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For those wanting to stay in the park overnight, camping and RV parking is available. Also, between April and October, Fremont Peak
Observatory offers public star viewings on Saturdays without a full moon. The park has very low light pollution.
The park, which offers a stunning view of Monterey Bay, got its name in 1846 when
John C. Fremont, military governor of California, raised a flag.
Photo:
Derek
Davis
"Part of what he did inspired the Bear Flag
Revolt, which later made California a state," says
Derek Davis, the California State Parks ranger
overseeing Fremont Peak State Park.
Measuring in at 159 mountaintop acres and
approximately 3,170 feet in elevation, Fremont
Peak State Park experiences more extreme
weather than much of the surrounding region.
Temperatures here climb above 100 in the
summer. In the winter, they can drop to around
10 degrees, and snow tends to fall a few days
each year. Manzanita, scrub oak and coyote
brush cover the northern slopes, while
madrone, pine and oak stands dot grasslands
on the western and southern sides.
Those varied habitats house a variety of
wildlife ("Just about everything short of bears,"
says Davis), ranging from squirrels and deer to
wild turkeys, bobcats and mountain lions. Golden
eagles, great horned owls, red-tailed hawks and
peregrine falcons soar above the park, as well,
along with finches and hummingbirds.
While the nature is a draw, it's the view that
