Mount Hamilton
Map SatelliteKnown primarily as the site of the Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton is of interest botanically. Chaparral, with buck brush, Ceanothus cuneatus, and coffeeberry, Rhamnus californica, is conspicuous and covers much of the mountain, intergrading with grassland and an oak woodland which includes coast and interior live oaks, Quercus agrifolia and Quercus wislizenii.
Gray pine, Pinus sabiniana, is present. Some Arctostaphylos species, with heights up to 9 meters (30 feet), are to be found. Of note is the Coulter pine, Pinus coulteri, grove on the slopes of Copernicus Peak (see Mount Hamilton Range Coulter Pine Stands). Two mature trees atop the mountain could be the remnants of a grove that may have existed there before the construction of the observatory.
Three rare plants are found in the area, Coreopsis hamiltonii, Phacelia phacelioides, and Sanicula saxatilis. The Coreopsis has a very restricted range.
Animal life is abundant in the area. Mountain lions, Felis concolor, are not infrequently sighted here.
Geologically, the mountain is composed predominantly of Franciscan sedimentary and volcanic rocks, with small intrusions of serpentine.
Integrity: A road traverses the area and there are numerous buildings in the vicinity of the observatory. The area is grazed.
Use: Research, educational, observational. Much of the area is private.
Ref: Sharsmith, H. K. 1945. Flora of the Mount Hamilton Range of California. Amer. Mid. Nat. 34 (2), pp. 289-367.
April 1977
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman