Mount Hopkins — a mountain peak in Santa Cruz County, Arizona at about 2,576 m (8,451 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Arivaca Junction, about 17.2 km (10.7 mi) away (Mount Hopkins lies ESE of town).
Mount Hopkins is a 8,553-foot (2,607 m) peak of the Santa Rita Mountains range, in Santa Cruz County, southern Arizona. The peak was named after Gilbert Hopkins, who was killed nearby during the Battle of Fort Buchanan in 1865. It is in the Coronado National Forest and is bounded on three sides by the Mount Wrightson Wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Hopkins (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Hopkins 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 299° (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) | 6:28 AM | 90° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 62° ENE | 7:33 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:13 AM | 89° E | 6:22 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:25 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 05m |
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 | 5:07 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:10 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:03 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 06m |
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 Hopkins, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:04 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:58 PM – 3:48 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:11 PM – 3:31 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:08 PM – 2:08 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:14 PM – 8:04 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.42 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
- 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 Hopkins, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Ghost Town
Cave
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
State Park
Dark Sky Place
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kent Springs Cabin3.5 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Kentucky Camp Cabin And Headquarters Building14.9 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Hopkins?
What time is golden hour at Mount Hopkins?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Hopkins?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Hopkins?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Hopkins?
How far is Mount Hopkins from Arivaca 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.