Mount Vaca, Mountain summit in Napa and Solano counties, California, US

Mount Vaca is a mountain in the Vaca Mountains of Northern California, on the border of Napa and Solano counties. Its summit is the highest point in Solano County and one of several Bay Area peaks that receive winter snow. The summit is reached via Mix Canyon Road or Gates Canyon Road from Vacaville, which meet Blue Ridge Road along the ridge top.

The mountain's name comes from Juan Manuel Cabeza Vaca, who received a Mexican land grant covering this region in 1843. These early land arrangements shaped how property and development were divided in the surrounding areas for decades to come.

The name Vaca is Spanish for cow, and cattle ranching shaped the land around the peak, but the mountain and the city of Vacaville are named for Juan Manuel Cabeza Vaca, co-recipient of the 1843 Rancho Los Putos grant. The Spanish Wikipedia instead calls the grant Rancho Los Gordos, a discrepancy worth noting.

To reach the summit, visitors typically follow Mix Canyon Road or Gates Canyon Road from Vacaville, which connect to Blue Ridge Road. The best time to visit is during cooler months when trails are dry and visibility from the peak is clearest.

The peak houses a KPIX-TV Doppler radar station that is essential for weather forecasting across the San Francisco Bay Area. This radar helps meteorologists track weather patterns and keeps forecasts accurate for the entire region.