wood and other materials." Despite these measures access to the summit area surrounding the cube was closed again in 2018 pending additional cleanup. The demolition of the cube was considered, but in May 2016, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors listed it on the County Heritage Resource Inventory, giving it official historic status and protecting it from demolition. On September 18, 2017, the road, a mountain biking and hiking trail to the summit were opened. Facilities include new pavement, restrooms, interpretive displays and a small parking lot at the summit. It is a spur of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. In 2017, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District granted an easement to the tribal band, descendants of the Ohlone Native American people who inhabited the region before it was settled by Europeans. The easement authorized the band to build a garden and hold ceremonies on the mountaintop. In March 2022, the $2 million renovation project to preserve the historical building was completed. Facilities The mountain is topped by an eight and a half story (84.5 feet tall) concrete radar tower (5 floors interior), known locally as "the Cube" or "the Box". The tower was part of Almaden Air Force Station, a radar surveillance post which operated from 1958 to 1980. The mountain is also the site of the Bay Area NEXRAD weather radar. The high elevation is necessary for line of sight in the region's varied terrain, but it also limits the ability to detect storms with bases lower in the atmosphere. Gallery References External links 10m, 18s. Mountains of Santa Clara County, California Mountains of the San Francisco Bay Area Santa Cruz Mountains Mountains of Northern California