Palomar Observer Travel

Palomar Observatory is located near the Cleveland National Forest on Palomar Mountain in North San Diego County. Our street address is:

Palomar Observatory

35899 Canfield Road

Palomar Mountain, CA 92060-0200

The following are a collection of travel resources for Palomar observers and visitors.

Most observers/visitors will be driving themselves to Palomar. This Google Maps link will do a good job of providing directions (see the "Get directions" link). If you find yourself needing more driving information, please see our Palomar Driving Directions page.

IMPORTANT: the roads to Palomar, Highway 76 and South Grade Road (S-6), can be difficult during and just after rain and/or snow events. Road closures and rock/mud slides are possible at these times.

For current road conditions:

Visit Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) or call 800-427-7623

Google traffic information

Please note that many online and GPS programs can give incorrect directions for reaching the Observatory. Roads like Nate Harrison Grade and anything labelled a "truck trail" are not passable by ordinary vehicles. One happy exception is the Google Maps link cited above.

If you would rather not drive yourself to the observatory, we have identified a number of shuttle/towncar providers who can serve travellers arriving at either Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) (roughly 135 miles to the Observatory) or San Diego Airport (SAN) (estimated 80 miles to the Observatory). Typical per-mile rates quoted to us are approximately $3.50/mile + gratuity.

From LAX:

From SAN:

Please note that shuttle service information is provided for the convenience of our observers, and that the inclusion of these links do not constitute an endorsement of these providers or their services by Caltech or Palomar Observatory.

Our full-service observer dormitory (food and room included) is called "The Monastery." If you already have a reservation system account with us, you can book your Monastery reservations online from the Palomar Observer Login Page. Please see the Palomar Observer FAQ for information on accounts and creating same, Monastery reservations, and observer information in general.

If you don't have a reservation system account, our COO administrative assistant Linda Donnelly (ldonnelly [at] astro.caltech.edu) can assist you in making Monastery arrangements. Please note that reservations booked less than one week in advance will be assessed a late fee.

Monastery check-in is handled at the Monastery itself. Visitor keys are available at check-in time.

Meals are included in your Monastery stay; most special dietary requests (e.g. vegetarian, vegan) can be accommodated. Please make your preferences known when you book your Monastery reservation.

First-time observers may find the full-size Palomar campus map PDF helpful in finding your way around the Palomar site.

Our Monastery guest fee structure is (updated 01 April 2020):

The basic Monastery fee will be $161.36/guest-night, including room, board, dinner, and night lunch. However guests from the Caltech, NAOC, and Yale constituencies will receive a $30/night subsidy from their sponsoring organizations, making their effective nightly rate $131.36/guest-night. Late Monastery reservation fees for reservations made less than a week in advance will be as follows: reservations booked 4-6 days in advance assessed a $40 late fee per reservation; reservations booked < 4 days in advance assessed a $60 late fee per reservation. Late fees do not apply for Monastery reservations booked 7 or more days in advance. Changes or cancellations made less than 48-hours/two days from arrival date shall be assessed a $35 change/cancellation fee. Monastery dinner-only fee shall be $30; day-use fee shall be $20. Additional guest fee for double-occupancy rooms (Monastery rooms 9 & 10) shall be $67.67/guest-night (charged in addition to the basic $131.36/guest-night fee for the first guest). Going forward, adjustments of these rates are contractually tied to changes in the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), and adjusted on a biennial (every two year) basis (so the next rate adjustment will be made in 2022).

Alternative Accommodations

Occasionally alternative accommodations are necessary or convenient; in these circumstances please consult the actively updated list of Palomar Rentals.

Outside normal business hours (typically weekdays 9a–4p) access to the Observatory compound is protected by a security gate. Gate access instructions are available through the Palomar Observer Login Page or from the Observatory support staff (phone 760-742-2100).