W6/NC-029 | Copernicus Peak | (Lick Observatory)

Last updated on 2021-11-05

Now closed due to Fire Damage and COVID

I have not activated this peak (yet). From prior trip reports I knew that access to this peak is closed and requires permission. I made an official request for permission to access the property and received the following information:

Greetings Brian,

The area around Copernicus is pending tree removal work, for post-fire damage mitigation. The area should be open for access by permit only, sometime around summer of 2022. I am sorry for the delays.

Take care, Kostas

Kostas Chloros, Mountain Superintendent, Lick Observatory, University of California Observatories

When the summer of 2022 rolls around, it might make sense for several of us to request permission to activate as a group all at one time so we lighten the administrative load on the Lick Administrators. I suspect they are more likely to provide permission if SOTA enthusiasts are an infrequent distraction than if each of us individually tries to gain access on many different days. If you are interested, please email me (info at bottom of page), or find me on the Norcal channel of the SOTA-NA Slack site.

Note that this peak is very close to the Mount Isabel (W6/NC-035) peak, which also has a section closed due to fire damage. You can also see the Lick Observatory from Willson Peak (W6/NC-182) in the Henry W. Coe State Park (quite a distance away).