Mount Hopkins

Mount Hopkins is a mountain in the Santa Rita Mountains that rises to about 2,600 meters and is surrounded by dense desert forest within Coronado National Forest. The slopes drop steeply and show the typical vegetation of the higher desert region.

The mountain was named after Gilbert Hopkins, who died in the Battle of Fort Buchanan in 1865. This naming honors an early settler and soldier from the era of frontier military posts in Arizona.

The Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on Mount Hopkins conducts research in astronomy through multiple advanced telescope installations.

Access is via Elephant Head Road, which becomes a gravel road and continues about 8 miles to the observatory gate. The route requires a reliable vehicle and should be avoided in bad weather.

The Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on the summit operates one of the most important telescope systems for studying gamma-ray bursts and comets. The advanced telescopes here use specialized technology to correct for atmospheric distortion and enable precise astronomical observations.

Location: Arizona

Elevation above the sea: 2,616 m

GPS coordinates: 31.68906,-110.88470

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:04