Vandenberg Air Force Base Vieing information.

The follow is from Brian Webb (KD6NRP).

From: Brian Webb

The place to avoid is Vandenberg! If is the first part of the coast to fog over and the very last place to clear up. It is plagued by fog and low clouds.

The very best place to view the launch is 4,200 ft high Santa Ynez Peak. It's about 18 miles due east of SLC-6. The road up there is hazardous, but if you're careful, you'll be fine.  ---> directions given at bottom of message

Another place is the cement water cister on East Camino Cielo, in the mountains north of Santa Barbara. It's east of the interscetion of State highway 154 and East Camino Cielo. It's only 3,000 ft above sea level, but it's usually a good site.  ---> directions given at bottom of message

Before you come down here, give me a heads up and I can tell you exactly where to look and what lens, film, and exposure to use. Probably all you'll need is a good backpacking compass, a 35mm camera, 50mm lens, and Kodak Gold 100 film

My web page has some good info on this sort of thing. It's at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/rawhide_home_page
 

Viewing Sites

The best place to see the launch will be Santa Barbara County. Information on the two best sites is given below.

Cement Water Cistern
East Camino Cielo
Santa Barbara County
Latitude    34 deg. 30 min. 57 sec. (34.5158) north
Longitude: 119 deg. 46 min. 43 sec. (119.7786) west
Elevation: 3,000 ft.

 1. Drive to the intersection of U.S. 101 and state highway 154 (in the north end of Santa Barbara).
 2. Take state highway 154 north (towards San Marcos Pass and Lake Cachuma).
 3. At intersection of 154 and East Camino Cielo, turn right onto East Camino. Cielo.
 4. You should pass a U.S. Forest Service fire station and a general store.
 5. Continue uphill for about five or six miles.
 6. When you see a cement water cistern on your left, carefully park you car.

                                     DANGER
                   These mountain roads are very dangerous.
                   Pay close attention to your driving. If
                   you decide to view the launch from the
                   top of the water tank, be careful! There
                   is no railing and you could easily fall
                   off and be injured or killed.
 

Santa Ynez Peak
Santa Barbara County
Latitude:   34 deg. 31 min. 36 sec. (34.5266) north
Longitude: 119 deg. 58 min. 45 sec. (119.9792) west
Elevation: 4,200 ft.

 1. Drive to the intersection of U.S. 101 and Refugio Road (this is several  miles north of Santa Barbara and near Refugio State Beach).
 2. Take Refugio Road east (uphill).
 3. Continue driving for several miles several miles.

                                     DANGER
                   These mountain roads are very dangerous.
                   Not paying attention to your driving for
                   only a second could get you killed! Watch
                   out for ice and loose gravel on the road
                   and be very careful when you back up your
                   car.

 4. When you're near the top of the mountain range, you'll see a sign for
the La Sherpa Retreat.
 5. A the top of the ridge there's a T-intersection and a small road that heads to the right (east). The road has a sign that says "This road not maintained by Santa Barbara County."
 6. Turn right (east) onto the road with the "This road not maintained..." sign.
 7. Continue uphill for several miles and pass the small observatory. Keep going.
 8. You'll see a mountain with numerous antennas about 1 mile east of the observatory. That's Santa Ynez Peak.
 9. Drive up the short road to the antenna towers.
10. Park near the propane tank on the west side of the summit.

Other observing sites in southern California include:

Del Cerro Park
Rancho Palos Verdes

Spanish Hills
Camarillo
 
 

 
 
 

If you have any comments or corrections please contact: jwc@stanford.edu.