Located in Apache County, Arizona, Escudilla Mountain is a mountain peak at about 2,970 m (9,744 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) SE of Eagar.
Escudilla Mountain is located in Apache County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the White Mountains. The peak is approximately 3.5 miles from the Arizona-New Mexico border. The summit is the highest point in the Escudilla Wilderness which is administered as part of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. It is also the third-highest mountain peak in Arizona. The area was severely impacted by the Wallow Fire of June 2011. A portion of Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac discusses Escudilla and that it was the location of the last grizzly bear killed in Arizona (in 1936).From the Wikipedia article “Escudilla Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Escudilla Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:21 AM | 90° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 61° ENE | 7:31 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:05 AM | 89° E | 6:15 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 118° ESE | 5:12 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:20 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:13 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 5:35 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:34 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:09 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Escudilla Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:07 AM – 4:57 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:05 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:08 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:14 PM – 3:14 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:10 PM – 1:50 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:36 PM – 11:46 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 7:49 PM – 9:49 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:06 PM – 7:46 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). July 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 | 68 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 97 | 101 | 103 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -13 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 26 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 35 | 21 | 14 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
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
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Escudilla Mountain, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Luna Lake9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Buffalo Crossing Campground27 km (17 mi)
- Rainbow (Az)27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Brookchar28 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Grayling28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Escudilla Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Escudilla Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Escudilla Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Escudilla Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Escudilla Mountain?
How far is Escudilla Mountain from Eagar?
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.