Located in Yavapai County, Arizona, Granite Mountain is a mountain peak at about 2,222 m (7,290 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) SSW of Williamson.
Granite Mountain (Yavapai: ʼWi:kvte:wa) is a 7,628-foot (2,325 m) mountain located in Yavapai County, Arizona that covers roughly 12 square miles (31 km2). It was once known as Mount Gurley, for the first governor of the Arizona Territory, John A. Gurley. Its southwest face has a sheer granite cliff approximately 500 feet (150 m) high that is one of the best locations for rock climbing in the state of Arizona. It is located in the Granite Mountain Wilderness, which is managed as a part of the Prescott National Forest. The mountain stands at the northern end of the Sierra Prietas, and borders Skull Valley on the west, on the northwest by the Santa Maria Mountains, and east by the Williamson Valley.From the Wikipedia article “Granite Mountain (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Granite 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:35 AM | 90° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 61° ENE | 7:47 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:19 AM | 89° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 118° ESE | 5:24 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Granite Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 5:08 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:21 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:52 PM – 12:02 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:04 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:20 PM – 8:00 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: 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 ≈ 20.96 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (45%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 84 | 91 | 99 | 109 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 94 | 83 | 73 |
| Low °F | 2 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 33 | 43 | 54 | 50 | 40 | 25 | 20 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Granite Mountain, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
National Forest
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Yavapai Campground5.4 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Alto Pit Ohv Campground5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Thumb Butte11.0 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- White Spar Campground17.4 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Lynx Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Granite Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Granite Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Granite Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Granite Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Granite Mountain?
How far is Granite Mountain from Williamson?
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.