Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Mount Elden is a mountain peak at about 2,612 m (8,570 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Flagstaff, about 6.9 km (4.3 mi) away (Mount Elden lies NE of town).
Mount Elden or Elden Mountain (Hopi: Hovi'itstuyqa) is an extinct lava dome located in central Coconino County northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona. The mountain is named after John Elden, one of the region's earliest Anglo settlers, who established a homestead on its lower slopes and grazed sheep on the open grasslands below during the late 19th century. Its exposed, rocky slopes are a prominent feature visible from almost any point in Flagstaff, rising steeply by nearly 2,400 feet (730 m) to reach an elevation of 9,301 feet (2,835 m). In 1977, the Radio Fire, a human-caused wildfire, destroyed much of the vegetation on the southern and southeastern slopes, burning 4,600 acres (1,900 hectares). Despite its rugged appearance, steep relief, and nearly 15 square miles (40 km2) of surface area, Mount Elden is easily accessible via an extensive system of road and non-motorized trail system...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Elden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Elden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:45 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Mount Elden, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:23 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:30 PM – 3:20 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:26 PM – 1:56 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:49 PM – 11:49 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.0 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 39 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 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.
- 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 Mount Elden, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Volcano
State Park
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakVolcano
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Little Elden Springs Horsecamp4.8 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Canyon Vista13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Lockett Meadow Campground13.2 km (8.2 mi)
- Oleary Group Site14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Bonito Campground (Az)15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Elden?
What time is golden hour at Mount Elden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Elden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Elden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Elden?
How far is Mount Elden from Flagstaff?
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.