Four Peaks is a mountain peak in Maricopa County, Arizona at about 2,101 m (6,893 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Tonto Basin, about 16.7 km (10.4 mi) away (Four Peaks lies S of town).
Four Peaks (Yavapai: Wi:khoba) is a prominent landmark on the eastern skyline of Phoenix. Part of the Mazatzal Mountains, it is located in the Four Peaks Wilderness in the Tonto National Forest, 40 miles (64 km) east-northeast of Phoenix. In winter, Four Peaks offers much of the Phoenix metro area a view of snow-covered peaks. Four Peaks is the site of an amethyst mine that produces top-grade amethyst. The name Four Peaks is a reference to the four distinct peaks of a north–south ridge forming the massif's summit. The northernmost peak is named Brown's Peak and is the tallest of the four at 7,659 feet (2,334 m). It is the highest point in Maricopa County. The remaining summits are Brother, Sister, and Amethyst from north to south are 7,644 feet (2,330 m), 7,574 feet (2,309 m) and 7,526 feet (2,294 m) in elevation. Four Peaks is depicted on the standard Vehicle registration plates of Arizona.From the Wikipedia article “Four Peaks”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Four Peaks 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) | 6:30 AM | 90° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 61° ENE | 7:40 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:14 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Four Peaks, 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 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 | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:16 PM – 3:46 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:22 PM – 3:22 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:18 PM – 1:58 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:44 PM – 11:54 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 7:57 PM – 9:57 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:15 PM – 7:55 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.0 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (49%). 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 | 81 | 82 | 93 | 98 | 107 | 114 | 112 | 110 | 109 | 101 | 91 | 79 |
| Low °F | 16 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 53 | 65 | 64 | 50 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Four Peaks, closest first.
Cave
Hot Spring
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
National ForestScenic Viewpoint
Dark Sky Place
Waterfall
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cholla Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Burnt Corral Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Frazier Horse Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- Frazier Group Campground18.3 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Tortilla Campground18.4 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Four Peaks?
What time is golden hour at Four Peaks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Four Peaks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Four Peaks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Four Peaks?
How far is Four Peaks from Tonto Basin?
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.