Chiricahua Peak is a mountain peak in Cochise County, Arizona at about 2,972 m (9,751 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Douglas, about 61 km (38 mi) away (Chiricahua Peak lies NNE of town).
Chiricahua Peak is a 9,773-foot (2,979 m) peak located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, located about 35 miles (56 km) north of the United States–Mexico border. It is the highest summit in the Chiricahua Mountains and the highest point in Cochise County. As with the rest of the Chiricahua Mountains, the peak was formed as the result of a violent volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago. The peak contains one of the southernmost Engelmann spruce stands in the world. There are also extensive stands of quaking aspen on the north slope. Much of the peak was severely burned in recent times, causing aspens to take up once occupied by evergreen trees. Through the trunks of trees, views can be seen northward and westward. This includes views across the Basin and Range to Mount Lemmon, Mount Graham, and Mount Wrightson. In addition, Willcox Playa is visible in the basin below.From the Wikipedia article “Chiricahua Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chiricahua 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 299° (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) | 6:22 AM | 90° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 62° ENE | 7:27 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:06 AM | 89° E | 6:15 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 117° ESE | 5:18 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 04m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:04 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:24 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 5:38 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:34 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:49 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 05m |
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 Chiricahua Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:51 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:51 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:04 PM – 3:24 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:01 PM – 2:01 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:30 PM – 12:00 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:07 PM – 7:57 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 74 | 83 | 86 | 94 | 105 | 108 | 108 | 103 | 99 | 94 | 85 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 9 | 20 | 28 | 35 | 50 | 60 | 58 | 49 | 26 | 20 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Chiricahua Peak, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Fire LookoutScenic ViewpointWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Camp Rucker Group Site12.0 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Portal Bunkhouse13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Portal Ccc House13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Bonita Canyon Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chiricahua Peak?
What time is golden hour at Chiricahua Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chiricahua Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chiricahua Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chiricahua Peak?
How far is Chiricahua Peak from Douglas?
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.