Observatory at San Pedro Martir

I wrote about it after my visit in October 2017: https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/san_pedr...

However, far more details and all that you asked for is in my Nomad Trip #7 report: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=87976

These hours are not exact and if they are doing any work on the scopes, you can't get in...



I arrived at the gate shortly after 10 am (when it was advertised to be open), and it was closed! There was another car parked over to the side in the parking area with a few people and one soldier from the base below. I just stayed in the road at the gate waiting for someone to come down and (hopefully) open it for all of us. Another family arrived while I waited.

Maybe 20 minutes passed and a vehicle came down from the telescopes (which are 3 kilometers away and 500 feet higher, on the ridge). After he chatted with the others through the gate I walked to him and learned it wasn't open yesterday or this morning because of some maintenance going on with the telescopes. Because I only wanted to take photos for all of you and the new guidebook and get a GPS reading, he said for me to wait 30 minutes. The other two vehicles full of people left and 45 minutes later, he came down. I noted he was wearing a Superman shirt and he said that was because he was the "supervisor"!

He couldn't get the electric gate to open so he invited me to ride in his truck. How cool was that! He told me that normally the gate is closed but during those three hours each day (10-1), you can use the call box to get the gate opened... only the call box was currently out-of-order.

I recall he said he has been working there for 9 years. 15 days a month up at the observatories and 15 days in Ensenada at sea level. Prevents elevation sickness.

















[Edited on 6-23-2020 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by RocketJSquirrel

During normal times, when and how do you access the observatory? I know how to get there, but are there usual hours they have - in the past - been open to the public? Was there a fee other than entering the park area? Planning a trip with people from the UK and just want some idea of what things MIGHT be like by September. The one time I was up there, they weren't open.