Located in Cochise County, Arizona, Miller Peak is a mountain peak at about 2,884 m (9,462 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sierra Vista Southeast, about 8.8 km (5.5 mi) away (Miller Peak lies SW of town).
Miller Peak, at 9,470 feet (2,886 m), is the second-highest mountain in Cochise County, Arizona (after Chiricahua Peak). Located approximately 10 miles south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, it is the highest mountain in the Huachuca mountain range and a popular local hiking destination. The Miller Peak Wilderness encompasses 20,190 acres and is managed by the Coronado National Forest. This is also the most southerly peak and land area to rise above 9,000 feet in the continental United States. The area was affected by the 2011 Monument fire and most of the pine trees seen in older photographs were burned and destroyed. Scrub oak are beginning to replace the areas that were previously covered by pine.From the Wikipedia article “Miller Peak (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Miller 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 298° (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) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 62° ENE | 7:30 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 117° ESE | 5:23 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 06m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 20m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 5:42 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 07m |
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 Miller Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° 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 | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:55 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:07 PM – 3:37 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:04 PM – 2:04 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:33 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:01 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: 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 ≈ 21.13 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 76 | 83 | 86 | 95 | 104 | 109 | 105 | 103 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 22 | 31 | 36 | 49 | 59 | 59 | 49 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
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.
- 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 Miller Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Reef Townsite Group Area2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Rock Bluff Group Site15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Canelo Ranger Office26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Canelo Ranger Residence26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Miller Peak?
What time is golden hour at Miller Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Miller Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Miller Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Miller Peak?
How far is Miller Peak from Sierra Vista Southeast?
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.