This installation atop Kitt Peak is part of The Very Long Baseline Array — a radio telescope system with 10 sites across the United States. You'll get a close-up view of it at the picnic area.

Doug Kreutz / Arizona Daily Star

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KITT PEAK — Below you: a vast expanse of magnificent mountains and distant deserts. Above you: Pretty much the rest of the universe.

That's the outlook from your vantage point on a glass-enclosed observation deck high on the towering dome of the Mayall 4-Meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Perched atop the 6,875-foot peak southwest of Tucson, the Mayall observation deck is one of several remarkable stops on a self-guided walking tour of the observatory site.

It's an excellent place to get an overview of Kitt Peak's array of research telescopes, set against the backdrop of the stone spire of Baboquivari Peak.

"I think this place is spectacular," said Jack Stults, a visitor from Helena, Mont., who toured the mountaintop one day recently with Daphne Crosbie, also of Helena. "There's so much to see — not only the telescopes, but the scenery."

To find your way to the Mayall and other stops on the tour, begin your visit at the observatory visitor center.

There, you'll find scientific displays and exhibits describing the observatory, which is on the Tohono O'odham Reservation about 55 miles southwest of Tucson. Pick up a free walking tour map at the gift shop desk.

The map will guide you to the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, the 2.1-Meter Telescope and the Mayall — with good views of other facilities along the way. An elevator takes you up the 18-story Mayall, where you'll get a look at the telescope equipment as well as big views.

Visitors who want to learn more about observatory operations may take guided tours at 10 a.m, 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tours cost $3.50 per person or $6.50 for an all-day tour pass, with reduced rates for children.

For another view of the observatory, pack a picnic lunch and spend midday at the site's picnic area. There, you'll get close-up views of a huge, dishlike structure that's part of The Very Long Baseline Array, which is a network of radio telescopes across the United States.

A daytime visit, of course, offers no real-time stargazing. For that, inquire at the visitor center or call the number below for information on Kitt Peak's Nightly Observing Program.

To get to the observatory from Tucson, go west on Ajo Way, which becomes Arizona 86, and follow it to a left-hand turnoff for Arizona 386. Then drive 12 miles on Arizona 386 to the telescopes. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The site is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Information: 318-8726.