Located in Pima County, Arizona, Mica Mountain is a mountain peak at about 2,627 m (8,619 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Saguaro National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Tanque Verde, about 18.6 km (11.6 mi) away (Mica Mountain lies E of town).
Mica Mountain is an 8,668-foot (2,642 m) peak in the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park in Pima County, Arizona, about 20 miles (32 km) east of Tucson. It is the highest point of the park and the highest point in the Rincon Mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Mica Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mica 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 61° ENE | 7:33 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:20 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 02m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:09 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 5:42 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:39 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:02 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 03m |
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 Mica Mountain, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:57 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.3 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:08 PM – 2:08 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:52 PM – 10:02 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:12 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.8 | 18° | 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 ≈ 21.09 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 76 | 83 | 90 | 97 | 106 | 111 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 77 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 32 | 38 | 49 | 64 | 61 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mica Mountain, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PassWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Saguaro National Park Wilderness Permits4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Molino19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Rose Canyon24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Sollers Cabin (Az)26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mica Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Mica Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mica Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mica Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mica Mountain?
How far is Mica Mountain from Tanque Verde?
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.