Mount Turnbull — a mountain peak in Graham County, Arizona at about 2,527 m (8,291 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Bylas, about 14.7 km (9.1 mi) away (Mount Turnbull lies WSW of town).
Mount Turnbull (Western Apache: Dził Dlaazhe) is the highest point in the Santa Teresa Mountains in western Graham County, Arizona. The summit has an elevation of 8,284 feet (2,525 m) and a prominence of 3,562 feet (1,086 m). It is the highest point in the Santa Teresa Mountains and the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. A recreational permit is required for access to reservation land.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Turnbull (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Turnbull 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 61° ENE | 7:34 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 118° ESE | 5:19 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 58m |
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 | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:26 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:22 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 5:41 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:01 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 59m |
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 Turnbull, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:58 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 10:59 PM – 3:39 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:14 PM – 3:24 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:10 PM – 2:00 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:38 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 7:52 PM – 9:52 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:01 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.71 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 20% 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 | 77 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 104 | 110 | 109 | 107 | 104 | 97 | 87 | 75 |
| Low °F | 9 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 33 | 50 | 62 | 60 | 44 | 29 | 20 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Turnbull, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Turnbull?
What time is golden hour at Mount Turnbull?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Turnbull?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Turnbull?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Turnbull?
How far is Mount Turnbull from Bylas?
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.