Mount Graham — a mountain peak in Graham County, Arizona at about 3,260 m (10,696 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Swift Trail Junction, about 15.1 km (9.4 mi) away (Mount Graham lies WSW of town).
Mount Graham (called in Nnee biyati' (Western Apache) Dził Nchaa Sí'an – 'Big Seated Mountain') is a mountain in Graham County, Arizona, United States, approximately 70 miles (110 km) northeast of Tucson. The mountain reaches 10,720 feet (3,267 m) in height. It is the highest elevation in Graham County, Coronado National Forest and the Pinaleño Mountains. It is also the southernmost peak and land area in the continental United States above 10,000 feet (3,048 m). As the name "Mount Graham" is often used by locals to refer to the entire mountain range, the peak itself is frequently referred to as "High Peak". It is twentieth of the 57 ultra-prominent peaks of the lower 48 states, and the first of the five in Arizona.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Graham”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Graham 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) | 6:24 AM | 90° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 61° ENE | 7:31 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:08 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 118° ESE | 5:18 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 00m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:25 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 5:39 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:37 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:52 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 5:59 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:13 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 01m |
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 Graham, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:55 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 10:56 PM – 3:36 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:11 PM – 3:21 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:07 PM – 1:57 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:35 PM – 11:55 PM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:09 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.8 | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 24% 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 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 96 | 106 | 109 | 111 | 106 | 103 | 96 | 85 | 76 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 21 | 29 | 35 | 48 | 62 | 61 | 46 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Graham, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Fire LookoutScenic ViewpointWaterfallScenic ViewpointFire LookoutScenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Upper Hospital Flat Group Site3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Treasure Park - East4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Treasure Park - North4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Upper Arcadia7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Lower Twilight Group Site7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Graham?
What time is golden hour at Mount Graham?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Graham?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Graham?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Graham?
How far is Mount Graham from Swift Trail Junction?
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.