Mount Hamilton, near San Jose, California May 19, 2025

Drive up Mount Hamilton just east of San Jose, California, and immerse yourself in stunning views and rich history. The 19-mile Mount Hamilton Road is loved by cyclists and motorcyclists for its long climbs and sparse traffic. Built in 1875-76, the road was designed to transport materials to the Lick Observatory, the world"s first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory. On a clear day, you can see as far as Yosemite National Park or the Sierra Nevada from the 4,265-foot summit.

© Jeffrey Lewis/TANDEM Stills + Motion

palette

Today in History

May 19, 2018At ease, it’s Armed Forces Day
May 19, 2019High trekking season in Upper Mustang
May 19, 2020Loud waters
May 19, 2021A path lain with petals
May 19, 2022Glass footbridge in Zhangjiajie, China
May 19, 2023Endangered Species Day
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 21, 2021An octagonal architectural treasure
Sep 1, 2018Let the Highland games begin
Sep 20, 2018May we have this dance?
Mar 28, 2025Black-naped monarch
May 3, 2024The Sonoran Desert, Arizona
Aug 28, 2022Bearded reedlings in Flevoland
Jul 3, 2024World Meerkat Day
Nov 15, 2022River otters at Acadia National Park, Maine
Feb 24, 2021Getting to the bottom of the underwater waterfall
Apr 29, 2023Astronomy Day
Feb 2, 2024Groundhog Day
Nov 10, 2022Badlands National Park turns 44
Jul 22, 2022Our Lady of the Rocks
Dec 27, 2020Turning darkness into light
Sep 1, 2020National Mushroom Month
Jul 26, 2020A path to access
May 12, 2020Nursing the world to health
Oct 17, 2024Frost-covered dunes on Mars
Jun 5, 2021Bird s-eye view on World Environment Day
Jan 7, 2019An avian predator built for the snow
Feb 4, 2018Male kori bustard, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Jun 22, 2022World Rainforest Day
Nov 27, 2018The fantastic winter fox
Aug 1, 2024Floating market, Kaptai Lake, Bangladesh
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, Australia
Nov 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Mar 2, 2019You won’t see this on Mulberry Street
May 3, 2022Teacher Appreciation Day
Jan 10, 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
Dec 15, 2019The Battle of the Bulge 75 years later