From Peak to Plaza: A Day in San Juan Bautista
The " City of History " welcomes visitors to learn, explore, and more
by Debbi Sanchez
R ecently, we were reminded of Fremont Peak by a couple we met in San Juan Bautista. They had just come down from the Peak after watching the sunrise. We know a great idea when it’ s presented to us, so we headed out a few weeks later to meet the sun as it rose over the eastern horizon.
The Peak is the highest point in Fremont Peak State Park— 159 acres of hills, wildlife, incredible rock formations, and a vast array of native plants. The Ohlone peoples( Costanoans) were the first to call this land home, living in harmony with the land for thousands of years before the arrival of Spanish missionaries and soldiers in the late 1760s. Eleven miles south of San Juan Bautista off Hwy 156, the park is available for camping, exploring, and day use. The Fremont Peak Observatory Association hosts programs and stargazing events March through October, weather permitting. Visit fpoa. net for schedules and more information.
For the record, the gates open at 5:00am for early birds and sunrise seekers. Chasing the sun? You’ re welcome here. The park itself opens at 8:00am, so when we rolled in at 7:00am, we were completely within the law. It just felt like we were trespassing. We were not. Setting out from the parking lot, we reached the broadcast towers about. 6 miles up the service road, just in time to greet the sun at 7:15am.
We stood there for a while, eventually finding a group of welcoming rocks to sit upon. We couldn’ t help but look east as the sun rose above the Diablo Range and the valley below.( Continued...)
22 SPRING 2026 Gilroy • Morgan Hill TODAY Magazine: Go. Make history... gmhtoday. com