Mount Wilson is a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles, California. At 5,710 feet high, it offers stunning views of the Los Angeles basin and has been home to important scientific facilities like the Mount Wilson Observatory. Let’s explore this iconic mountain through 32 riddles!
Riddles about the History of Mount Wilson
Riddle 1
Built in 1904, I’m an observatory atop Mount Wilson that housed the world’s largest telescope for over 30 years. What am I?
Answer: The Mount Wilson Observatory
Riddle 2
I’m a Native American tribe that originally inhabited the San Gabriel Mountains including Mount Wilson. My name means “people of the willow houses.” Who am I?
Answer: The Tongva tribe
Riddle 3
We were a group of 50 wilderness lovers who built a trail to the peak of Mount Wilson in 1891. Who are we?
Answer: The San Gabriel Timberland Club
Riddles about Geography and Nature of Mount Wilson
Riddle 4
I’m a body of water created by the damming of a creek on Mount Wilson. Fishermen come to try and catch trout and catfish in my waters. What am I?
Answer: Morris Reservoir
Riddle 5
I’m a picturesque waterfall on the northern slope of Mount Wilson fed by precipitation and melting snow. What am I?
Answer: Sturtevant Falls
Riddle 6
I’m a branch of geology that studies the history and structure of the rocks in the San Gabriel Mountains around Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: Petrology
Riddles about Hiking on Mount Wilson
Riddle 7
I’m the easiest trail to hike up Mount Wilson, gaining only about 400 feet of elevation over 2.7 miles. What trail am I?
Answer: The Mount Wilson Toll Road
Riddle 8
I’m an 8-mile trail up the west slope of Mount Wilson popular with experienced hikers seeking a challenge. What am I?
Answer: The Mount Wilson Trail
Riddle 9
I’m the steepest trail on Mount Wilson, climbing over 3,000 feet in only 4 miles. Hikers beware! What am I?
Answer: The Winter Creek Trail
Riddles about Mount Wilson Wildlife and Plants
Riddle 10
With white spots on my ears and reddish-brown fur, I’m a small carnivorous mammal common in the pine forests of Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: The spotted skunk
Riddle 11
I’m a bird with blue-gray feathers on my back and rusty colored ones underneath. You can spot me year-round in the woodlands on Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: Steller’s Jay
Riddle 12
I’m a low, bushy shrub with white flowers that blooms from May to July across the slopes of Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: Whiteleaf manzanita
Riddles about Mount Wilson Weather and Climate
Riddle 13
I’m an atmospheric phenomenon that can create halos around the sun or moon when seen from Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: Cirrus clouds
Riddle 14
Caused by warm Santa Ana winds, I’m a seasonal wind condition that brings hot, dry air and heightened wildfire risk to Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: Fire weather
Riddle 15
I’m the month with the highest average rainfall on Mount Wilson at over 5 inches. What month am I?
Answer: February
Riddles about Mount Wilson Culture and Landmarks
Riddle 16
Perched atop Mount Wilson at 5,715 feet, I’m an astronomical observatory founded in 1904. What am I?
Answer: The Mount Wilson Observatory
Riddle 17
I’m a stone cabin built in 1888 by Professor William B. Dewitt and later owned by Thaddeus S. Lowe of Mount Lowe Railway fame. Who am I?
Answer: The Mount Wilson Hotel
Riddle 18
I’m a tall transmission tower on Mount Wilson built in 1912 with rocks carried up the mountain by burros. What am I?
Answer: The Mount Wilson Tollhouse Antenna
Riddles about Mount Wilson Trivia
Riddle 19
Mount Wilson was named after this Princeton professor who climbed to the summit in 1864. Who am I?
Answer: Benjamin Davis Wilson
Riddle 20
This U.S. president visited Mount Wilson in 1911 and planted a tree there that is now known as the Presidential Tree. Who was he?
Answer: William Howard Taft
Riddle 21
This chemist discovered the blueprint of DNA’s double helix structure while working at the Mount Wilson Observatory in 1953. Who was he?
Answer: James Watson
Science Riddles about Mount Wilson
Riddle 22
I’m the science of studying earthquakes and seismic waves. Mount Wilson has seismometers that help me study seismic activity. What am I?
Answer: Seismology
Riddle 23
I’m the study of the physical and chemical properties of soil. Analyzing me helps predict landslides on Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: Pedology
Riddle 24
I’m the scientific term for the shape of the Earth. Surveying me from Mount Wilson helped scientists better understand gravity. What am I?
Answer: Geodesy
Astronomy Riddles about Mount Wilson
Riddle 25
I’m a faint nebula named for its location above the shoulder of Orion. I was discovered from photographs taken at Mount Wilson in 1922. What am I?
Answer: Barnard’s Loop
Riddle 26
I’m a telescope at Mount Wilson that was the largest in the world from 1917 to 1949. What’s my name?
Answer: The Hooker Telescope
Riddle 27
I’m a telescope at Mount Wilson that was used in 1923 to confirm that Andromeda was outside our galaxy. What am I?
Answer: The 100-inch Hooker Telescope
Fun Riddles about Mount Wilson
Riddle 28
I’m green and leafy and provide shade along Mount Wilson’s trails. Hikers often rest beneath me on hot summer days. What am I?
Answer: An oak tree
Riddle 29
I’m red, sweet and acidic. I grow on small shrubs along the trails on Mount Wilson for hikers to enjoy. What am I?
Answer: Wild strawberries
Riddle 30
I’m crisp, grainy and tasty. Hikers often bring me along to snack on while exploring Mount Wilson. What am I?
Answer: Granola bars
Challenging Riddles about Mount Wilson
Riddle 31
Some know me as Bachus, others as Erigone. I’m a constellation named for the daughter of Icarius. I was discovered from photographic plates taken at Mount Wilson in the 1920s. What am I?
Answer: Virgo
Riddle 32
I’m a phenomenon caused when zinc sulfide particles ionize and glow. I was studied extensively at Mount Wilson starting in the 1930s. What am I?
Answer: Triboluminescence
Conclusion
Hope you enjoyed these 32 riddles about the history, nature, science and astronomy of Mount Wilson! Let me know if you have any other riddles about this iconic California mountain.
