climb
- Narrow blind corners
- Summit fog and ice
Sources
“There are spectacular views of San Jose and the rest of the Santa Clara Valley below.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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