Does Mount Diablo Have the Biggest View in the World?

Bay Curious

KQED

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 September 2024

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Listener Mark Isaak heard that from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro you can see the most land in every direction of any spot on Earth. But that the summit of Mount Diablo comes in second as the peak with the biggest view. Turns out, this is a widely-circulated factoid that goes back centuries. But is it true? In this episode from 2020, reporter Asal Ehsanipour scales the summit of this question to bring us the answer. Additional Reading: Does Mount Diablo Have the Biggest View in the World? Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Asal Ehsanipour. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale, and Ana De Almeida Amaral. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the whole KQED family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	From KQED.
0:03.0	When it comes to size, Mount Diablo is the Bay Area's grandest landmark.
0:09.0	It's often the first glimpse of home that you'll see after a long drive.
0:13.0	It stands apart from other mountains nearby, not just because of its prominence, but because of the legends that surround it.
0:21.6	The Bay-Mewok tribe believe the mountain is sacred, that it is the central point of the world's creation, where man was made.
0:28.6	But it's a different story that caught the attention of listener Mark Isaac.
0:32.6	I've heard that the spot on the earth from which you can see the most land, not just ocean, but actual land, is the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, but that the summit of Mount Diablo comes in second. Is that true?
0:51.4	Mark heard this legend so long ago that he can't remember where it came from.
0:56.0	But he's not alone.
0:57.5	Lots of you have heard this story too.
1:00.4	And it does seem possible.
1:03.4	Mount Diablo is an isolated peak.
1:05.5	It's a lot taller than everything else around it.
1:07.8	So even though there are lots of taller mountains out there, they might not have as
1:11.8	big of a view because other mountains get in the way. From the top of Mount Diablo, you can see the
1:17.8	Pacific Ocean all the way across the state to the Sierra. But the second biggest view in the world?
1:24.7	Really?
1:33.4	Today, we're going to find out if Mount Diablo's view deserves so remarkable an accolade and explore the story behind that legend.
1:36.7	This story first aired in 2020.
1:39.0	I'm Olivia Allen Price, and you're listening to Bay Curious.
1:47.0	Support for Bay Curious. Support for Bay Curious comes from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
1:51.1	From the legendary pale ale to hazy little thing,
	...

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