Fremont Peak is a summit in the Gabilan Range

Gabilan Range

The Gabilan Range or Gabilan Mountains are located on the Pacific Coast Range of California's Central Coast trending in a northwest-southeast direction along the Monterey County and San Benito County line. It is bordered by the Diablo Range, the San Andreas Fault, and State Route 25 to the east and...

, one of the mountain ranges paralleling California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

's central coast. The peak affords clear views of the Salinas Valley

Salinas Valley

The Salinas Valley lies south of San Francisco, California.The word "salina" is spanish for salt marsh, salt lake or salt pan.-Geography:The Salinas Valley runs approximately south-east from Salinas towards King City. The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it's located, the...

 and Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay

Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....

. It is located on Rocky Ridge, 11 miles (17.7 km) northeast of Salinas, California

Salinas, California

Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...

.

The peak is the site of Fremont Peak State Park

Fremont Peak State Park

Fremont Peak State Park is a state park located in the Gabilan Range between Monterey County and San Benito County, California. It provides an opportunity to view the local environment and distant vistas....

 which was established with 188 acres (76.1 ha) in 1936. Today the park has camping and picnic facilities,
and is favored by astronomers for its clear views unsullied by artificial light. The Fremont Peak Observatory

Fremont Peak Observatory

Fremont Peak Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Fremont Peak Observatory Association. Built in 1986, it is located in Fremont Peak State Park, near San Juan Bautista, California. Fremont Peak Observatory houses the Challenger telescope.Fremont Peak Observatory is...

 Association maintains a 30 inches (76.2 cm) diameter f/4.8 Newtonian "Challenger" telescope which was built by telescope maker Kevin Medlock in the early 1980s.
The peak is also the site of the transmitters for television stations such as KSBW

KSBW

KSBW is a television station in the United States and is the primary NBC affiliate for the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz, California market. The station is owned by Hearst Television. KSBW has its studios on John Street in downtown Salinas, which is mentioned occasionally during commercial breaks...

and KCBA

KCBA

KCBA is a Fox affiliate television station in Salinas, California, USA. The station broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 13. KCBA is owned by Seal Rock Broadcasters, LLC and operated by Cowles Publishing Company through a local marketing agreement with CBS affiliate KION-TV channel...

and for radio stations such as KDON-FM.

History

Previously called Gavilan Peak, it is now named for John C. Frémont

John C. Frémont

John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...

, an American explorer and a Captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers at the time. In 1846, he and a crew of 60 armed surveyors mounted the peak to assess its military value. The peak commands the inland approach from Monterey

Monterey, California

The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...

. As a response to the threat, local Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 authority General José Castro ordered Frémont and his men to leave California. In defiance, Frémont built a crude stockade and raised a modified American flag above the peak. The U.S. Consul in Monterey, Thomas O. Larkin

Thomas O. Larkin

Thomas Oliver Larkin was an early American emigrant to Alta California and a signer of the original California Constitution. He was the United States' first and only consul to the California Republic.-Early years:...

 supported Castro's decision to evict Frémont, and his men were duly ordered out of the area. Frémont took providence from a windy night which blew down the makeshift flagpole to hasten himself and his men from the peak.

Following a ride to the summit on March 4, 1906, Frémont Peak Day was inaugurated by local residents. Nineteen years later, the Native Sons of the Golden West

Native Sons of the Golden West

-History:The Native Sons of the Golden West was founded July 11, 1875 by General A. M. Winn, a Virginian, as a lasting monument to the men and women of the Gold Rush Days...

installed a commemorative plaque on the summit.