Journey to the Crocker Dome!

Follow the thumbnail images for a tour of the New Crocker Dome. We'll ascend the trail to the dome and once inside, walk around the Vulcan photometer, then exit the dome and head back down the hill. Click on each image for a full-sized view.

	Ascending Mount Hamilton takes us through the Coastal Range of Central California. One proceeds cautiously along the winding, and increasingly steep, Mt. Hamilton Road where vistas such as this appear before reaching the 4213-foot (1284-meter) summit of Mt. Hamilton. Lick Observatory is 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and 13 miles (21 kilometers) east of San Jose.
Nearing the top of the mountain, buildings and domes come into view. These structures house employees and provide services to maintain the telescope facilities.
	Once the car is parked, a visitor needs to climb the trail to the dome. The building on the right contains solar panels that provide power to the recreation center.
At the base of the hill, Crocker Dome can be seen in the distance.
	As we near the top of the trail, the small observatory emerges from behind the trees.
Someone opened the dome shutter while we weren't looking!