Carr Peak is a mountain peak in Cochise County, Arizona at about 2,815 m (9,236 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sierra Vista Southeast, about 8.9 km (5.5 mi) away (Carr Peak lies WSW of town).
Carr Peak is the third-highest mountain in Cochise County, Arizona (after Chiricahua Peak and Miller Peak) and is the second-highest mountain in the Huachuca Mountains. It rises about 10 miles (16 km) south of Sierra Vista, Arizona. The summit is in the Miller Peak Wilderness on the Coronado National Forest and about 4 miles (6 km) south of the Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve. The area is well known among birders because of the variety of hummingbird species (as many as 15) seen in the area as well as the dozens of southwestern specialties such as Apache pine, Chihuahua pine, ridge-nosed rattlesnake, lesser long-nosed bat and elegant trogon.From the Wikipedia article “Carr Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carr Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 62° ENE | 7:30 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 117° ESE | 5:23 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 06m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 20m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 5:42 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 07m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Carr Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:55 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:07 PM – 3:37 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:04 PM – 2:04 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:33 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.11 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (62%). June is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 76 | 83 | 86 | 95 | 104 | 109 | 105 | 103 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 22 | 31 | 36 | 49 | 59 | 59 | 49 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this mountain peak
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Carr Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Cave
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Reef Townsite Group Area1.7 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- Rock Bluff Group Site14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Canelo Ranger Office25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Canelo Ranger Residence25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carr Peak?
What time is golden hour at Carr Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carr Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carr Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carr Peak?
How far is Carr Peak from Sierra Vista Southeast?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.